Chapter 3

Rosa POV

Morning light cut across the guest room ceiling like a knife, waking me up with a throbbing headache and zero patience.

Between the stress of my apartment dissolving into an indoor swimming pool and the obnoxious soundtrack Drake and his campus groupie had provided down the hall at two in the morning, I had barely gotten an hour of solid sleep. My throat felt like sandpaper, and my brain was demanding one specific thing: caffeine.

I rolled out of bed, pulling on an oversized, faded band t-shirt and grey cotton shorts, running a hand through my messy hair. Tiptoeing out into the hallway, I made my way toward the kitchen like a stealthy operative. My goal was simple: brew coffee, fill a travel mug, and scurry back to the guest room before the resident hockey tyrant even woke up.

I rounded the corner into the kitchen and walked straight into a wall of pure bad luck.

Drake was already there.

He was leaning against the marble kitchen island, completely dressed for an early morning workout in tight black athletic shorts and a grey moisture-wicking shirt that clung to his broad chest and sculpted shoulders. A black mug of black coffee sat between his hands, and his piercing blue eyes snapped up the second I crossed the threshold.

He didn't look like a guy who had stayed up half the night tearing his master bedroom apart. He looked terrifyingly awake, utterly composed, and infuriatingly attractive.

"Morning, Princess," Drake drawled, his voice a deep, gravelly hum that bounced off the counters. "Did you sleep well? Or was the noise keeping you up?"

I stiffened, a hot flush of irritation shooting straight up my neck. I grabbed a ceramic mug from the cabinet, slamming it down on the counter a little harder than necessary.

"Oh, the noise was fascinating," I snapped back, pouring myself a cup of the brew he had already made. "I didn't realize RavenBrook’s star captain needed a personal cheering section every single night. Maybe next time, buy a sound machine so the rest of the house doesn't have to suffer through your cardio routine."

Drake’s mug paused halfway to his mouth. A slow smirk spread across his lips, though his blue eyes turned ice cold.

"Sounded like you were listening pretty closely," he murmured softly, pushing off the island and stepping closer. "Jealous, Rosa?"

"Jealous?" I let out a sharp, hysterical laugh, turning to face him. "Of whatever desperate campus groupie you drag into your bed to boost your ego? Please. I’d rather swallow glass. I was trying to sleep, which is hard to do when your walls are shaking like a cheap motel."

Drake closed the distance between us, his massive frame towering over me until I was boxed in against the counter. The scent of clean cedar and male musk rushed into my lungs, making my chest tighten in a way that had nothing to do with anger.

"Then buy earplugs," he whispered, stepping right into my personal space. "Because my room, my rules, and my life are none of your f*cking business."

"You're insufferable," I hissed, my temper finally snapping. I reached across the island to grab a sugar packet, my sleep-deprived clumsiness getting the better of me.

My hand slipped. My bare wrist brushed directly against the hot, corded skin of Drake's forearm.

Zap.

It wasn't just static electricity. It felt like sticking my fingers straight into a live electrical socket. A sharp, searing jolt of pure heat raced up my arm, and I froze instantly, my breath catching in my throat.

Remembering rule number two. ‘Don't touch him.’

I tried to jerk my hand back, but it was too late. Drake’s head snapped down. His blue eyes locked on the exact spot where my skin was pressed against his. The mocking, arrogant smirk vanished from his face, replaced by a dark expression that made the air between us suddenly heavy and unbreathable.

Before I could pull away, lightning-fast fingers wrapped around my wrist. His grip was iron-tight, burning hot against my pulse point, pulling me an inch closer until my b*obs practically brushed against his chest.

He didn't let go.

Drake lowered his head, his face hovering mere inches from mine, his voice dropping into a low growl that vibrated straight through my bones.

"You just broke rule number two, Rosa," he murmured, his gaze dropping slowly to my lips before snapping back up to burn into my eyes. "Let's see what your punishment is.”