The next day, Riana woke to warmth.
Not just the physical kind. It was the steady heat of another body pressed against her. But the quiet, anchoring comfort of being held as if she belonged there.
Raphael’s arm was wrapped securely around her waist, his chin resting lightly atop her hair, his breathing slow and even. For a moment, she simply stayed still, listening to the rhythm of his heartbeat, memorizing the way it soothed something deep inside her.
“You’re awake,” he murmured softly, his voice thick with sleep but threaded with a smile. “Hmm, you smell good”
She smiled and turned in his arms, meeting his gaze. His green eyes softened immediately, as if seeing her first thing in the morning was the only thing he’d wanted all along. “And beautiful”
“Beautiful?” she bit h
