When Joel Russo came back, Arabella Vanderbilt had already fallen asleep without knowing when.
Within the subconsciousness of the slumbering Arabella Vanderbilt lingered the thoughts she harbored before sleep.
It was a vast expanse of red sea, red like blazing flames, endlessly red as far as the eyes could see.
Faintly, she seemed to hear the sound of the bedroom door opening, followed by rustling noises nearby, and the soft mattress beside her dipped as someone lifted the blanket and slid in.
Arabella Vanderbilt's eyelids fluttered; she wanted to take a peek, but the familiar, crisp scent by her nose made her give up the struggle. Instinctively, she snuggled closer, and Joel Russo watched her unblinkingly as he turned his head toward her.
His long arm spread out subconsciously on the pillow, and then he watched as Arabella Vanderbilt almost instinctively burrowed into the crook of his arm.
