Chapter 53

They returned to The PuLi Hotel and Spa the morning after, limbs sore, lips tender, skin still buzzing with the echoes of the night before.

Their hair was tousled, their clothes slightly rumpled, and their smiles were impossibly soft—private, knowing things. Shanghai's skyline glowed faintly through the floor-to-ceiling windows of their suite, the early morning light muted by sheer curtains. But neither of them looked outside. Not now.

Sienna didn't even bother changing—she slipped off her heels by the door and padded toward the bed in one of Cassian's oversized shirts, sleeves swallowing her hands, the hem grazing her bare thighs. Her hair still smelled faintly of jasmine and stardust, a lingering trace of the celestial fantasy they had lived through just hours earlier.

Cassian followed close behind, peeling off his shirt and discarding it somewhere on the floor before slipping beneath the covers.

The moment Sienna curled up on her side, he wrapped an arm around her waist and pulled her flush against him, chest to her back, legs tangled.

They didn't talk at first. There were no lingering jokes, no playful jabs—just the kind of silence that felt thick with something tender and sacred. Their breathing slowly synced, and his hand moved gently along the curve of her spine, fingers tracing idle patterns that had no destination, just a need to feel her.

"You were so beautiful tonight," he said quietly, lips brushing her hairline. "Not just... sexy. You were glowing. Like something not of this world."

Sienna didn't answer immediately. She just melted deeper into him, a little smile curling against his collarbone.

"I think I've never been this tired and this happy at the same time," she whispered, voice low and drowsy.

Cassian smiled against her temple, pressing a soft kiss to her forehead. "Good. That was the goal."

There was a beat. Then a chuckle. "Also, I think I'm ruined for all other women now. You might have to take responsibility."

That made her lift her head, brows raised, mouth twitching in amusement. "Are you proposing right now?" she asked. "Because if you are, I need to make sure you're not thinking with the head in your pants."

Cassian laughed, his chest shaking softly against her cheek. "I'm very proud of that head, thank you, but no. Not a proposal. Just... a very firm belief in my future decisions. Like where I want to be in five years. Who I want to wake up beside."

Sienna stared at him for a moment, the playful spark softening into something quieter, warmer.

"You sure you're not just drunk on post-orgasm endorphins?" she teased, though her voice carried the tremble of someone deeply touched.

"I've never been more clearheaded in my life," he murmured.

Then he went quiet.

His thumb traced slow circles on her hip as he seemed to wrestle with something, then finally, he asked softly, "If I proposed one day... would you say yes?"

Sienna blinked, lifting her head slightly to look at him, eyes wide and caught off guard.

Before she could respond, he rushed to add, "Not right now, I mean—I know it's been fast. I wouldn't ask now. I just... wonder about it."

Her expression softened, lips curling slowly. "Cass," she said with a half-laugh, "it's been, like, a week since we made this official."

Cassian groaned and rolled onto his back, laughing into the pillow. "I know. I know! But you're driving me crazy. You're too beautiful. Too much. I feel like my brain hasn't had a rational thought since you're mine."

She laughed too, propping her head on his chest. "That sounds like a personal problem."

"One I'm very happy to have," he murmured, pulling her back into his arms.

She lay there for a moment, then said with a sleepy grin, "Well, if we did get married… I think I'd like to be your trophy wife."

Cassian snorted. "Oh, really?"

She giggled, curling into him. "Yep. I'll just stay at home looking stunning, and when you come home from work, I'll be at the door asking, 'Would you prefer dinner, or me?'"

Cassian laughed so hard his chest shook beneath her cheek. He hugged her tighter, as if the thought alone filled him with joy. "You want to quit being my secretary?"

She hummed. "Mmm. It's part of the fantasy."

He nuzzled her hair. "How am I supposed to survive without you at the office?"

"I'm sure you'll manage," she teased.

He grinned, heart thudding with more than amusement. "Not a chance."

Then his expression softened again. His fingers brushed over her shoulder gently, almost absently.

"I love you so much, Sienna," he murmured. "It makes me mad sometimes thinking about how many years I spent not knowing what it was like to have you like this. What a waste."

She tilted her head back to look up at him, eyes crinkling with affection. "Well," she said with a teasing smile, "be thankful for your hands."

Cassian blinked, then burst out laughing, burying his face against her shoulder. "You're unbelievable."

But after the laugh, he went oddly quiet again. His arms remained wrapped around her, but he was suddenly still.

"You didn't say it back," he mumbled.

Sienna blinked, then smiled knowingly. She pushed herself up slowly, straddling him, her oversized shirt shifting over her thighs as she settled on top of him.

She leaned down and kissed him—slow, tender, a kiss that lingered like a secret.

"I love you so much, Cassian," she whispered against his lips.

Then she straightened slightly and grinned, mischief flashing in her eyes. "And if I ever catch you looking at another woman, I'll cut this."

She rolled her hips just enough to grind against the bulge forming beneath her.

Cassian groaned, his head falling back. "It's yours. All yours. You can do whatever you want to it."

She laughed, biting her lip, but then felt him stiffen beneath her.

She blinked. "Really?"

He looked up at her with a slow, impish smile. "Well... it's your fault."

Sienna tilted her head, grinning as she slid her hands beneath his shirt. "Then I guess I should take responsibility."

Cassian's breath hitched, his hands finding her thighs, holding her in place. Her grinding slowed, deepened, her lips brushing over his as their giggles melted into something quieter.

They didn't rush.

They just moved with soft kisses, slow touches, and a familiar fire that bloomed easily between them.

And when the heat built, inevitable and full, she pressed her mouth to his.

They kissed again, bodies winding together with quiet urgency, the laughter giving way to soft sighs as they slipped into each other all over again.