Louisa's POV
I stood at the bottom of the stairs, heart hammering so loudly I was sure Alec could hear it from the kitchen. Mark had mumbled something about being exhausted and headed straight to the bedroom instead of crashing on the couch like usual. The shower had woken him up just enough to eat, but now the long day was catching up. I’d gone up with him, helped him undress, kissed his forehead like the dutiful wife I was supposed to be. He was already half-asleep when his head hit the pillow.
“Love you, Lou,” he’d murmured, eyes closing. “Don’t stay up too late.”
I’d whispered it back, the words tasting like ash in my mouth while my body still hummed from Alec’s fingers and the promise burning in his eyes downstairs. Now the bedroom door was shut, the house quiet except for the low
