Chapter 43

When Keira awoke, she didn’t open her eyes straight away. She registered the warmth enveloping her. Alexei was still with her.

She enjoyed the steady rise and fall of a chest beneath her cheek, the rhythm that was comforting. She loved the scent of him…

Her eyes fluttered open, adjusting to the soft morning light filtering through the balcony doors that he must have left open. She was sprawled across Alexei's chest, her leg hitched over his, their bodies entwined in an intimate embrace. Safe. She felt utterly safe.

Memories of the nightmare flickered at the edges of her consciousness, but after Alexei had settled in bed with her it hadn't come back… it therefore held no power now, not with Alexei's arms around her.

She shifted slightly, tilting her head to look at him. His eyes were closed, dark lashes fanning against his cheeks, his jaw relaxed in sleep. For a moment, she simply watched him.

Alexei's eyes opened, those deep blue depths meeting hers with a sof