Lyra's POV
Dawn was breaking through the curtains when I slipped out of Ash's warm embrace. He was still lost in deep sleep, his breathing steady and peaceful. I moved carefully, gathering my scattered clothes from the floor where they had been hastily discarded the night before. After dressing quietly, I leaned down and brushed a soft kiss against his stubbled cheek, inhaling his intoxicating scent one last time before tiptoeing back to my own room.
The moment my head hit my pillow, exhaustion pulled me under. I had barely gotten any real sleep in Ash's arms, too aware of every breath he took, every shift of his powerful body next to mine.
Later that evening, Poppy sprawled across my bed while we tackled our assignments together. But homework quickly turned into gossip about the weekend party, with Poppy pressing for details about my mysterious disappearance. I kept my answers vague, heat creeping up my neck every time she wiggled her eyebrows suggestively.
