There’s no moment of confusion when I drag my eyes open in the morning, catching the warm glow of the rising sun peeking through the curtains. There’s no breathless pause where I wonder where I am, because I haven’t felt so…at homein well over half a year.
Gracie is sleeping beside me, her breathing quiet and steady. She’s facing me, her hands tucked under her head, her cheeks rosy. I can’t stop myself from taking a strand of her warm brown hair, twining it around my finger and tugging gently on it.
I should let her sleep. We both woke several times throughout the night, always reaching for each other as if we needed the reassurance that we were still here…still together. But after so long without her, I can’t resist the urge to curl my body around hers, tucking one arm under her neck and sliding the other under the blankets and over the bare skin of her hips.
She murmurs softly, pressing her face into my neck, her lips grazing my skin and making me shiver. But then she’s rolling away, putting her back to my chest—and her ass against my hardening dick.
“Gracie?” I whisper, but she only sighs, her body relaxing in my arms. I slide my hand down the expanse of her silky thigh, digging my fingers into her skin with a muted groan. She shifts, and my cock slides against the cleft of her ass, making me ache with need.
I dig my fingers into her leg, just above the knee, lifting to come over my mine, and then I slide a hand between our bodies, sliding my cock between her legs and against her already-wet pussy. A sharp gasp escapes Gracie as I roll my hips, the crown of my dick nudging her swollen clit, even as our combined release from the night coats my shaft.
“Braxton?” Her voice is breathy, filled with want.
“Yeah, baby,” I rasp. “You sore?”
“Yes,” she hums. “But don’t stop.” She arches her back, stretching, and the new angle traps the crown of my cock in her entrance. I take full advantage, sliding through her slick folds, lazily thrusting into her as I clamp a hand down on her tit.
“Fuck, Rumpel.” I lean my head down, pressing my jaw to hers, feeling the way her cheek tugs up in a smile. “I want to wake up like this every day.”
Gracie’s breathless voice is still husky with sleep as she tells me, “I wouldn’t be opposed.” She grabs my hand, directing it down between her legs, pressing my fingers to her clit. “Make me come.”
“As the lady commands,” I chuckle right into her ear, smirking when she shivers, her pussy clamping down on my cock. I swirl my fingers around her clit, keeping my touch light and teasing—just on the edge of not enough. Gracie turns her head, capturing my mouth with hers, our tongues dancing sensually against each other before she digs her teeth into my bottom lip.
“Braxton,” her voice is full of warning, and I pinch her roughly, increasing the speed of my thrusts. It doesn’t takelong before we’re both panting, our damp bodies moving against each other. The pleasure is verging on pain, but it’s not enough to get me to stop.
Nothing could pull me away from her at this point. The house could be burning down or the world coming to an end, and I wouldn’t let her go.
It’s not about the sex, as fucking great as it is. Gracie is as vital to me as air. I feel like I haven’t taken a full breath since November, and now I’m overflowing with pure oxygen, leaving me light-headed as I try to figure out which way is up.
Gracie’s clit throbs under my fingers, her body going impossibly tight. She whimpers, her inner walls fluttering around me, and I press my hand to her jaw, turning her face to mine so I can swallow the sound. My hips and fingers move in tandem, drawing her orgasm out as long as I possibly can. Just when she starts trying to pull away from my touch, my own climax crests in a slow-rolling wave that has me yanking away from her mouth with a groan.
We lie here together, tangled and joined in the most primal way, our breathing slowly returning to normal and the sweat cooling on our skin. Eventually, my softening cock slips from the snug heat of her body, and Gracie presses her legs together with a groan.
“Oh mygod, it smells like an unventilated brothel in here. And you know what? I wasn’t planning on doing any laundry today, but these sheets…”
I laugh, pressing a kiss to the nape of her neck, flicking my tongue against the salty taste of her skin. “I can help,” I offer. “I’ll hang your painting, we can do washing, and anything else you need to do.”
With only a minor grimace, Gracie rolls over to face me, her eyes searching my face. “You want to do chores with me?”
I reach up, running a finger from her temple down toher chin. “I’d do just about anything if it meant spending more time with you.”
She doesn’t blink for a breath, and then her nose wrinkles. “It’s too early for this much cheese,” she declares. “I didn’t even want an omelet this morning.” She throws the blanket off, utterly shameless as she stands and stretches, showing off the marks I left on her shoulders and chest.
“That doesn’t even make sense,” I point out, my mouth dry as I pat the bed. “Wait a second. We don’t have to do anything right now, do we? Come here.”
She backs away, warding me off with a hand, even though I haven’t moved. “Oh, no, buddy. No way. I need a shower.”
I don’t even hesitate, kicking away the blankets as I roll off the bed. I look at Gracie, smug satisfaction filling me as her eyes glaze over, filling with heat as she takes me in. “Sounds good.”
Gracie blinks, pulling her eyes back to mine. “What sounds good?”
I flash my teeth in a grin. “A shower, baby. Let’s go shower.”
Her throat moves on a swallow before she narrows her eyes on me. “I was going to shower alone.”
I wink. “More fun together.” I don’t wait for an answer, sauntering out of the room, feeling the way her eyes never leave me as I go.
Thirty minutes later,I’m dressed in my pants from the night before—sans boxers—and running a towel over my head, catching the last of the water.
