My eyes opened and saw the sunlight poking through the closed curtains. Bits of dust were in the air. The room was considerably warmer in the morning than it was at bedtime—even with our lovemaking.

My hand clenched the sheets, disappointed that she’d left me to wake up without her. She made sleep easy. Knowing she was beside me, that nothing could touch her unless it pierced my flesh all the way through first and hit her afterward, gave me a deeper level of peace.

I would never let anything happen to her.

Not again.

I got out of bed and pulled on my sweats.

The door leaned forward, only attached to the wall by a single hinge. Pieces of wood were kicked to the side so the entryway was clear. She wasn’t in the bathroom, so I went down the stairs and through the foyer.

“Morning, sir.” Gilbert greeted me, in his full tuxedo with his hands behind his back. “Is there—”

“Melanie.” I stared him down.

He was getting better at recovering from my harshness, so he gave a quick nod. “She’s having breakfast on the terrace. Would you like to join her?”

“Yes.”

He nodded and walked away.

“Gilbert?”

He turned back to me. “Yes, sir?”

“Fix my door.” I walked past him. “It’s broken.” I headed out through the French doors in the rear and found Melanie sitting under an open umbrella, an assortment of breakfast items on the table. Chocolate croissants. Pot of coffee. Vase of pink roses. Savory crepes. Bowl of fruit. More food than she could possibly eat. But that wasn’t the point.

When I came close, she drew her gaze away from the pool and the acres beyond and turned to me.

I pulled out my chair and sat across from her.

Her chin was on her closed fingers, and she watched me with guarded eyes, like her anger wasn’t gone despite all the fucking we’d done, all the whispers we’d shared, all the tears she’d shed. Her eyes dropped back to her coffee, and she brought it to her lips for a drink. She was in a sundress with her bathing suit underneath, sunscreen on her face instead of makeup. The bridge of her nose had a distinct whiteness to it, like that was where she’d slathered on the most lotion.

She was beautiful—like always.

I was content just to sit there and stare.

Our nights and mornings were the best parts of my day. Our nights were filled with a kind of passion I’d never had with another woman. Our mornings were only about need, taking what we wanted before we began our day. Quick. To the point. A good start. I appreciated them both in different ways. So, when I woke up without her, it turned my entire day upside down.