Chapter 196: A New Day

Trent's surprise was to wake me up at the butt crack of dawn - literally - and whisk me to the top of the mountain behind his house. Thankfully, I'd gotten several hours of sleep, so I wasn't too grumpy when he dragged me out of bed.

We now sat atop the mountain, a light blanket wrapped around us to ward off the slight chill in the air. I was firmly tucked between Trent's legs, my back to his chest. We sat like that a lot; it must be his favorite. Not that I was complaining. I loved the feel of him behind me, his arms around my stomach, holding me tight.

The sun began its slow ascent into the sky against a backdrop of vibrant oranges and reds. The colors were so bright I almost had to shield my eyes.

"This is my favorite time of the day," he said, his breath warm against my ear.

"Really?" I twisted around to glance at him. "But you don't like the sun."

He grinned, and his dimple appeared. "This isn't too bad. It's when the sun is at its peak that it's the worst."