The sun filtered through the gauzy curtains of the villa's master bedroom, casting a warm, golden haze over the rumpled sheets where Elias and I lay entwined. My eyelids fluttered open to the gentle symphony of birdsong outside, the distant gurgle of the hot springs a soothing backdrop.
At seven months pregnant, mornings usually started with a mix of groggy aches and the pup's enthusiastic kicks, but today felt different, renewed, peaceful. Last night's intimacy on the deck lingered in my mind, a delicious ache between my thighs and Elias's Cedar scent clinging to my skin like a promise. He was already awake, his golden eyes soft as he watched me, one arm draped possessively over my bump.
The bond between us hummed with contentment, his alpha presence a comforting anchor in this se
