“Diana,” Alexander murmured softly, his voice still thick with sleep as he buried his face slightly deeper into the warmth of her hair. “If you move again, I shall consider it a betrayal.”
Diana laughed quietly against his chest.
The sound vibrated through him in a way that made his arms tighten instinctively around her waist, pulling her closer against his body beneath the sheets.
Morning light spilled faintly through the curtains of the bedchamber, pale and golden, carrying with it the stillness that lingered in the house before the day had properly begun.
Alexander kept his eyes closed.
For a long moment, he simply remained where he was, his cheek resting against the crown of her head while the slow rhythm ofher breathing moved softly against his chest. The warmth of her curled beside him felt dangerously comfortable, the soft silk of her nightgown brushing his bare arm each time she shifted.
He had not expected to wake like this. Not with her tucked so naturally against him, one hand resting lightly against the center of his chest as though she had fallen asleep there without a second thought.
Something inside him had shifted in a way he did not fully understand.
He had woken moments earlier and simply watched her. The morning light had fallen gently across her face, softening the dark sweep of her lashes against her cheeks and catching along the loose strands of hair that had escaped during the night. Her expression had been peaceful in sleep, far removed from the controlled composure she carried so easily when she was awake.
And the sight of it had affected him far more than it should have.
Diana stirred slightly in his arms.
“You are awake,” she said quietly.
Alexander exhaled slowly.
“Yes,” he admitted.
Her fingers shifted faintly against his chest.
“And yet,” she continued with quiet amusement, “you appear to have no intention of leaving this bed.”
Alexander tightened his hold around her waist. “That is correct.”
“Alexander.” The way she said his name carried the unmistakable tone of someone who had already anticipated his stubbornness.
He opened his eyes reluctantly. “Yes?”
Diana tilted her head slightly to look up at him, the morning light catching the warm color in her eyes as she studied his expression. “Your grandmother is expecting us at breakfast.”
Alexander closed his eyes again. “That seems… deeply unfortunate.”
Diana’s laughter returned, softer this time, and he felt the small movement of it against his chest like a pleasant warmth.
“She has been awake for hours already,” Diana said. “And if we do not appear soon, she will undoubtedly send someone to investigate.”
Alexander groaned quietly. He shifted slightly beneath the sheets, reluctantly loosening his arms around her, though he made no real effort to move away.
“I dislike mornings,” he muttered.
“You were awake before I was,” Diana pointed out.
“That does not mean I approve of them.”
She pushed lightly against his chest. “Alexander.”
Her tone carried a gentle firmness now. He opened his eyes fully this time and looked down at her.
For a moment, neither of them spoke.
