The next morning, Emily was still in the grip of her dreams when the sound of chattering and laughter outside began to intrude on her consciousness. She kept her eyes closed, still feeling tired and sleepy, and tried to turn over to continue her dream. However, she found herself unable to move. Opening her eyes, she saw Alex's arm wrapped around her waist, holding her tightly against his body.
Sleeping in the same position all night had made her body ache to turn, and she gently tried to push his arm off her belly to roll onto her other side. Her movements stirred Alex from his sleep. He opened his eyes, their deep, dark hue reminiscent of a calm night sky. "You're awake," he murmured, his voice low and husky. He yawned, reaching for his phone to check the time, then turned back to pull her closer, closing his eyes again. "It's still early."
