Chapter 192

Evelyn's chest tightened with sympathy. He must have been swamped with urgent matters to return at such an ungodly hour.

"It's fine," she murmured, scooting to the far side of the bed. "Your responsibilities come first. I can take care of myself." The first hints of dawn colored the curtains. "Get some rest while you can."

Liam feared she might recoil from his travel-worn state and moved to stand. "I should shower first."

Her fingers encircled his wrist. "You're fine. That can wait till morning." She tugged him downward with surprising strength. "Sleep now."

When he settled beside her, she draped the blanket over his shoulders with unexpected tenderness. The sudden shift in her behavior left him disoriented.

Just weeks ago, she'd been erecting walls between them - cold shoulders, clipped responses, divorce papers always within reach. Now this gentle concern for his wellbeing?

Women truly were incomprehensible creatures. The mystery of her transformation kept him awake despite his exhaustion.

Liam rolled onto his side, studying her moonlit profile. The rhythmic rise and fall of her chest. The delicate floral scent clinging to her skin that somehow soothed his frayed nerves better than any sleeping pill.

Morning arrived too soon. Three hours of fitful sleep left Liam groaning as consciousness returned.

Then he discovered the reason for his discomfort.

Evelyn had migrated across the bed during the night, her warm curves now pressed insistently against him. The thin fabric of her sleep shorts did nothing to disguise the smooth skin of her thigh where it rested perilously close to...

Heat flooded his veins. His breath hitched as he fought against his body's immediate response.

"Evie," he growled, voice thick with sleep and something darker. Gently, he attempted to relocate her limb.

She murmured incoherently and reclaimed her territory with sleepy determination, the pressure against his growing arousal bordering on painful.

A sharp inhale. Clenched jaw. Then in one fluid motion, he flipped their positions, caging her beneath him.

Evelyn blinked awake to find Liam's stormy gaze burning into hers. The intensity there stole her breath, made her pulse thunder in her ears.

Her mouth went dry. Words evaporated. All she could do was stare up at him with wide, questioning eyes.

What was happening?

Why had he pinned her down?

That hard line pressing against her thigh answered the question before she could voice it.

"N-Nathan?" The name came out strangled. "What are you—"

"Your sleeping habits," he ground out, muscles trembling with restraint. "You were... everywhere. Couldn't move without you following."

Mortification heated her cheeks. "I didn't realize! I'm so sorry, I—"

With a frustrated groan, Liam pushed off the bed. He raked both hands through his hair before stalking toward the bathroom like a man pursued.

Evelyn lay frozen, staring at the canopy above as the shower turned on. A whirlwind of thoughts churned in her mind.

Physical reactions didn't equate to emotional connection, right?

Yet the hunger in his eyes... The way his body had responded to her proximity... It felt like more than simple biology.

Did he secretly enjoy her touch despite his obvious discomfort? The thought sent an unexpected thrill through her as water pounded against tile in the next room.