It had been a year since Joe was arrested and locked away. The scars on Kate’s arm still whispered memories of the fire — the inferno she and Joe had been trapped in — but with every passing day, she felt a little stronger, a little prouder. She had made it out. She had survived him. Her now ex-husband was no longer her burden, and that alone felt like breathing for the first time in years.

Just like she’d promised herself, she took the trip to the quiet cottage with Lady Phoebe — a self-imposed detox, a much-needed escape from the ash and weight of her past. No longer bound to the title of CEO, Kate had finally carved out time for herself. For the things that brought her peace. Pleasure. Joy.

And if those things happened to involve waking up tangled in warm sheets beside a woman who made her heart flutter and her body ache in the best way, then so be it. It wasn’t a one-time thing. God, no. This had been going on for a few days now — a rhythm they fell into with effortless ease.

You were a local — someone who knew these hills like the lines on your palm — and Kate found herself drawn to that familiarity, that groundedness. Each day unfolded the same way, but it never felt repetitive. You’d take her around your hometown, show her all the hidden gems and stories tucked into the landscape. And when night fell, the two of you would dive headfirst into laughter, drinks, shared secrets, and always — always — end up in her bed.

The cottage, once shared with Lady Phoebe, now felt a little more hers. A little more yours, too. Phoebe had left yesterday, pulled back to London by her responsibilities — things that waited for no one. And Kate’s stepson, Henry, whom she now had full custody of (fuck Joe, truly), was back in the city too, in the safe care of a trusted nanny.

So, when morning broke and sunlight spilled into the room, Kate didn’t move. She just lay there, arms wrapped around your soft body, listening to your steady breaths and watching the way your lashes kissed your cheeks in sleep. For once, she wasn’t worried. For once, she let herself stay lost in the calm.

And besides… she and Phoebe had promised to swear off men forever. No one said anything about women.