Ethan didn't shift much, didn't reach for the lead, and didn't speak again right away.
He just stayed where he was, caught in the way their warmth pressed into him, the quiet rise and fall of breath so close to his skin it almost felt like it was part of his own.
The blankets had slipped lower now, bunching at their waists, exposing bare shoulders, collarbones, and the soft stretch of skin that didn't need to be admired to feel sacred.
He let his fingers rest on Evelyn's lower back, their pads brushing gently and slowly, following the curve there with no goal except to be present.
Everly had turned in a little more, too, her leg now brushing his, not with teasing or insistence, just closeness.
Her body was warm, her breathing calm, but her hand had started to move again, sliding slowly from his chest down to the dip just above his hip as if memorizing it.
He didn't tense.
There wasn't even a flicker of uncertainty.
