The morning light warmed Marnie’s face before she fully surfaced from sleep. She shifted, feeling the soft sheets against her skin—then paused when she remembered she wasn’t alone in the bed. She opened her eyes slowly and turned her head just enough to see Michael lying on his side, still asleep.
He looked peaceful.
She studied the steady rise and fall of his chest, the faint crease between his brows, the softness that only appeared when he wasn’t trying to compose himself for the world. She wondered if anyone else had seen him this gentle before.
Most of all, she wondered why she didn’t feel scared waking up next to him.
Instead, she felt… warm.
Safe.
Wanted.
Those three words made her curl her fingers into the sheets, unsure how to name what was blooming inside her.
Her subtle m
