The faintest rustling gently drew Robin out of a deep, dreamless sleep.
Such peaceful slumber had once been a luxury to her.
During her years of wandering and upheaval, her sleep had always been light and wary. The slightest disturbance could jolt her awake, and she always kept a simple bag within reach for a quick escape.
But in this master bedroom, beside Aaron Ball, she had discovered what it meant to sleep deeply-her consciousness sinking completely into a dark ocean, her body utterly relaxed, even her dreams imbued with safety and warmth.
Her long lashes trembled, and she slowly opened her eyes. A thin mist still veiled her newly awakened gaze. She blinked instinctively, adjusting to the light as her consciousness gradually surfaced.
An almost inaudible hum, languid and contented, escaped her throat.
Robin propped herself up on her slender arms. With her movement, the plush blanket covering her slid down like flowing water, pooling around her tiny waist.
The cool morning air instantly kissed her bare skin, sending a fine, endearing shiver through her and bringing those graceful curves to life, like a flower bud quietly opening in the hazy morning light.
She raised a hand and gently rubbed the lingering sleep from the corner of her eye, her gaze already drifting naturally toward the bedside.
Aaron Ball sat on the edge of the broad mattress with his back to her.
Morning light slanted through a gap in the window like a pen of light, precisely tracing the bare outline of his back. The muscles on either side were sharply defined, resembling a tall, inverted Christmas tree in the interplay of light and shadow.
As though drawn by a magnet, Robin's gaze unconsciously wandered down those lines of strength and beauty.
When her eyes passed over a certain