Dakota stirred weakly. Not awake. Just aware enough for instinct to react.
The moment his arm slid around her waist—palm splaying possessively over the soft curve of her abdomen, thumb brushing the faint scar there—her body relaxed completely against him without resistance. Spine molding perfectly to his chest, hips nestling back into the hard cradle of his thighs, breath deepening into perfect sync with his. His cock twitched against the cleft of her ass, heavy and warm, but he held still.
Like she had been waiting for it.
Kade stilled briefly at the sensation, the blood oath pulsing quietly between them—warm and deep—letting him feel the exact moment her muscles yielded: the quiet sigh escaping her parted lips, the way her scent deepened with unconscious trust, arousal flickering faintly through the bond even in sleep.
