The morning light filtered softly through the curtains, casting a pale glow over the room. Sienna lay still, the weight of Damien's arm around her waist grounding her in a strange comfort. For a moment, she stayed like that, not moving, not thinking, just listening to the rhythmic beat of his heart beneath her cheek.
The events of the previous night hung between them like a delicate thread—something unspoken, something fragile. They had fallen asleep without saying a word, without the need to. The tension from earlier had simmered down into something more profound, more vulnerable.
As the minutes passed, Damien shifted slightly, the movement stirring her from her thoughts. He didn't pull away, though—his arm still wrapped around her, his body pressed against hers in a way that was almost protective.
"You awake?" he murmured, his voice low and hoarse with sleep.
Sienna let out a soft sigh and blinked up at the ceiling. "I am now," she whispered back.
He didn't respond immediately, but she felt the slight pressure of his fingers moving along her arm. Then, he spoke again, this time quieter, almost like he was testing the air between them. "Did you sleep?"
Sienna nodded, still feeling the warmth of his body against hers. She was almost reluctant to move, to break the spell of the morning that felt strangely tender. "Surprisingly well."
There was a brief pause before he spoke again, a smile evident in his tone. "Me too."
Sienna let her eyes flutter closed for a moment, allowing herself to stay in this space between sleep and wakefulness. It felt comfortable. Safe. The kind of comfort she hadn't realized she'd been craving until now.
She felt his hand move from her waist to her face, gently brushing away a lock of hair. His fingers were warm against her skin, and the sensation made her heart stutter.
"You look peaceful," he said, his voice barely above a whisper. "That's new."
Sienna opened her eyes slowly, meeting his gaze. She smiled softly, unable to help herself. "Maybe I'm finally learning how to sleep," she said with a light laugh.
Damien didn't laugh, though. Instead, he studied her with an intensity that made her heart race. "You're different," he murmured. "I can feel it. There's something in the way you are with me now. It's… it's not the same as before."
Sienna swallowed, unsure of how to respond. Was he talking about the kiss? The vulnerability? The way their worlds had shifted after that moment in his office? Was it too soon to acknowledge that things had changed between them?
Her fingers absently traced the back of his hand, finding the familiar callouses there. He was real in a way she hadn't fully understood until now.
"Are you saying I'm more of a mess now?" she teased, hoping to ease the tension that had settled between them. But Damien just smiled, a small, private smile.
"No," he said, his eyes soft. "You're real. You're not trying to be something you're not. And I…" He hesitated, his voice faltering slightly. "I don't know how to explain this, but I think that's the first time I've ever seen you, Sienna. Truly seen you."
The weight of his words hung in the air, and Sienna's chest tightened at the rawness of them. She didn't know what to say, so she just nodded, looking down at their intertwined hands.
"I don't want to make this harder than it already is," Damien continued, his voice quieter now. "But I can't pretend like I don't feel something more for you. Something real."
Sienna's breath caught in her throat. "Damien…"
He didn't let her finish, his thumb brushing over her lips as if to quiet her. "I've spent so much of my life pretending, keeping everything inside. I've never had someone challenge me like you do. But this thing between us… it started as a lie. And I'm terrified it could all fall apart."
She tilted her head, looking at him with a mix of confusion and something else she couldn't quite place. "If you're afraid, why don't you walk away?" The question hung in the air, unspoken yet loud enough that even Sienna wasn't sure she meant to ask it.
Damien's eyes darkened, and for a brief moment, he looked away. "Because walking away means admitting I was wrong from the beginning. It means that maybe… maybe I let you in too far."
Her chest tightened, and she didn't know if it was fear or something else entirely. She didn't want him to walk away. The thought of him leaving felt like a betrayal in some way, even though she didn't have the right to claim him as hers. Not yet.
Instead of replying, Sienna shifted slightly, propping herself up on her elbow, her fingers still wrapped around his hand. She looked down at the way their fingers intertwined, noticing how natural it felt, like they had been holding hands this way forever.
"I don't want to pretend either," she whispered, her voice thick with emotion. "But I don't know how to navigate this either."
The silence between them stretched on, thick and heavy, before Damien spoke again. His voice was quieter this time, more uncertain. "Then maybe we just take it slow. No rushing. No expectations."
Sienna nodded. "I can do that."
Damien hesitated for a moment, his thumb caressing her knuckles in a slow, deliberate pattern. Then, his voice was quieter, softer. "You don't have to say anything. Just be here. With me. No pressure."
Sienna looked at him, meeting his eyes with a softness she hadn't expected. "I'm here, Damien. Right now. That's all I can promise."
He smiled then, the vulnerability in his expression easing just a little. "That's enough."
The rest of the day passed in a similar quiet, their connection solidifying in small, unspoken ways. There was no rush to their interactions, no pressure to take things to the next level. But the undercurrent between them was undeniable—an electric charge that neither could ignore, but neither was willing to rush.
By the time they settled back into bed that night, the space between them felt comfortable, the room filled with a new kind of intimacy. They didn't need to say anything more.
They were exactly where they needed to be—together, but not yet ready to break the final barrier. Not yet.