Chapter 21: Madison

The morning sunlight spilled in through the blinds, casting a warm glow into the kitchen and on my back. 

Still, I couldn’t seem to shake the cold remnants of a second sleepless night from my bones. Not even as I leaned against the countertop next to the coffee machine with my hands wrapped tightly around a steaming mug of strong coffee. 

And no matter how many times I tried to make myself think about something—anything— else, my absentminded stare kept drifting back to the island before me. The part Noah had pressed me against two nights ago, to be exact. 

It kept replaying in my mind like a loop, a tangled mess of desire, confusion, and the forbidden. The encounter left me with a storm of conflicting emotions.