He woke up slowly as the sliver of sunlight creeped through the curtain. Stretching his arms above his head, he became aware of the soft body that lay next to him as they came down and encountered a mass of curly hair. Turning to his right, he saw the red head of the woman who had become his be all and end all. Rolling quietly on to his side so as not to wake her, he leaned on his elbow so that he could watch her sleep. Her soft features were near angelic in repose. The waves of her tresses, that were so tight and pristine last night, now framed her face in unkempt order. One curl drooped over her brow and he brushed it aside, replacing it with the whisper of a kiss.

He reached over and touched her bare shoulder, lightly running his finger down her arm. She squirmed and so he stopped. He didn't want her to wake up just yet. These quiet moments in the morning, before the day started were some of his favorite times with her. It allowed him to blatantly look at her, without any self-consciousness or guilt. He knew she got embarrassed when he openly appreciated her and he couldn't understand why.

She was beautiful, smart, funny, caring, talented and she was his. If you asked him a year ago if he thought he would end up in a relationship with this woman, he'd have laughed. He was not looking for any kind of relationship, so when this hit, it was like a meteor that no one told him was coming, the subsequent shower of electronic particles attaching themselves to him with full force.

Now, however, he can't remember what life was like before her and he wondered how he lived without her for so long. These thoughts brought emotions to the surface he couldn't verbalize. Yet his eyes welled with unshed tears and his heart filled with love. Yes, they had been lovers but he had not realized that he was in love with her until this moment.

And it was that last thought, making its first appearance in his psyche that he lingered on. He loved her. With every fiber of his being, known and unknown to him, he loved this woman. And he was happy. Happier than he'd ever been before; because all the success, power and money that might come his way meant nothing without someone to share it with. He wanted to tell her. He couldn't keep it to himself any longer.

Wrapping his arm around her waist, he kissed her shoulder, hoping to slowly rouse her from her sleep. It worked as he was rewarded with her lashes fluttering open and her big blue eyes gazing up at him. A smile slowly came to her mouth and his eyes fixated on her lips. He bent to place a kiss there and her hands reached around to tangled themselves in his wild curls. Pulling back he returned her smile with one of his own. She raised her hand up and touched his cheek, outlined the scar that ran down it and feeling the stubble from his beard's overnight growth. She smiled again. This time full and bright, her eyes shining back at him.

Taking his own hands, he held her face gently and kissed her again. She was surprised. He was not one for such tender displays of emotion but she wasn't going to question. She was going to enjoy the moment and remember this for days to come. She noticed a different look in his eyes as well. Something she couldn't quite put her finger on, It was something deep seeded, coming from his soul. For a minute she was scared and tensed. He felt the change in her and knew the time was now for him to lay he heart out for her to take.

Wide awake now and shaking any ill thought from her head, she pulled herself up a bit.

"Good morning, Ross."

"Good morning, my love."