But then, just as she was lost in the quiet stillness of the early morning, Ren stirred. The movement was slow at first, a soft shift, a quiet murmur as he stretched. And then, in one smooth motion, he pulled her flush against him.
Noelle gasped in surprise as he nuzzled his face into the crook of her neck, his breath warm against her skin. His lips brushed against her collarbone, and the kiss that followed was soft, unhurried, as though he was still caught in the haze of sleep, but also fully aware of the moment. The tender pressure of his lips sent a shiver down her spine, and she closed her eyes, feeling a warmth spread through her chest, a sense of belonging that she wasn't ready to let go of.
As he shifted, Noelle's gaze lingered on his tousled hair, the dark strands falling messily across his forehead. It was the kind of hair that looked deliberately unruly, the kind that made him seem both effortlessly sexy and endearingly unkempt at the same time. His hair was still damp from sleep, sticking out at odd angles, giving him that wild, just-woken look that was somehow more irresistible than any carefully styled perfection. The way it framed his face, making him look both dangerous and approachable, was enough to make her heart race.
She couldn't help herself. Her fingers brushed through the strands, pushing them back just enough to reveal the lines of his face more clearly. He looked so raw, so beautiful in this moment, as if the world had faded away and left them in a bubble of warmth and intimacy.
"Good morning," he murmured against her skin, his voice thick with sleep, yet the affection in it was unmistakable.
Noelle smiled softly, feeling a deep, unspoken connection settle between them, and she let her fingers thread through his hair, holding him close. "Morning," she whispered back, her heart racing a little, as if her body were just waking up to something new, something that felt more real than anything she'd known.
Noelle smiled softly, feeling a deep, unspoken connection settle between them. She let her fingers thread through his hair, tugging him closer. "Morning," she whispered back, her heart racing a little.
Noelle smiled softly, feeling a deep, unspoken connection settle between them. She let her fingers thread through his hair, tugging him closer. "Morning," she whispered back, her heart racing a little, as if her body were just waking up to something new, something that felt more real than anything she'd known.
But as she traced the wild strands of his hair, something shifted within her. She suddenly became aware of how close they were, how intimate it all felt. The heat of his breath against her skin, the tenderness of his touch, the quiet weight of his presence; all of it made her heart flutter in a way she wasn't quite prepared for.
Her fingers stilled in his hair, and for a brief, irrational moment, she felt a flush creeping up her neck. Had he noticed? Had he felt her watching him so closely, tracing his features like some kind of obsessive fascination?
Noelle quickly pulled her hand away, an almost involuntary movement, and turned her face slightly to the side, avoiding his gaze. Her breath caught in her chest, as if suddenly self-conscious of her own actions. Why had she been so bold? She wasn't sure, but now the quiet intimacy between them felt too vulnerable, too exposed.
Her heart raced faster, and she pulled her hand away from his hair, feeling a flush creep up her neck. Without thinking, she turned her body away from him, curling inward slightly, as if trying to shield herself from the intensity of the moment. She wasn't sure why she felt so vulnerable, but it made her heart beat harder in her chest.
Ren, however, was still in the haze of sleep, his body warm and heavy beside hers. Without even fully waking, his arms instinctively sought her out. A quiet murmur slipped from his lips, and before she could stop it, she felt him pull her back toward him. His arm slid around her waist, and he spooned her, his chest pressing against her back.
Noelle froze for a second, surprised by the sudden movement, but then she realised that Ren was still half-asleep, his breath slow and steady, his body naturally drawing her closer even in his unconscious state. He nuzzled his face into the crook of her neck, the warmth of his breath sending a small shiver down her spine.
Ren's voice, soft and understanding, broke the silence. "Hey… what's wrong?" He gently tilted her chin toward him, his touch warm and reassuring.
Noelle hesitated, her cheeks still flushed from the sudden rush of self-consciousness. "I… I didn't mean to be so… forward," she said quietly, her voice a little smaller than usual. She could barely meet his eyes, still feeling the weight of the moment; the feeling that she had crossed some invisible line between simply being with him and desiring him in a way that wasn't entirely casual.
Ren's hand remained on her chin, his thumb brushing against her skin in a comforting rhythm. He studied her for a moment, his expression softening, and then, without a hint of judgment, he smiled. "Noelle…" he murmured, his voice low and soothing. "You can look at me however you want. Or touch me however you want. You don't have to be shy about it."
Before she could say anything more, Ren leaned in, his breath warm against her ear. His lips brushed the back of her neck, just beneath her hairline and Noelle gasped, her body instinctively tensing at the unexpected sensation.
Ren's kiss was soft at first, gentle as though he were testing the waters, and then he deepened it, pressing his lips against the smooth curve of her nape with more intention. Then, feeling her respond, he deepened it, pressing his lips against the smooth curve of her nape with more intention. His mouth moved slowly, deliberately, lingering over the sensitive skin, savouring the warmth of her body beneath him.
He alternated between soft, teasing kisses and firmer, slightly rougher nips that made her pulse quicken, leaving marks along its trail. Each press of his lips left a lingering heat and she tilted her head instinctively, giving him better access, caught between the comfort of his tenderness and the thrill of his insistence.
Ren's hands moved in concert with his lips, sliding along her sides and tangling in her hair to pull her closer. He trailed his kisses from the nape of her neck up toward her ear, brushing his lips against her jaw, then back down to the hollow of her neck, each motion slow but purposeful. Low, husky murmurs escaped him, punctuated by brief, demanding nips that made her shiver and gasp.
Her body responded instinctively, pressing back against him, every nerve alive from the heat and pressure of his kisses. Ren lingered there, kissing her with a steady rhythm, alternating softness and roughness, drawing her in deeper with every motion, until it felt as though the rest of the world had fallen away, leaving only the warmth of his mouth, his hands and the shared electricity between them.