Aiden woke with a start, his heart pounding as confusion clouded his thoughts. He blinked rapidly, trying to piece together where he was. The room wasn't his; the faint scent of lavender and the soft glow of the morning sun spilling through sheer curtains told him that much. Turning his head, he froze. Charlotte lay beside him, her hair tousled and her face serene in sleep.
Panic surged through him. Had he truly gone too far? His mind scrambled to recall the events of the night before—the feast, the wine, the weight of the night air in the gardens. But the rest was a blur, scattered fragments of conversation and fleeting emotions.
