Neither of them said anything for a while.

After a long silence, Bennett's rationality won out.

He leaned in and planted a kiss on Claudia's forehead. "The next time you want to cuddle, don't bother asking for my permission and just do it."

He smiled at her, eyebrows drawn together, and Looked at her lovingly.

“I missed you more than you know."

Bennett then patted her head gently and said, “Go to sleep before I actually show you how much I missed you."

Claudia had never experienced the pleasure of such things, but she understood how they worked as an adult.

There was no way she could have missed what he was implying. After all, what she was feeling against her thigh, were much more straightforward than his words.

Claudia had never felt a man's desire before, but she was sure that the thing poking her thigh was the result of Bennett's lust for her. She lay on the bed, tense and afraid of making the slightest movement.

The silence in the room was so profound that they could hear each other's breathing. Every time her mind wandered, the distinct scent of spruce and cedar jolted her back to the present.

Claudia started to feel uncomfortable after some time. Her arms around Bennett's waist were getting numb.

Slowly, she raised her head to look at him. His eyes were closed, and he seemed to be asleep already.

She stared at Bennett for a few seconds before asking softly, “Bennett, are you asleep?"

Claudia waited but received no response. At that point, she knew for certain that he was sleeping.

She let out a quiet sigh of relief, and then she began pulling away from Bennett's embrace.

She was careful not to wake him up because she knew he was a Light sleeper. Once she was free from his grasp, she lay flat on the bed for a bit before trying a new sleeping position.

She was about to turn on her other side when an arm suddenly wrapped around her waist.

Instantly, Claudia stopped moving and whispered, “Did I wake you up?" Again, Bennett did not respond.

It was because he actually did not wake up.

Yawning, Claudia looked in the direction of the dressing table. She was starting to feel drowsy now.

She had been up too late the night before, so even though she had slept in in the morning, she now felt sleepy again. A few moments later, she was finally fast asleep.

She awoke to find Bennett gone from the bed. It was still dim in the bedroom.

Claudia felt the still-warm space on the bed beside her as she examined the blanket covering her. It seemed that Bennett had just woken up as well.

With a bright smile on her face, she sat up on the bed. Then, she grabbed her phone and headed downstairs.