Dianne woke first.
Sunlight spilled into the room in calm, golden streaks, warming the sheets and brushing her bare shoulder with a gentle glow. She blinked slowly, adjusting to the light, then to the warmth pressed behind her.
Roy’s arm was wrapped tightly around her waist.
Not loosely.
Not casually.
But firmly—like a man holding onto the best dream he’d ever had and refusing to let morning steal it away.
She smiled, a soft, shy smile she didn’t even try to hide. Her heart warmed at the closeness, the steady rhythm of his breathing against her neck. She shifted slightly, and he stirred immediately, pulling her closer, his face nuzzling into the curve of her shoulder.
“Don’t move,” he murmured sleepily, voice deep and husky. “Five more minutes.”
She giggled softly. “You said that t
