“I love you,” I whispered into the quiet of the room, the words feeling more natural each time I said them. “I love you so much it terrifies me.”
“Good,” he murmured against my chest, his voice drowsy with satisfaction. “Love should be a little terrifying, right? Otherwise, how would you know it’s real?”
I smiled despite myself, marveling at his wisdom. Even boneless and thoroughly fucked, he could still surprise me with insights that cut straight to the heart of things.
“What happens now?” I asked, voicing the question that had been haunting me since we’d first confessed our feelings. “With the Purity Front, with your family, with everything?”
He was quiet for so long I thought he might have fallen asleep. Then he tilted his head to look at me, those blue eyes serious despite his relaxed state.
“I don’t know,” he said simply. “And I’m not going to worry about it tonight.” He pressed another kiss to my lips. “Tonight is just about us. All our problems can wait until tomorrow, okay?”
I nodded, kissing him again. “Okay.”
In that moment I realized we’d swapped places. I might’ve been his professor at Widdershins, but now he was the one teaching me. And whatever it was we had to learn, we’d figure it out together.
Chapter 24
Archer
I’m not sure what I was dreaming about. At first it was something normal, like going to class or fencing practice. But then things just sort of went dark. The only thing I was aware of was a warmth pressed against me. And it felt good, so I pulled it closer in the dark. The closeness created a spark of pleasure that coursed through my body and I pushed into it harder, wanting more.
That was when consciousness began to seep in around the edges of my world. I realized something more was happening, that my body was moving of its own accord. It wasn’t until I opened my eyes at last that I realized what was happening.
“Oh fuck…” Valen groaned, his back pressed against my chest. His hand was on my hip, guiding me in slow, rhythmic thrusts. “Good boy.”
“Valen?” I said, still groggy. “What’s?—”
“You were grinding against me in your sleep,” he grinned, glancing back at me over his shoulder. “So I let you have what you wanted.”
It was only then that I realized where all this pleasure coursing through my body was coming from. I glanced down andsaw Valen’s ass pressed tight against my hips, my cock buried to the hilt inside him.
“Oh god…” I moaned, forcing myself deeper inside. “Fuck you’re so tight.”
The feeling was incredible, like nothing I’d ever experienced. Being inside Valen while still half-asleep, my body moving on pure instinct, created this dreamlike haze of pleasure that made everything feel heightened and surreal.
“That’s it,” Valen breathed, pushing back against me with each thrust. “Just like that, darling. You feel so good inside me.”
I was still trying to process what was happening, my brain foggy with sleep and arousal. “Did I really... in my sleep?”
“Mmm,” he hummed, the sound vibrating through his body and straight into my cock. “You were so hard, pressing against me, making these little desperate sounds. I couldn’t resist helping you out.”
The thought that I’d been unconsciously seeking him out, my body knowing what it wanted even when my mind was gone, sent heat coursing through me. I wrapped my arms around his waist, pulling him tighter against me as I found a steady rhythm.
“Fuck, you’re incredible,” I groaned, burying my face in his neck. His skin was cool against my overheated face, and I could smell his unique pheromones that always drove me crazy. “I can’t believe you let me...”
“Let you?” He laughed softly, the sound rough with pleasure. “Darling, I’ve been awake for an hour just watching you sleep. When you started grinding against me like that, looking so beautiful and needy... I would have been crazy to stop you.”
I could feel that familiar energy connection sparking to life between us, but it was different this time. Gentler, more intimate somehow. Like waking up slowly on a sunny Sunday morning instead of being struck by lightning.
“Are you feeding?” I asked, pressing kisses to his shoulder as I moved inside him.
“Just a little,” he admitted, his voice catching as I hit a particularly good angle. “Your arousal tastes different when you’re half-asleep. Sweeter. More pure somehow.”
The idea that even unconscious I could nourish him, could give him what he needed, made my heart race. I shifted slightly, trying to get deeper, and was rewarded with a low moan that made my toes curl.
“I love you,” I whispered against his ear, the words slipping out as naturally as breathing. “I love waking up with you, love being inside you like this.”
“I love you too,” he replied, his hand covering mine where it rested on his stomach. “More than I ever thought possible.”
