Morning breath.
My eyes widened slightly, my hand lifting instinctively between us as I shifted back just enough to break the moment. Doing so before it could happen, my heart still racing, but now for entirely different reasons.
“I think we should get out of bed,” I blurted, the words coming far too quickly and way too suddenly, like I had just yanked us both out of something I hadn’t fully understood how to handle.
For half a second, there was silence. Which I took as a great time to sit up and start shifting to the edge of the bed. Although, I didn’t exactly get far, as arms suddenly wrapped around me from behind.
“Where do you think you’re going?” he rumbled in my ear as he dragged me back to where I was seconds ago.
The question was low, edged with something far more demanding than teasing, and before I could even think to answer, his hand tightened at my waist. As if to prevent me from even trying a second time.
“I…” I started, my breath faltering slightly as he shifted over me.
“You?” he prompted in a knowing tone.
“Morning breath!” I suddenly blurted out, making his eyes go wide, before they softened into something tender. Then, a heartbeat after, they narrowed in on my lips before he growled,
“I don’t fucking care.”
The words brushed against my lips before he closed the distance completely. And whatever thought I might have had left disappeared the second his mouth found mine.
And this time…
There was nothing hesitant about it.
The world didn’t so much disappear as it narrowed, pulling tight around the point where his mouth met mine. Every other thought slipped quietly out of reach as the kiss deepened without hesitation.
There was nothing rushed or impulsive about it, only a slow, intent focus that made the kiss feel all the more consuming. Like he had no intention of letting me escape it again now that he had me exactly where he wanted me. His hand remained firm at my waist, anchoring me against him as though the idea of distance had never existed to begin with. On the other hand, my headshifted just enough to tilt my head, angling me exactly how he wanted.
And the best part…
I didn’t resist.
Didn’t even try as morning breath became a thing of the past and never something to worry about ever again.
Which was why I leaned into it, my fingers curling lightly against him as that same warmth unfurled through me again. Like my body had already decided this was exactly where it belonged.
The kiss softened just slightly, not breaking, just easing enough for something quieter to slip into it. Something that made my breath catch against his mouth as the moment stretched. As if suspended in that delicate space between lingering and something more.
And then he pulled back. Not far, but just enough. My breath faltered slightly as his lips brushed once more against mine before trailing lower. The movement unhurried, like he was in no rush to get anywhere except exactly where he intended to be.
His head dipped toward my neck, and the second his breath touched my skin, I felt it. That immediate, instinctive reaction that sent a shiver down through me before I could stop it. My body responding before my mind had even caught up.
A quiet sound left him, low and almost thoughtful. As though he had just discovered something that pleased him far more than it should have.
“Mm…”
The vibration of it ghosted against my skin, followed by the slow brush of his lips just beneath my ear. And I felt my pulse jump in response, betraying me instantly.
“You smell like mine.”This time, the growl of his words sounded more like they had come from the demon in him. But I wasn’t scared. If anything, they settled into me, possessiveand entirely too certain. The feeling sent an unexpected flutter through my chest that I couldn’t quite explain. It should have unsettled me. It should have made me question it, question him, question everything about that statement.
And yet,it didn’t.
My breath caught as his lips lingered against my skin. The warmth of them trailed lower in a way that made my thoughts scatter completely, leaving nothing but sensation in their wake. It was slower now, unhurried in a way that felt intentional. Like he was taking his time exploring every reaction he pulled from me. Every subtle shift in my breathing, every small sound I failed to keep to myself.
And this time… I didn’t stay still.
My hands moved before I could think better of it, lifting from where they had rested hesitantly between us to settle against him instead. My fingers brushing over the solid line of his shoulders before sliding down, tracing the curve of muscle beneath my touch. As though I needed to feel it, to confirm that he was real, that this was happening.
