Page 147 of Only in Your Dreams

The bed is a fucking furnace. I have a light layer of sweat on the back of my neck, even though we only have a thin sheet covering us and we’re wearing absolutely nothing. My face is smothered against Mel’s smooth, warm skin, rising and falling with her breaths. I’ve ended up asleep with my head on her chest, holding her tight like I was afraid she’d evaporate in the middle of the night. Like I made it all up. Last night, and the months before.

I knew it would be that way for us. The way we were last night, teetering back and forth between sweet and teasing, the way we do with our clothes on. It was pinnacle Melody. Pushing me to my breaking point one second. And the next asking me to describe the way I imagined our first time and giving it to me. Blowing my imagination right out of the water, because no amount of fantasizing could have ever measured up to the real thing.

I fuckingspankedher. Just thinking about the way she begged for it has my dick starting to wake from his slumber.

I miss her. She’s lying underneath me, heart beating right into my eardrum, and I miss her. The sound of her voice, the way she messes with me. The way she can no longer keep sheer affection from permeating the way she looks at me.

She loves me. We’re theusI’ve always wanted, and I don’t know how I got this lucky.

Just as I consider waking her up for the sake of feeling her eyes on me, Mel shifts, breathing deep.

“How do you wake up already looking this pretty?” I tell her, without moving an inch. I’m not ready to give up the sound of her heart.

“You haven’t even looked at me.” Her hand comes to rest on my head, fingers sinking into my hair.

“Doesn’t matter. I know what I know.”

“My hair is sticking to my sweat.”

“That’s just sexy.”

“I have total morning breath.”

“Yum.”

I pounce, crawling up her body. Find her chin and lift her face as she squeaks and tries to squirm away. I love how especially grumpy she is in the mornings before her first cup of coffee. Nothing thrills me more than seeing that perfect scowl.

“Your ability to go from zero to a hundred like this should be studied by the world’s most advanced scientists,” she grumbles.

I grin. “Kiss me good morning.”

“I can’t.”

“Why not?”

“Morning breath, remember?”

“Doesn’t matter. Kiss me.”

“It’ll matter when you get so turned off you never want to see me again.”

“Impossible.” I kiss her cheek, the tip of her nose. “Here’s the thing about me, Clo: I learn from my mistakes. I was an idiot once and I don’t plan on letting you go again. You and me? This is it. Lock the ‘cuffs and throw away the key.”

She tries to hold the displeased downturn to her mouth, but I kiss the tip of her nose again and her body visibly sinks deeper into the mattress, relenting. She lifts her head to kiss me, and my satisfied moan echoes around us.

I pull back before I get carried away, crawl off the bed, and pull on a pair of sweats.

Mel lifts her head. “Where are you going? I’m barely awake.”

“I’ll be right back. Stay here.”

I collect the trail of clothes down the hallway, by the front door, in the living room. Flip on the coffee machine and fire up the waffle-maker as I pull out my phone.

ZAC:Are you good?

NOAH:Sure am. Date went well.

NOAH:I assume your first night without me in weeks did too? Am I allowed home today?

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