Sunlight filtered through the cabin windows, soft and golden, casting warm patterns across the rumpled sheets.
Elena woke slowly, wrapped in strong arms and the comforting scent of pine and warm male. Luke’s large body was curled protectively around hers, one muscular leg thrown over her thighs, his face buried in the crook of her neck. His breathing was deep and even, but she could feel the steady thrum of his heartbeat against her back — strong, reassuring, and unmistakably hers.
She shifted slightly, and he tightened his hold with a sleepy growl, nuzzling closer. “Mine,” he murmured against her skin, voice rough with sleep.
A smile tugged at Elena’s lips. She turned in his arms to face him. In the daylight, he looked both devastatingly handsome and strangely vulnerable — dark lashes
