Chapter 9

 The soft glow of the morning sun spilled through the curtains, casting a golden hue across Hazel’s skin. She stirred slightly, her fingers brushing away the last traces of sleep from her eyes. Stretching languidly, she inhaled deeply, and the familiar scent of Axel’s cologne filled her senses, wrapping around her like a memory.  A small smile touched her lips as she sat up, instinctively pulling the duvet higher over her bare chest. The events of the previous night echoed in her mind, sending an involuntary shiver down her spine. Her hair was a wild mess from all the tossing and turning, and she absentmindedly ran a hand through the tangled strands.  “Sleepyhead,” Axel’s deep voice cut through the silence, laced with amusement.  Her gaze snapped to the side, locking onto him as he stood near the grand, gold-framed mirror.  Hazel swallowed hard.  Axel was a vision of raw masculinity—his body still damp from the shower, water droplets tracing a sinful path down his sculpted chest.