His hair was mussed from sleep, his eyes soft and warm as he looked at me. “Morning, beautiful.”
“Morning.” I traced my fingers along his jaw. “You stayed.”
“Of course I stayed. Lex is right, you might need something. Plus...” He pressed a kiss to my nose. “I wanted to wake up with you. Just us, without having to rush to class.”
My chest felt full. “I like that.”
We stayed in bed for another hour, just talking quietly, touching lazily. I told him about my failed engagement, about how scared I’d been to try again.
“I’m glad you tried,” he said, his thumb brushing across my cheek. “I’m glad you’re here.”
“Me too.”
Eventually, we had to get up. He helped me to the shower, washing my hair for me when I admitted my arms were tired. His touch was gentle, caring, so different from last night’s intensity but equally intimate.
We dressed together, and he made me breakfast while I made coffee. It felt domestic. Normal. Like we’d been doing this for years instead of days.
“Ready to face the world?” he asked as we prepared to walk to the classroom.
“As long as you’re with me.”
“Always.” He pressed a kiss to my forehead. “Come on. Let’s go rescue Lex from handling class alone.”
Worth it. So worth it.
“Do you think he’s okay?” I asked as we walked toward the classroom building.
“He’s fine. Probably enjoying the control, honestly.” Majesty squeezed my hand. “But he’ll be happy to see us.”
We walked together, his hand in mine, and I felt a contentment I’d never experienced before.
Through the doorway, I could see Lex at the front of the room, gesturing as he spoke. The students were engaged, taking notes. I slipped in quietly and took my usual position to the side.
Lex’s eyes found me immediately, and something warm flashed across his face. He didn’t pause in his lecture, but I saw the slight curve of his mouth.
“The key to deep emotional sharing,” he was saying, “is creating a container safe enough for vulnerability. That means establishing trust first, setting clear boundaries about what will be shared and how it will be received.”
I felt heat creep into my cheeks but couldn’t stop my own smile.
“Let’s take a fifteen-minute break,” Lex announced. “Stretch, grab water, come back ready for the afternoon activity.”
The students filed out, and before I could move, both men were at my side.
“How do you feel?” Lex asked, his hand settling on my lower back.
“Sore. Happy. Really, really happy.”
“Good.” Lex’s fingers brushed against my jaw. “You slept through breakfast. Did you eat?”
“Yes, Majesty made me breakfast.”
“Good girl.” The praise made warmth pool in my stomach.
Before we could say more, a group of four women approached. I recognized them from class. Iris was part of an established triad while Elara was in a quad. Honey and Scarlett were single.
“Sorry to interrupt,” Elara said, her warm brown eyes friendly. “But I wanted to ask Cami something.”
“Go ahead,” Majesty said, stepping back slightly to give us space but not leaving.
