Chapter 193

Hannah

I woke first to the glow of the sun hitting my face, and then to the warm sensation of an arm around me… and a hand cupping my breast.

“Mm…”

Smiling, I snuggled back into the familiar body that was pressed up against me. In my sleepy state, it felt natural, comforting. Happy even. A warmth spread through me, pooling low in my belly.

Instinctively, I ground back against him, hearing a soft, sleepy groan in response. The hand on my breast tightened, callused fingers brushing over my nipple and then pinching together ever so slightly. I let out a quiet gasp, arching my back into the solid body.

“Noah…”

But as consciousness slowly seeped in, the reality of what was happening hit me like a bucket of cold water had been dumped over my head.

Noah.

This wasn’t some pleasant dream—it was the man I was supposed to hate. We were cuddling, and I had been grinding against his very obvious morning wood.

Anger and surprise flared up inside of me, hot and sudden. Acting on instinct, I growled and sank my teeth into the arm that was wrapped around me.

“Ow!” Noah yelped, jerking away and nearly falling off the bed. “What the hell, Hannah?”

I sat up, glaring at him as I clutched the sheets to my chest. My nightgown had slipped off my shoulder, revealing one bare breast. “I told you not to touch me!” I snarled as I covered myself.

Noah rubbed his arm, looking too bewildered to even notice my nudity. “I was asleep!” he bit out. “I didn’t mean to touch you.”

“Oh, so you just happened to grab my breast and pinch my nipple in your sleep?” I snapped, my cheeks flushed from a combination of begrudging arousal and embarrassment.

“I wouldn’t do that on purpose,” Noah insisted. “You told me not to touch you, so I wouldn’t.”

I felt my shoulders slump slightly at his words. “You wouldn’t,” I repeated, my voice softer now.

Noah’s eyebrows knit together as he pushed his mop of dark hair out of his stormy face. “No, I wouldn’t.”

I couldn’t decide if his words meant that he simply didn’t want to touch me, or if he was just being respectful of my wishes. Either way, it left an oddly hollow feeling in my chest. I felt like my heart was betraying me; I didn’t want him to touch me, and yet…

And yet, I couldn’t help but feel ever so slightly disappointed that it hadn’t gone further.

Goddess, I was a mess.

“Whatever,” I muttered, throwing the covers back and climbing out of bed. “I’m going to get ready.”

We showered and dressed in awkward silence, carefully avoiding eye contact. As I brushed my hair, I caught Noah’s reflection in the mirror. He was buttoning up his shirt, his expression unreadable. For a moment, I allowed my eyes to flick over the sliver of bare chest peeking out from beneath his shirt.

I hated him, and yet it had felt so good, so right to wake up in his arms, the warmth of his body against mine, that considerable member pressed up to my behind. If it had gone further, perhaps we would still be in the throes of it now, my back arched and my name on his lips…

No. I shook my head, banishing the traitorous thoughts. Perhaps I was physically attracted to him, but that was it. Emotionally, he was my warden, and I hated him, and I couldn’t let myself soften towards him. Not now. Not when I had plans to run from him once we reached Silvermoon.

“Ready for breakfast?” Noah asked, breaking the silence.

I nodded, not trusting myself to speak. We made our way downstairs to the hotel bistro, the tension between us almost palpable even as we found a table on the bright patio and warmed ourselves beneath the morning sun.

The same waitress from last night greeted us with a bright smile on her face. “Good morning! How was your night? You two were so sweet together at dinner.”

I felt my face heat up, remembering my over-the-top display of affection. It had been fabricated just to make Noah feel bad, and yet…

Before I could respond, Noah jumped in. “Our night was wonderful, thank you,” he said smoothly.

The waitress beamed at us, clearly delighted by what she perceived as a happy couple. I opened my mouth, ready to say something carefully crafted to hurt him, but the words died on my tongue. I could still feel the phantom sensation of Noah’s arms around me, his hand brushing my skin, his fingers pinching that sensitive spot.

“It was… nice,” I said softly, surprising myself.

We ordered our breakfast and coffee, falling into an uncomfortable silence once the waitress left. I focused on my omelet, trying to ignore the way Noah’s eyes kept flicking over to me.

Once we were finished, the waitress came to take our empty plates. “How about dessert?” she asked, piling the dishes on her arm.

I glanced at the dessert menu, my eyes landing on a chocolate-filled croissant. It did look tempting...

“No, thanks. I’ve already eaten plenty,” I said, pushing the menu away.

Noah, noticing my apprehension, nudged my foot under the table. “Come on, live a little. I know how much you like the pastries here.”

My eyes widened slightly. He… remembered. It wasn’t much, but it was something. Goddess, he remembered.

I hesitated, then nodded to the waitress. “Okay. I’ll have the chocolate croissant, please.”

As I ate the pastry, I could feel Noah watching me over the rim of his coffee cup. I kept my eyes down, focusing on the flaky layers and rich chocolate filling. It was delicious, I had to admit, but my mind lingered on that small revelation: he remembered, he remembered, he remembered.

“You’ve got a bit of chocolate,” Noah suddenly said, his voice low.

Before I could react, he reached out, his thumb brushing the corner of my mouth. The touch sent a jolt through me, and I froze. Noah’s eyes met mine as he brought his thumb to his mouth, licking off the chocolate.

My face felt like it was on fire. I was supposed to hate him, to be cold and distant. But at that moment, all I could think about was how it felt to wake up in his arms this morning, the familiar warmth of his body against mine.

“Thanks,” I mumbled, quickly looking away with a red face.

We finished our breakfast in silence. As we left the bistro, I caught sight of our reflection in a mirror. We looked like any other couple—standing close, matching our pace to each other’s. For a brief moment, I allowed myself to imagine that we were just that: a normal, happy couple on a trip to visit family.

But we weren’t. And I couldn’t let myself forget that in just a few days, I would be refusing to return to Nightcrest with him, whether he remembered that I liked the pastries or not.

The drive to my parents’ estate was quiet. I stared out the window, watching the familiar landscape of Silvermoon pass by. Noah kept his eyes on the road, seemingly lost in thought.

Finally, as we pulled up to the grand gates of my childhood home, I felt a sense of relief wash over me. Home, at last; real home. Not a prison. The end was close, and yet…

Why did I feel so… disappointed? So empty?

The car had barely stopped when I heard my name being called. I looked up from gathering my bags to see my sister running toward us with a bright smile on her face.

But as she got closer, my eyes widened in shock. There, cradled in Lily’s arms, was a baby.