Serena:
I woke slowly, as if the morning itself were reluctant to begin. For a few seconds I lay perfectly still, savoring the warmth that held me, a strong arm curled around my waist, the other tucked beneath his head so that I was pressed against Alexander’s chest.
At some point during the night he had decided I was not allowed to drift far from him, and my body, heavy and tender, accepted the claim, and my memory arrived in a rush: his hands, the way he had carried me, the moment he stopped when he saw fear in my eyes. My face burned at the recollection and I shut my eyes again, hoping that stillness might make the moment less real. A low sound came from behind me.
“You’re awake,” he murmured, his voice rough with sleep.
I turned my head slowly. “Morning,” I whispered, and he smi
