A soft, diffused light, the color of daylight filtering through curtains, kissed Aria’s eyelids. They felt heavy, as if glued shut, with a lethargy she rarely experienced. Slowly, she peeled them open, her vision blurring, then sharpening to reveal the familiar ceiling of the master bedroom.
Warmth enveloped her, a solid weight pressed against her back. Zane.
His scent, a mix of musk and the clean soap from last night, filled her nostrils. He held her close, his large arm a protective shield across her waist, his breath a gentle rhythm against her hair.
A blush, hot and sudden, bloomed across her cheeks. Memories of the previous night, fragmented yet potent, flooded her mind. A gasp escaped her lips, a tiny puff of air, as she realized their state: both of them naked, skin to skin, bene
