A soft kiss to the back of my neck and a possessive hand curled around my abdomen wake me. My unconscious reaction is to strike out, but my hand is caught and a deep chuckle reverberates in the room. I bolt upright.
“Ward?!” I shout. It’s too dark to see him, but I can almost feel him wincing. He smooths a hand through my hair.
“Go back to sleep, vicious beast. I’m home.” Ward kisses my forehead, but the sleep he’s suggested isn’t happening. I throw myself at him, trusting him to catch me, and he does, with a soft grunt. I’m babbling something, I’m not even sure what it is, just that it’s important to tell him how afraid I was for him and happy I am he’s back. Ward chuckles again and kisses me, his lips meeting mine over and over to stem the flow of words as my hands find his f
