Waking up with Stella in my arms felt right. The way her light snores tumbled from her lips coupled with the way her jet black hair sprawled out over the pillow made me want to press my nose into the crook of her neck. I peppered light kisses along her shoulders, watching as her skin flushed underneath my touch.
Even in her sleep, she wanted me close to her.
I felt her body move instinctively into mine, and I slipped my leg in between hers. She drew in a deep breath before she let out a sigh, and I couldn’t help but pull her even closer to me. Her warmth kept me covered from the world, and just for a few seconds, I was able to pretend this was how it should be. My entire guard dropped with her the moment she pleaded with me last night, but I knew the rough part of our journey was far from over.
Todd’s reaction told me that much.
“Morning,” Stella said.
“Hey there,” I said. “How’d you sleep?”
“Like a rock. That airplane ride was bullshit. You?” she asked.
“Perfect next to you,” I said.
She twisted around in my arms and flashed me the most beautiful smile I’d ever seen. Her eyes were still half-hooded with sleep, and the sheet had fallen from her body, exposing her sexy tits to me as well as the mark I’d left on her last night. I bent down and nuzzled the bruise, causing her to jump at the touch of my nose. Her hand slowly began to untangle my locks as I peppered kisses up her chest and neck, and she wrapped her arms around me so she could draw me closer.
“Any plans for today?” she asked.
“No work plans, if that’s what you’re asking,” I said.
“That’s not what you said yesterday.”
“Well, I was being a distant asshole yesterday, and I’m sorry,” I said.
“What happened?” she asked.
Should I tell her? About the way Todd reacted? Should I show her that there was a side to the world that thought we were doing something wrong? Gross, even?
I didn’t want her pulling away from me. Not after what we’d shared, and I couldn’t bring myself to tell her about my conversation with Todd.
Not just yet.
“I freaked, I guess. We’re wading through this whole business thing after losing our parents and not seeing each other for years, and then suddenly our lives upheave, and I own a company, and we’re sleeping with one another? I guess it was a bit much, and I shut down to process,
” I said.
It wasn’t an entirely inaccurate statement; it just wasn’t the whole story. I figured I could live with that for now if it gave me another day to bask in the beauty of Stella.
“I get that,” she said. “So, next time, just talk to me instead of making me miserable, huh?”
“I’m so sorry, Stella,” I said
“Don’t be sorry. Just be better.”
“Your father always used to say that to me,” I said.
“And your mother always used to laugh at him. He took himself too seriously, and she never took herself seriously enough. They were the perfect pair,” she said.
I laid there, staring at her while her eyes darted around my face. Even the sunlight of the city somehow obscured her beauty, and I rolled her on top of me just to get an unadulterated view of her. She giggled, wiggling herself between my legs, and then she reached down and slowly encompassed her lips with mine.
“You taste like me,” she said, giggling.
“Is that something you like?” I asked.
“Very much so,” she said.
I ran my fingers through her hair before I brought her lips back down to mine. My tongue swiped for entrance, slowly inching its way in while my cock jumped to life. I could feel her hips slowly swirling against mine, bringing my body alive while I tasted the percolating flavors of her morning breath. There was something raw and intoxicating about having her first thing in the morning, but there was something I wanted to do with her first.