Chapter 1379

Morning came softly, sliding through the canopy in golden beams that shimmered like silk over bare skin. Jude woke with Lucy's leg draped over his waist, her breath steady against his shoulder. Rose was curled behind him, her arm across his chest, her lips brushing the back of his neck with each exhale. Around them, the others lay entangled in various poses of pleasure and rest - Zoey on top of Grace, fingers still lightly intertwined; Sophie spooning Emma, their breaths moving in perfect unison; Stella lying across Scarlet's lap, her head resting on a belly that rose and fell with ease.

It wasn't just sleep.

It was communion.

He slid his hand gently across Lucy's back and she stirred, her eyes fluttering open, hazy and beautiful in the morning light. She didn't speak - she just kissed him, soft and slow, and shifted to straddle him, her body instinctively aligning with his. He hardened immediately beneath her, the heat between them igniting with just a glance.