SOPHIA

In the dark of the night, I hear a heartbeat. Feel the warmth of skin. The comfort of being wrapped in strong arms.

Am I dreaming?

"Nathan?" I whisper.

"I’m here," he says sleepily. "We’re in the Capital. In my house. Um ... in my room. Nothing untoward has happened between us, Sophia. But I cannot be without you. Not ever again."

He tilts my chin up and I can see the glint of his eyes in the moonlight streaming through the window.

"Are you afraid?" he asks.

"No." I snuggle deeper into his embrace. I think ... uh, that I must be dreaming. Otherwise, how could I be so comfortable in Nathan’s arms? How could I be with him so intimately and not feel panic. Or shame. Here I was sharing a bed with him when I had never shared one with my husband.

I wish I had never married Jace. I wish that when I was reborn, it had been before the wedding.

I would’ve walked away. No amount of money, family pressure, or Jace’s coaxing would’ve made me stay.

"I want a divorce," I said. "I never want to see him again."

"I’ll grant both those wishes, little butterfly." He kissed the top of my head. "Let’s go back to sleep. In the morning, we’ll put a plan into action that will rid you of Jace and Penelope for good."

***|***|***

SOPHIA

When I woke up, I was alone. For a moment, I panicked. "Nathan!"

"Here," he said.

My racing heart slowed down. He was sitting in a chair by the window reading pages from a folder. He was dressed in his silver and black uniform. Hair combed back, freshly shaved face, a smile that made my stomach feel fluttery.

"Are you hungry?" he asked.

"Starving."

"How about a shower first? Or a bath, if you like."

"I’d love to get the grime off of me. I probably smell awful. And you let me ruin your sheets."

"Don’t worry about that. I can afford more than one set of sheets. Later, you should get together with Mrs. Gap, the housekeeper, and let her know your preferences."

"My preferences for what?"

"For everything. You’ll be the mistress of this house. You decide what kind of bedding you want. Which meals to serve. Where everything is placed. If you want to paint the walls purple, you can do that, too. Whatever makes you happy."

"Would you really let me paint the walls purple?"

"Yes. Sophia, I will give you whatever you want," he said. "You’re my beloved. If I don’t spoil you, who would I spoil?" He stood up. "Get cleaned up. I’ll find you something to wear temporarily so you can eat breakfast."

He showed me the bathroom, asked what kind of shampoos and soaps I liked, and asked me to make-do with what was available. Mostly manly scents like mountain peaks or spring rain or dark woods.

It felt good to get clean. I wrapped a large, fluffy towel around me and opened the door. "Nathan?"

"Right here, love." He handed me one of his shirts, black, and a silver belt. He also handed me a pair of black boxers.

"Why are you giving me men’s underwear?"

"It’s all I have. These are new. I’ve never worn them."

"Oh." I accepted the clothing. "Do you have a pen?"

He retrieved one from the desk on the other side of the room.

"Thank you. Be right out." My hair was damp, so I rolled it into a chignon and pushed the pen into the knot to keep it pinned. Then I put on the boxers. Then the shirt. It hung down to my knees. The belt I had to wrap around my waist twice. I rolled up the shirt’s cuffs.

I looked at myself in the mirror. I was clean and I was covered. Not much I could do about my bare legs or shoeless feet. I felt a little nervous as I exited the bathroom.

Nathan was sitting at the desk, going through more paperwork. He was concentrating so hard his brows were furrowed. I made it to the middle of the room before shyness took over and I stopped. "Nathan?"

He immediately looked up, mouth open presumably to speak. But no words came out. Instead, he studied me from head to toe. His gaze lingered on my waist, drifted upward to my chest, my face.

"Does it look good?" I asked with a small smile.

Nathan stood up so fast, the chair screeched backward. He rounded the desk, and I suddenly felt like a gazelle being stalked by a lion. "N-nathan?"

"You are so beautiful, Sophia," he said as he stopped in front of me. He tipped my chin up, and I looked into his dark eyes. His gaze was filled with heat. The kind of heat that might melt a girl’s good intentions if she wasn’t careful.

"I will have to kill all the men within a fifty-mile radius," he said. "I don’t want anyone else to get any bad ideas."

"What kind of bad ideas?"

"The kind a husband might share with his wife in bed."

"Oh." I nearly swallowed my tongue.

He gathered me into his arms. His body was trembling, and I didn’t know why. I hugged him as hard as I could.

He groaned. "Butterfly, you are killing me."

"I’m sorry. I didn’t mean to."

He pulled back and rubbed his thumb along my cheek. "I don’t think you understand what a walking temptation you are. I can’t let you leave this bedroom until you’re covered from head to toe."

My stomach growled, and I patted my belly. "But I’m hungry."

"Me, too."

"What do you want to eat?"

Nathan stared at me for a long time then let out a shaky breath. "The meal I want isn’t mine yet to eat. Get tucked under the covers. Don’t worry. The maids changed the bedding while you were taking a shower. I’ll have Mrs. Gap bring us breakfast. Then we need to buy you some new clothes."

"I can’t go shopping in one of your shirts and no shoes," I complained as I crawled onto the bed and slid under the bedding.

"As far as I’m concerned," said Nathan. "You can stay in my bed forever."