Liam woke because something warm and solid moved beneath his cheek.
For one confused second, he thought he had fallen asleep on a heated workbench, which said unpleasant things about both his career and his survival instincts.
Then the steady rhythm under his ear came again.
A heartbeat.
Arik's heartbeat.
Liam opened his eyes slowly.
The room was bright in the wrong way. Light filtered through the curtains in long afternoon lines, spilling over the bed, the nightstand, the untouched tray Marin had clearly sent with military judgment, and Arik's sleeping face beneath him.
Liam blinked.
Arik was asleep.
