~LAYLA~
Sunlight filtered through the cabin curtains, warming my skin as I woke, tangled in sheets that still carried our sweat, our intimacy, and something that felt dangerously close to love. Axel's arm lay heavily across my waist, his chest rising and falling calmly next to me.
I traced lazy circles on his chest, my fingers following the contours of muscle, then down to the scars on his ribs. As I did, I wondered about the stories behind each scar, reminders of battles from a past he had never completely opened up about.
Memories from last night crashed back in waves: Axel's hands gripping my hips, my nails digging into his back, the way we'd finally stopped pretending this was just a contract marriage.
No walls left between us now.
Axel stirred, his eyes fluttering open, and when he smiled that lazy smile of his, it felt just as amazing as the first time I saw it. "Morning, wifey."
