11. Unspoken Desires

A soft warmth surrounded Savannah as she stirred awake, her body sinking into something firm yet comforting. Blinking slowly, her vision adjusted to the dim morning light filtering through the large windows, casting golden streaks across the room. Her heart skipped a beat when she realized where she was—wrapped securely in Cassian’s arms, his strong, steady breaths fanning against her temple.

He was holding her like she belonged there, his face relaxed, almost boyish in sleep. The sharp edges of his usual cocky smirk had softened, replaced by an innocence she had never seen before. His lips, slightly parted, formed the faintest pout, making him look… vulnerable. Safe.

Savannah felt an unfamiliar warmth bloom in her chest. Without thinking, she lifted a tentative hand and traced the outline of his lips with her fingertips, barely grazing them. They were soft, impossibly so.

"How soft they are…" she mused, her own lips tingling at the mere thought.

“Like what you see, Rivers?”

The sudden raspy murmur shattered the tranquility. Savannah jolted, her heart slamming against her ribs as Cassian’s deep, amused voice rumbled through her. His eyes were still closed, but there was a smirk playing at the corners of his lips now, teasing, as if he had caught her red-handed.

Heat flooded her face, embarrassment burning up her neck. “Y-You were awake?” she stammered, horrified.

Cassian’s smirk only widened. “Enough to feel you touching me like a creep in my sleep.”

Mortified, she pushed against his chest, trying to break free, but his arms only tightened around her, effortlessly pulling her closer.

“Not so fast, sweetheart.” His voice was thick with sleep, rough yet velvety. “Five more minutes. Please.”

It wasn’t a demand—it was almost a plea.

Savannah stiffened, her body betraying her as she hesitated. Cassian Black never ‘pleaded.’ And yet, here he was, his grip around her loose enough to let her leave, but still firm enough to make her feel wanted.

She exhaled slowly, relenting, and let her head fall back onto his arm.

For a while, there was only silence—Cassian’s steady heartbeat beneath her cheek, the quiet rustle of the curtains as the morning breeze swayed them.

After a moment, he shifted, his hold around her softening. Savannah’s gaze drifted upwards, only to find Cassian staring right back at her. His dark eyes, usually sharp and unreadable, held something different—something warm. And for the first time, she didn’t look away.

There was something about his eyes, the way they held secrets she would never be able to decipher.

“Are you sure this is all fake?” she whispered.

Cassian didn’t reply. His fingers brushed against her cheek, barely there, yet enough to send a shiver down her spine.

Then, without warning, his lips ghosted over hers.

Soft. Tentative. A touch so fleeting it could have been imagined.

Savannah’s breath hitched. Her entire body froze.

He pulled back slightly, his forehead still resting against hers, his voice low and teasing. “What do you think?”

Her brain refused to process what had just happened. Had he just… kissed her?

Her mouth parted in disbelief. “Did you just kiss me?”

Cassian’s lips curved, his smirk turning devilish. “No, I didn’t. I don’t kiss like that.”

Before she could comprehend his words, he pulled her back in, one hand cradling the side of her face as his lips captured hers, this time with certainty.

It wasn’t soft anymore—it was deep, slow, claiming. A contrast of tenderness and dominance, like he wanted to memorize the way she felt against him.

Savannah’s mind blanked. Her hands curled into his shirt, gripping onto him as a helpless heat coursed through her veins.

When he finally pulled away, his forehead still resting against hers, his voice was husky, teasing. “Now that’s what you call a kiss, baby.”

Savannah barely registered the words. Her breathing was uneven, her pulse erratic.

Her entire world had just tilted on its axis. And there was no going back.