Cristine woke up to an empty bed, the faint scent of Andrei still lingering in the sheets beside her. She blinked at the light filtering through the heavy curtains, her mind hazy as memories from the previous night crept back into her consciousness. She hadn’t expected her first night with Andrei to unfold the way it had; instead of feeling cold and transactional, it had been surprisingly tender. For a man as guarded and stoic as Andrei, there had been an unexpected gentleness in his touch, a warmth she couldn’t have anticipated.
The memory caused a flush of color to rise to her cheeks, and she was almost embarrassed by her own reaction. She’d entered into this agreement with a practical mindset, prepared to keep her feelings out of it entirely. But the sincerity in Andrei’s eyes last nig
