ZOE
The first ray of sun slipped through the curtain, casting a golden hue on Nikolai's skin. For a second, I thought I was still dreaming. He was there, asleep beside me, with a serene face, without the tension that usually marked his jaw. He seemed like a different man. Not the cold businessman, nor the husband in name only.
He was just a man, mine, for a night that already felt eternal. The man who made love to me for the first time ever. I stayed still, listening to the slow rhythm of his breathing. Each inhalation was a reminder that he was still there. That everything that had happened wasn't a fantasy born of exhaustion or desire.
I touched his chest with my fingertips, softly, just a light touch. I was afraid of breaking the magic. The way his skin felt warm under my fingers mad
