Chapter 54

• Valerie awoke feeling refreshed, having slept soundly through the entire night. As she stirred and sat up, she noticed that Michael was already dressed and ready for the day, his imposing figure standing by the bedroom's large windows.
• "Good morning," Valerie greeted him, a small smile tugging at her lips. "Why didn't you wake me up?"
• Michael turned to face her, a hint of amusement in his eyes. "Well, you see, men tend to wake up in the morning with... certain things pointing north." He paused, his gaze flickering down for the briefest of moments. "If I had woken you up, we probably would have ended up doing other activities instead of getting ready for the day."