Page 70 of Code of Heart
Just like his wife.
Aurelia was tucked into his side, one arm flung possessively across his chest, her breathing slow and even. The rise and fall of her body against his seemed to settle a part of himself he had long stopped acknowledging. It had only been a couple of days, but already, he couldn’t imagine his life without her. And though logic told him it was impossible to feel this way so soon, every instinct he had—the same instincts that built an empire—told him this was exactly where he was supposed to be.
She had awakened something in him he thought long dead.
God, how he wished they had one more day like this. No obligations. No looming reality. Only the chance to get lost in each other again before life demanded its due.
He shifted slightly, careful not to disturb her, and stared out at the early morning sky. Brilliant streaks of gold and pink stretched across the water, a perfect reflection of the chaotic beauty this weekend had become.
They hadn’t talked nearly as much as he had expected. Not in the ways that mattered, at least. Their time together had been intense and intoxicating, but also a little too good at distracting them from the important questions. Like how they were going to navigate this marriage…or each other.
And then, of course, there was the conversation he had avoided entirely—the dark, ugly truth about his parents. His jaw tensed at the thought, his vision darkening at the edges. The memory was a poison he didn’t dare spill into this fragile peace, not yet. Maybe not ever.
With a heavy sigh, he forced his thoughts elsewhere, toward what came next.
This morning, he would have to return to that cavernous, empty mansion and pack a proper bag. The overnight one he brought wasn’t going to cut it, especially with work starting again tomorrow. He needed business attire, the everyday essentials, and whatever creature comforts would help him settle into this new life under Aurelia’s roof. The idea of fully moving into her home made him break out in a nervous sweat…and yet, it also felt oddly right.
And tonight, God help him, they were having dinner at Grace and Isaac’s house. He winced thinking about it. He loved his friends, but this was going to be a social ambush, disguised as a friendly dinner. And after Owen’s antics at the courthouse, there was no telling what fresh hell awaited them.
At least Owen had the decency to be mortified, even if his apologies came wrapped in ridiculousness. Levi told Aurelia about what Owen had seen outside her window, and despite her bravery, he knew she was dreading this dinner as much as he was.
He sighed again, long and slow before leaning his head back against the pillows. No sense worrying about it now.
For this one quiet moment, he allowed himself to simply exist wrapped in the warmth of her body, the softness of her breath, and the fragile, perfect peace of a new day breaking beyond the window.
Tomorrow would come soon enough.
But right now…he held the sunrise in his arms.
Aurelia
After lingering in bed longer than they should have, Aurelia and Levi eventually faced the truth that the day wasn’t going to wait for them.
Aurelia watched with mild disgust as Levi sipped his revolting hazelnut coffee…black, no cream, no sugar. Every time he caught her watching, he shot her a mischievous grin before taking another exaggerated sip, as if daring her to comment. She didn’t, having learned a lesson the hard way about challenging him in the kitchen and wasn’t about to repeat the great breakfast debacle of yesterday.
After their simple breakfast, Levi planned to head back to his house to pack up his clothes and essentials, officially beginning the process of moving in. She had opted to stay behind, saying she needed time to make room in the closet and drawers for his things. That wasn’t a lie…but it also wasn’t the whole truth. She needed space—time to sort through the quiet panic brewing beneath the surface.
The honeymoon haze of the weekend was lifting, and the return to daily life loomed closer with every passing hour. The version of herself she had let him see these past two days—the flirty, confident, adventurous woman—felt like a mask shewould have to remove soon. What happened when he saw the everyday Aurelia? The quiet, self-contained, occasionally awkward woman who worked too much and lived too cautiously?
What if he realized she wasn’t enough?
Sensing her mood dampening, Levi filled the silence with a casual, “So, what’s up on the second floor? I can tell there’s more to this place, but you haven’t shown me yet.”
The haze lifted, and she was grateful for the change in topic. “That’s because it’s unfinished. But if you’re curious…”
“I’m very curious.” He drained the last of his coffee and sprang up from his chair with the enthusiasm of a man about to uncover a hidden treasure. “Lead the way, milady.”
Aurelia shook her head, a reluctant smile tugging at her lips as she set her mug down. She led him to the door tucked beside the half-bath and flipped on the light, revealing a narrow staircase. Levi followed close behind as they climbed to the top.
When they reached the attic, she stood back and let him explore.
“This is…way bigger than I expected,” he murmured, his voice full of wonder as he moved from one end of the open space to the other. “Deceptively large. I could actually fit my drum set in here,” he murmured to himself.
The exposed A-frame roof cut into the space, but otherwise, the attic stretched the entire length of the house—from above her bedroom all the way over the garage bays. It was unfinished and brimming with possibility.
“I always planned to finish it,” she admitted. “Turn part of it into an office, maybe a reading nook…or apparently a music room for a drum set.”
Levi cast her a wickedly handsome smile. Her breath caught.
