(Ruby's POV)
Dawn comes slowly, seeping through the curtains like honey.
I wake to the weight of his arm across my waist, the warmth of his breath on my neck. Nicholas is still sleeping, his face soft, his lips parted. In the pale morning light, he looks younger. Peaceful. Nothing like the Beast the world fears.
I watch him for a long moment, memorizing the lines of his face, the shadows under his eyes, the way his dark hair falls across his forehead. Last night was not a dream. Last night was real. Last night, I chose him.
His eyes flutter open. Gray meets gold, and he smiles. A real smile, sleepy and warm.
"Good morning," he murmurs.
"Good morning."
His hand slides up my back, pulling me closer. "You stayed."
"I stayed."
He kisses me, soft and slow, and I feel the question in it. The uncertainty. The fear that this might be the last time.
"Ruby." His voice is rough. "Last night—"
