Chapter 43

A soft click echoed through the quiet room. Daniel looked up just in time to see a slender, fair arm retreat beneath the covers. A white Bluetooth earbud lay abandoned on the bedside table. Only then did he realize why Charlotte hadn't responded earlier—she had been wearing earbuds. Steam swirled around him as hot water cascaded from the rain shower, tracing the sharp contours of his torso before pooling at his feet. Through the glass of the shower enclosure, his gaze drifted to the array of bottles on the bathroom counter. Charlotte had been standing there just moments ago. His throat burned with dryness, a subtle itch lingering. As his Adam's apple bobbed, he instinctively ran his tongue over his parched lips. The faint scent of camellias lingered in the humid air—pure, delicate, just like her. Daniel cursed himself under his breath and reached out to lower the water temperature. Meanwhile, Charlotte took advantage of the fact that he hadn't come out yet, tucking the entire b