In her sleep, Bella Acker didn't know if she heard his words or not, but the corners of her lips slowly curled up into a gentle arc, inching closer to him.
Damian Sinclair lifted the blanket on one side, gently lay down beside her, and extended his arm to pull her into his embrace, holding her as he slept.
In her dreams, Bella sensed the comforting presence and instinctively moved closer, finding a more comfortable position, and fell into a deep sleep.
The two of them slept late, and after finally relaxing like this, slept so comfortably that if it weren't for the happy laughter of a girl in the yard outside, they might not have known how long they would sleep before waking.
Bella opened her eyes, her mind groggy for two seconds until she realized she seemed to be lying against a broad chest.
Startled, she sat up abruptly.
Damian was also awakened by her movements, opened his eyes, and with a slightly hoarse voice asked, "Awake?"
"When did you crawl into bed?" Bella demanded.
