As dawn broke, Skye came slowly awake to feel Hawkhurst’s arm encircling her waist, his face very near to hers. For a long moment she lay there luxuriating in his warmth. When she opened her eyes, she found him watching her. In turn, her gaze lingered on his beautifully chiseled features. The proud bones and angles were softer now; the contentment in his eyes unmistakable. She relished that peaceful look. He was a man who had been in pain far too long. Alone, isolated, severed from any sort of pleasure in life. He wasn’t alone any longer, though, and it was time she made him realize it. They had comforted each other through the night, but she yearned for so much more. The nearness of his mouth made her long to thread her fingers in his hair and pull him close enough to kiss her, but she settled for reaching out silently to brush his bare chest with her fingertips, feeling sleek skin over hard muscle. His body tightened at that simple contact. Not letting his instinctive resistance deter her, Skye eased closer and lowered her lips to press a tender kiss on his breastbone, near his heart.
