She was laughing when he took out his keys. “I’ve got a change of clothes in the car.”
She had a lightness to her step as she left the room.
PALLAS
Waking up in Kawehi's bed was amazing. Back at his apartment, it didn't matter what time he got up, his back always hurt. But waking up with his arms around her was a game changer.
He leaned his head forward, nestling his face into the crook of her neck.
Why did she always smell amazing?
He brushed his lips against her neck and then relaxed again.
He wasn't about to wake her up unless she needed to get up early. Pallas was more than happy to keep her wrapped up in his arms.
The windows above the bed had curtains on them but they hadn't pulled them closed before bed the night before, letting the moonlight come in through the glass.
A ceiling fan above their heads spun around in soothing rhythm, and he felt a breeze come through the lower part of the window through the screen.
Whoever had placed the house on the plot of land had likely spent some time there to make sure that the breeze came right through the windows cooling the room.
Kawehi moved slightly against him, and he held still just in case she was going to head back to sleep.
"Are you holding your breath?"
"Guilty as charged." He laughed. "I didn't want to wake you."
"It's kind of hard not to," she snuggled back against him, "it's like sleeping with a heater."
He chuckled and tried to move away.
"I don't mind that you're warm. It must be what it feels like to cuddle up with a bear."
"A bear, huh?" He reached up and tickled her sides.
"Hey!" She pushed his hands away and turned around to launch her counterattack.
Pallas wasn't all that ticklish, but she seemed to find just the right spots and he rolled on his back trying to give him a chance to grab her hands and stop her, but it took longer than he thought was possible. And when he finally got his hands wrapped around her wrists, he was on his back and she was sitting on top of him, her legs straddling his thighs.
"Well..." She swallowed and her chest rose and fell as she breathed. "What if we call a truce on the tickling?"
He smiled at how soft and breathy her voice was. Kawehi was a strong woman even if she didn't believe that about herself. Hearing her trying to catch her breath was a sound he liked.
A lot.
It also didn't hurt that she was straddled over him.
He didn't wake up with morning wood, but he was quickly getting hard.
"Are you going to keep holding onto my wrists?"
"You want me to let you go?"
"I'm... not sure."
She swallowed and he saw the way that her throat worked and he licked at his lips.
He sat up and she drew in a quick gasp. "What?"
