The tranquil night descended, darkness enveloping the spacious bedroom. A chilly autumn wind slipped through the window crevices, bringing a hint of desolation from the yellowing foliage outside, only to be blocked by the radiating warmth of the large bed.
Julian Sterling had long since fallen asleep. His breathing was steady, curled up against Ethan Caldwell's solid chest. The lingering traces of their earlier intimacy remained at the corners of Julian's eyes and on his pale skin, but the extreme panic in his mind seemed to have been soothed, temporarily sinking into a deep dream.
Ethan did not sleep.
The pale light from the phone screen reflected upon his angular profile, illuminating his sharp eyes. Every decoded line from Helen Lloyd's classified data file acted like a blade slashing through the quiet void. The hand wrapped around Julian's waist tightened slightly, as if Ethan was terrified the person in his embrace would simply vanish.
