I woke to darkness and heat.
Specifically, I woke to Samuel wrapped around me like a vine, his chest pressed against my back, his arm heavy across my waist, his breath warm and steady against my neck.
And something else. Something hard, pressing insistently against my lower back.
My body responded instantly, blood rushing south with an enthusiasm that made me dizzy. I lay perfectly still, trying to assess the situation without waking him. The room was cold—much colder than it should have been—and when I reached down to pull up the blankets, my hand found nothing but bare mattress.
The blankets were gone.
I craned my neck to look toward the foot of the bed and found Purrsephone curled up on a throne of stolen bedding, her mismatched eyes glinting in the faint light from the window. She’d apparently spent the night systematically dragging every blanket to the end of the bed and claiming them for herself.
Damn that cat.
Behind me, Samuel stirred. His arm tightened around my waist, pulling me closer, and his hips shifted against my back in a way that was definitely, absolutely intentional.
“You’re awake,” he murmured, voice rough with sleep.
“So are you.”
“Mmm.” His lips found the back of my neck, pressing a kiss to the sensitive skin there. “Some parts of me are very awake.”
“I noticed.”
He laughed softly, the sound vibrating against my spine. “Sorry. Morning wood. Can’t help it.”
“It’s the middle of the night.”
“Close enough.” Another kiss, this one with a hint of teeth. “Why is it so cold?”
“Look at the end of the bed.”
Samuel lifted his head, peered into the darkness, and let out a groan. “She stole all the blankets.”
“She made a nest.”
“A nest.” He pulled away from me—I immediately missed his warmth—and sat up. “That’s it. I’ve had it.”
“What are you doing?”
“I am done being cockblocked by a cat.” He swung his legs over the side of the bed and stood. In the faint light, I could see the outline of his body—the broad shoulders, the narrow waist, the pajama pants riding low on his hips. “I love her. She’s a wonderful matchmaker. But she has got to go.”
He scooped Purrsephone up from her blanket throne. She made a noise of protest—an indignant mrrrp that conveyed deep offense—but Samuel was unmoved.
“You’ve done your job,” he told her, carrying her to the bedroom door. “You got us together. Now let us enjoy the fruits of your labor.”
He deposited her in the hallway and closed the door firmly behind her.
From the other side, I heard an outraged yowl.
“She’s going to hate us,” I said.
“She’ll get over it.” Samuel gathered the abandoned blankets from the end of the bed and tossed them back onto the mattress. Then he climbed back in, but instead of returning to his side, he positioned himself directly over me, his weight braced on his forearms, his face inches from mine. “Hi.”
“Hi.” My voice came out breathier than intended.
“So.” His eyes searched my face in the darkness. “No more interruptions.”
“No more interruptions.”
