Sonia’s POV
I woke slowly.
Not all at once, not the way I usually did. This was a drifting kind of awakening, soft and heavy-lidded, like I was rising from warm water instead of sleep. The first thing I noticed was the light. Pale Parisian sunlight filtered through sheer curtains, turning the room gold and cream and quiet.
The second thing I noticed…
Was the ache.
A dull, tender soreness settled low in my body, not sharp, not frightening, just present. Real. A reminder written gently into muscle and memory.
I inhaled shakily.
Then the third thing registered.
Warmth behind me.
An arm around my waist.
A steady breath against the back of my neck.
Alexander.
My heart skipped so suddenly it almost hurt.
For a brief, panicked second, I wondered if it had all been a dream, the candle
