Steve let out a low grunt as his eyes fluttered open, the dull ache in his muscles flaring to life the moment he shifted.
He stretched, slow and groggy, his limbs dragging across the cool earth beneath him. The grass—thin and sparse—pricked lightly at his back, just a few patches clinging to the forest floor like reminders that nature was still real, even after the night he'd just had.
A soft yawn slipped past his lips as he propped himself up on one elbow. The air was crisp.
Above him, the sun was only beginning to pierce through the canopy, casting golden beams that sliced across the trees in slanted lines. It wasn't day yet—not fully.
He turned his head slowly—and there she was.
Tonya.
Lying beside him.
Naked.
She was still fast asleep, her breathing soft, almost melodic. Her bare skin glowed faintly under the dawn light, flushed and marked.
