I opened my eyes to the soft morning light slipping through the thin curtains.
For a moment, everything felt quiet and warm. Then I saw Asher sitting at the edge of the bed, shirtless, the dawn catching the sharp lines of his abs.
He smiled slow and easy, like he’d been waiting for me to wake.
“Well, sleeping beauty,” he teased, his voice low and playful. “About time you joined the land of the living.”
I blinked a few times, still tangled in sleep. “I wasn’t sleeping... just resting my eyes,” I mumbled.
He laughed softly and brushed a stray lock of hair from my face. “Sure you were,” he said, warm fingers against my skin. Then he kissed me—slow and gentle, like a promise.
My heart hammered hard. It wasn’t just the morning light or the soft sheets. It was the way he looked at me—lik
