Morning sunlight slowly filled the hotel suite.
Soft gold light stretched across the large windows.
Dallas was already awake outside.
Traffic moved through the wide streets below.
Inside the room, everything was quiet.
Very quiet.
Lillian Parker stirred slightly in her sleep.
Something felt… warm.
Warm and steady.
Her cheek was resting on something firm.
Her arm was draped across something solid.
Her body felt comfortable.
Too comfortable.
Her eyes slowly opened.
She blinked once.
Then again.
Her brain took a second to understand what she was looking at.
Fabric.
Dark gray fabric.
Very expensive-looking fabric.
Her fingers moved slightly.
And that's when she realized—
She was lying on Sebastian.
Her head rested directly on Sebastian Wolfe's chest.
Her arm was stretched across his torso.
And his arm…
His arm was wrapped loosely around her waist.
Lillian froze instantly.
Every muscle in her body went completely still.
Her eyes widened.
What.
Her brain screamed.
WHAT.
She lifted her head slowly.
Very slowly.
Sebastian was still asleep.
Completely asleep.
His breathing was slow.
Deep.
Peaceful.
Lillian stared at him in disbelief.
"How did I get here?" she whispered.
Last night they had clearly fallen asleep on opposite sides of the bed.
She was absolutely certain of it.
Which meant one thing.
At some point during the night…
She had rolled over.
Rolled directly onto him.
And apparently decided he was a pillow.
Her face turned bright red.
"Oh no."
She glanced down again.
His arm was still around her waist.
Very loosely.
But definitely there.
"This is bad," she whispered.
Very carefully she tried to move.
Just a little.
But the moment she shifted—
Sebastian's arm tightened slightly.
Not awake.
Just instinct.
Pulling her closer.
Lillian froze again.
Her heart nearly stopped.
"Oh no."
She looked at his face.
Still asleep.
Still completely peaceful.
She carefully studied him.
Without the usual sharp expression…
Sebastian Wolfe looked different.
Softer.
Younger.
Relaxed.
She had never seen him this calm before.
"You look different like this," she whispered.
Her eyes softened slightly.
"You look… normal."
She rested her chin lightly on his chest.
Listening.
His heartbeat was steady.
Calm.
Slow.
Then something clicked in her mind.
He hadn't woken up.
Not during the night.
Not even early in the morning.
That meant…
He had slept.
A full night.
Without waking.
Without pacing.
Without his usual insomnia.
Lillian smiled softly.
"That's really good," she murmured.
She carefully tried to move again.
Slow.
Careful.
But Sebastian shifted slightly in his sleep.
Then his arm tightened again.
Now she was definitely trapped.
Lillian sighed quietly.
"Well," she whispered, "I guess this is my life now."
She stayed there.
Listening to his breathing.
Watching the morning sunlight slowly brighten the room.
After a few minutes…
Sebastian stirred.
Lillian immediately froze again.
His breathing shifted.
His eyebrows moved slightly.
Then slowly—
His eyes opened.
For a moment he looked confused.
Sleepy.
Then his gaze dropped downward.
Directly onto Lillian.
They stared at each other.
Silence.
Sebastian blinked slowly.
"…Good morning," he said hoarsely.
Lillian immediately pushed herself upright.
"This is not what it looks like!"
Sebastian stared at her calmly.
"You're lying on my chest."
"Yes!"
"That's exactly what it looks like."
Her face turned bright red.
"I moved in my sleep!"
He raised an eyebrow.
"Did you?"
"Yes!"
He tilted his head slightly.
"You stole my pillow."
"I did not!"
"You replaced it."
"I did not replace your pillow!"
"You're currently occupying its position."
"That's not the same thing!"
He smirked lazily.
"You seemed comfortable."
"I was not comfortable!"
"You were drooling."
"I was not drooling!"
Sebastian chuckled quietly.
Lillian grabbed the nearest pillow and hugged it tightly.
"This is embarrassing."
"You're overreacting."
"I woke up on top of my boss!"
"Boyfriend," he corrected calmly.
She paused.
"…That doesn't make it better."
"It makes it significantly better."
She groaned.
"Why are you so calm?"
"I just woke up."
"You should be embarrassed!"
"Why?"
"Because this is weird!"
"You climbed onto me."
"I did not climb!"
"You relocated."
"That is not helping!"
He laughed softly.
Lillian crossed her arms.
"Did you sleep well?" she asked.
Sebastian paused.
He thought about it.
Then he frowned slightly.
"…Actually."
"Yes?"
"I did."
She blinked.
"You didn't wake up?"
"No."
"Not once?"
He shook his head slowly.
"That's unusual."
She smiled softly.
"That's really good."
He looked thoughtful.
"It is."
They sat quietly for a moment.
Then Lillian stretched.
"Well. We should get ready for the meeting."
"Probably."
Neither of them moved.
Sebastian was still watching her.
"What?" she asked.
"You're very warm."
Her face immediately turned red again.
"That's not relevant."
"It was helpful."
"You're impossible."
"And yet you're still here."
She rolled her eyes.
Then suddenly—
Her phone rang.
Lillian grabbed it quickly.
She looked at the screen.
Her eyes widened.
"It's Chloe."
Sebastian smirked.
"Speaker?."
"No."
"You're afraid."
"I am not afraid!"
"You are."
She answered the call.
"Hello?"
Chloe's voice burst through the phone.
"GOOD MORNING!"
Lillian winced.
"Good morning…"
"So," Chloe said immediately, "tell me everything about Dallas."
"There's nothing to tell."
"Lillian."
"Yes?"
"You're in a hotel."
"Yes."
"With Sebastian Wolfe."
Lillian glanced at him.
He was clearly listening.
Her cheeks turned pink.
"Yes."
Chloe gasped loudly.
"YOU'RE WITH HIM RIGHT NOW AREN'T YOU?!"
Lillian panicked.
"I'll call you later!"
She hung up instantly.
Sebastian chuckled.
"Your friend is dramatic."
"She's exhausting."
"She's curious."
"She's nosy."
"She's correct."
He smiled slightly.
"That too."
Lillian stood up quickly.
"Okay. Meeting preparation."
"Yes."
Sebastian stood as well.
He stretched slightly.
He looked… rested.
More rested than she had ever seen him.
Lillian noticed immediately.
"You really slept," she said.
"Yes."
"And you didn't wake up?"
"No."
"Not even once?"
"No."
He looked thoughtful again.
Then he said quietly,
"…I think it might be because of you."
Lillian froze.
"What?"
He walked calmly toward his suitcase.
"You were here."
"That's not scientific."
"You were also very warm."
"That is still not scientific!"
"It's a working theory."
"You're ridiculous."
"And yet it worked."
She grabbed a pillow and lightly threw it at him.
"Get ready for the meeting, Mr. Wolfe."
He caught the pillow easily.
Smirking.
"Yes, Miss Parker."
But as he walked toward the bathroom, a quiet thought stayed in his mind.
For the first time in years…
Sebastian Wolfe had slept peacefully.
And somehow—
Lillian Parker had been right there beside him when it happened.