He could have marked exactly the moment she slid away into sleep. Her breathing deepened, her body jerked slightly, her heart rate slowed, and her face relaxed. Once she was asleep, he'd had every intention on leaving her in peace - perhaps sitting in the hallway outside her door. But the longer he watched her sleeping, the less he wanted to leave. The peace she showed while sleeping was remarkable. He wondered what sort of life she must have had to have such peace.
When he heard the front door open, James reluctantly edged away from Ariel. As carefully as he could, and with as little disturbance as possible, he slid out of the bedroom and left her to her dreams.