7
Celia woke slowly, sunlight coloring the backs of her eyelids gold. She was warm, safe, and happy. A dozen other softer, sweeter emotions ran beneath her skin like rivers of heat and light. She nuzzled deeper into her pillow, and her pillow grunted.
She opened one eye. Her pillow was actually Carter’s chest. She froze. She was in bed beside him, her body twined with his, clutching his chest like a favorite stuffed animal. After the initial shock, that thought made her smile.
Carter threaded his fingers through the strands of her hair in a gentle, undemanding way. It felt like they’d done this a thousand times, that she’d woken up against his bare skin, feeling the heat of him like this, and he’d always been touching her with such gentle possession. It was as though they were made to l
