A door slammed somewhere down the hall, jolting me from sleep.
I blinked but didn’t move, letting my eyes adjust to the dim room. The air was cool, the world still mostly dark, the faint hum of the air conditioner filling the silence.
I stayed like that for a moment, sinking deeper into the fluffy white pillow, my body still heavy with sleep. On instinct, I reached across the bed, my hand searching for warmth. But instead of finding Noah, my fingers met only cool sheets.
I frowned, my brain slow to catch up.
And then I heard the soft click of our door unlocking, followed by the quiet shuffle of footsteps.
A moment later, the unmistakable scent of coffee—rich, warm, and vaguely heroic—beckoned me to rejoin the living.
“Hey,” Noah whispered. “Brought you something.”
I shifted, groggy and sore in ways that reminded me exactly how little sleep I’d gotten. Propping myself up on one elbow, I found him standing beside the bed, freshly showered, hair damp at the edges, holding out a takeout cup with that smile—half-devil, half-boyish charm.
When he bent down to kiss me, I immediately covered my mouth with my hand.
“Morning breath!” I squeaked.
But he didn’t stop. He simply brushed my hand aside, cupped the back of my head, and kissed me anyway.
I was only wearing his T-shirt. The one he’d peeled off the night before, right before showing me just how well this man knew the ins and outs of anatomy.
“Morning, Faraday,” he murmured against my mouth.
“Morning, Dr. Noah,” I murmured back.
But he had a scalding hot coffee in one hand—not that I needed it to wake up. Not today, apparently.
He’d already brought all my nerve endings to life.
“Careful.” He placed the cup in my hand even as his gaze skimmed over me. “You okay?”
“More than okay,” I said, looking up at him from under my lashes, the cup hovering at my mouth.
And it was the truth.
I’d been in a long-term relationship. I’d thought I’d experienced the best sex had to offer.
I’d apparently had a lot to learn.
But I hadn’t known that my body could ache in a way that felt holy. That I could laugh between kisses. That I could fall asleep while not only touching the person beside me, but with our limbs entangled.
And now, with my skin still humming with satisfaction and something dangerously close to hope—I was realizing just how much I’d missed out on without even knowing it.
“Come on,” Noah said gently. “Sunrise hike. Just a short one.”
Ha, I’d forgotten that he was crazy. It was really early. Barely light early. But…
I’d hike to the bottom of the canyon and back out if that was what he wanted to do.
I sat up, legs dangling over the edge of the bed, and took a long sip of coffee. “You’re lucky I’m so fond of you.”
“I’m incredibly lucky,” he said with a grin, tossing me my favorite skirt from across the room. I pulled on a cotton top, brushed my teeth, tied my hair back in a loose braid, and after slipping on my sandals, considered myself ready to go.
By the time we stepped outside, the sky had turned from purple to grayish blue.
“It’s so peaceful,” I said, keeping my voice quiet. The air was still cool against my arms and bare legs, but Noah’s hand in mine was all the warmth I needed.
