Morning came gently.
Not with alarms or chaos or emergency calls—but with soft light spilling across the penthouse and the distant sound of the city waking. Kiera stirred slowly, still half-lost in the warmth beside her.
For a second she panicked.
Then she remembered.
Kade.
His arm rested loosely around her waist, protective without being possessive. His breathing was slow and even, his face relaxed in sleep in a way she'd never seen before. In the quiet, without tension carved into his features, he looked younger. Softer.
Human.
Her heart squeezed.
She studied him—every line, every scar she knew stories behind, the faint crease between his brows that appeared even when he slept. This man had walked through fire with her. Had guarded her body and soul without asking for anything in return.
And now he was here.
With her.
Not as protector.
Not as shield.
But as something more.
Kiera shifted slightly, careful not to wake him, but his eyes fluttered open almost instantly.
