Page 27 of Revive
Allegra
In the bright of the dawn Spook’s hair was spun with sunlight, buttercup gold entwined with strands of arctic frost. Alle had woken with the sun. It streamed through the curtainless window, igniting the whole room. At first, she’d lain snuggled beside him enjoying the closeness and the rising and fall of his shoulders, but as time drew on and he didn’t stir, she’d propped herself up to better look at him. Sleep smoothed the grooves from his face and stole away the worry lines. She was thrilled to find him seemingly at peace, and comfortable with her presence, not curled up foetal style as if her being here were something he needed protecting from. Better still, the memories of how they’d spent the night warmed her from within. Everyone thought she’d been strong, holding true to him, never giving up, but that wasn’t reality. She’d doubted. She’d doubted every single day, and almost folded to that pressure on multiple occasions, right up to and including yesterday.
This, then, was her payoff. Spook Mortensen asleep beside her, having made love to her so many times and so thoroughly last night that she was sore from the experience. Not that she regretted any of it. Not one bit. Spook Mortensen, even partially unchained from all the restraints he put upon himself was something indescribably special.
And, if he’d done it primarily to avoid them talking over all the things they ought to have talked over, then she refused to be weighed down by that fact. He’d talk to her eventually… surely. Right?
“You know, it’s a touch creepy being watched.” He remarked, smiling with his eyes still closed.
“You’re awake.”
His nose wrinkled. “Semi-awake.” He was half on his side, one leg bent so his torso was angled downwards, his spine a glorious ladder, and his ink staring at her with watchful eyes. Alle skirted a hand down from his bare shoulder over his biceps to his waist, then skimmed the top of his thigh, before pressing herself against the curve of his arse. When he didn’t object or stir, she slid the same hand forward towards his tackle.
“Oh, hello,” he said in that same sleepy voice. “Good morning to you too.”
“I could make it a very good morning.”
The smallest amount of pressure on his hip convinced him to roll onto his back. Finally, his eyes opened, and he gazed up at her with those crazy blue eyes, and his sexy lips slightly parted.
“It’s looking pretty good already. Did you sleep okay?”
She nodded. “Sun woke me. I see what you mean about it being bright. I feel I need sunglasses.” She settled into the space between his hips, still curious to know if he’d woken hard. “You?”
“Shockingly.”
“Must have been all the exercise.”
“Seems a distinct possibility.”
“Then I’ll have to see you continue getting plenty going forward.”
“That right?”
Dammit, her heart was panging weirdly. Afraid, for no sensible reason, that he was suddenly going to announce that was it. He’d had a change of heart. Fucked her enough to get her out of his system, thus he was ready to move on. It was irritational. There was nothing in his expression to suggest any such thoughts had entered his head.
“Hey.” He raised a hand and brushed the messy mop of her hair away from her face. “You okay?”
“Yeah.” She forced a smile. “What happens now?”
Now did they talk?
“What do you want to happen now?”
It still felt scarily like they were exchanging cryptograms with one another. Like every word needed careful analysis before a response could be delivered. It made her heart bleed for the ease with which he communicated with Xane. All she could do was hope that would come with time. They’d only been back together for twelve hours, whereas he and Xane had had months. Given the ground they’d covered in that time, she ought not to be focussing on the negatives. Better to focus on solid reality. He was in bed with her, gazing up at her with drowsy eyes, a soft smile on his lips and more relaxed than she’d seem him in all the time she’d known him.
“Long lazy day in bed,” she suggested, and followed it with a slow exploration of his mouth, tongues sliding against one another in an intoxicating breezy dance.
“Sounds heavenly,” he murmured, when they surfaced for breath. “Couple of tiny issues.”
“You’re definitely not tiny.”
“Imp.” He chuckled, warm against her cheek. “Do I need to remind you, you’re here to work?”
“Oh, that,” she said dismissively. “All right, a long lazy morning in bed.” Wasn’t like rockstars ever did anything before 2PM.
“’fraid not. Breakfast date with the band.”
What the fuck? “Since when did goths have breakfast dates, especially ones that didn’t arise as a result of staying up all night?”
