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Garvey woke some time later, a bundle of soft female still cradled in his arms. The even pattern of her breathing indicated she was still asleep.
He grinned in the dark. He’d worn her out. Good. He intended to wear her out again. Several times over, in fact, before the day was over. They’d need fuel first, as they’d missed dinner on the cruise. And he’d only had one thing on his mind when he’d gotten her home.
Despite his experience, he’d never seen a submissive as responsive as Arden. She’d climaxed so sweetly. Many times. And the trust she’d instilled in him? His heart still ached at the tenderness they’d shared.
She murmured something quietly against his shoulder, her warm breath tickling his skin. A quick glance at the clock on his nightstand indicated it was just before dawn. It was his usual practice to crawl out of bed and go for a run at this hour. But settled comfortably in bed with Arden, he could think of far more interesting ways to get his daily exercise.
Her eyes opened slowly, revealing the lovely brown shade. He traced her cheek, rubbing his thumb against her still-swollen bottom lip. She smiled, a slow, sleepy expression that caused a hard knot to clench around his heart.
The feelings didn’t stop there.
The heavy foundation of something he couldn’t identify erected itself deep inside him. Feelings he hadn’t entertained in a long while bubbled to the surface. He realized he cared for her. A lot. Maybe too much. Their broken history wasn’t solid relationship material. A spark that had dimmed quickly as they’d gotten swept away by their careers. He’d had more of those kinds of relationships than he cared for. Affection toward Arden would be a mistake. He needed to pull back while he still could.
And yet leaving her was the last thing he wanted to do.
He normally prided himself on his impeccable judgment. Yet, when it came to Arden, he was willing to risk everything just to experience the rush she brought forth. Then there was the discovery that she was as much a masochist as he was a sadist.
Two people could not have complemented each other more.
As he fought against the swell of love, he stroked his hand across her temple, pulling back the tumble of her hair. She purred as he rubbed the shell of her ear, burrowing tighter against him. The tangible flavor of their lovemaking, her weight melting into him, made him feel more connected than when he’d been inside her.
She spread her fingers wide over the center of his chest, teasing the underside of one of his pecs with her thumb. “I like sleeping in your arms.” Her lips were warm and soft as she pressed a loving kiss over his heart.
Ah, hell. There’s nothing wrong with your judgment at all, McShea.
Her hair still held the aroma of salt water, and he breathed in deep as he buried his face in the strands. Being deep inside her hadn’t brought him the absolution he’d craved.
Now he wanted her more.
“I like when you sleep in my arms too.”
She tilted her face toward his. “I don’t think I’ve slept that well in months. Years, maybe.”
“Good sex will do that.” He rubbed her back, tracing the knobs of her spine.
“Excellent sex,” she corrected. “And it had nothing to do with sex. Okay, well not entirely.”
“Arden—”
“I know.” A shadow swept over her face. “I just meant I felt...safe with you. Last night. Right now. Like nothing could touch me. And if it tried, you’d punch it in the throat.” She pulled away, throwing back the sheets and quietly padding over to a window.
He rolled onto his side, facing her, understanding she needed some distance. To work through something without his influence. The space would benefit him as well.
The morning sun emphasized her curves with its soft, golden glow. Those same rays highlighted a few darkened areas. Places he’d struck her. Left his mark. As he admired the way his handiwork looked on her, she sighed heavily.
“I’ve never spent the night with any of my Doms.”
Her confession startled him. “Never?”
“No.” A few minutes later, she climbed back into bed with him. Her cool skin warmed as he tucked her body tightly against his. All was right with the world with her in his arms.
“They never allowed you to stay?”
“Several asked. I always turned them down. Nicely, of course. I wasn’t trying to be hurtful. Just...honest.” She settled against him, sniffing the hollow his neck. “You smell good. Like sweat. And sex.”
“Which is a nice way of saying I need a shower.” Arden’s musical giggle caused his cock to stir. Having her in his shower, seeing her marked skin glossy with his soap, was an interesting idea. One that caused his cock to lengthen even more.
But his curiosity as to why she’d never stayed over with any of her previous Doms needed to be taken care of first. For some reason, he suspected it would dig at his brain until he knew the answer. Especially because he hadn’t even thought to ask.
He’d just tucked her into his bed, snuggled up, and fallen asleep. Had he known spending the night with a man wasn’t a practice she usually engaged in after a scene, he would have approached the conclusion of their play a little differently.
Not that he would have sent her on her way immediately.
Or even at all.
He wasn’t above sneaky tricks to get what he wanted. Her other Doms might not have pushed the issue, but he sure as hell would. Especially when it came to cradling a submissive after a particularly satisfying session. That special connection was a pleasant byproduct of D/s that he rather enjoyed.
Needed, in fact.
“So, do you have some freaky sleeping habits that you don’t want others to know about? You could have been mumbling a little in your sleep last night. I don’t know. It was hard to hear over your snoring.”
She huffed out a laugh as she lightly slapped his chest. “I haven’t snored a day in my life.” The room grew quiet as she idly played with the sheet, smoothing it over his abdomen, rumpling it, then smoothing it again.
He’d touched on something she wasn’t ready to talk about. He snagged her hand and lifted her fingertips to his mouth as his stomach rumbled.
“Hungry?”
Garvey flipped their position and shouldered his way between her legs. “Not for food.”
“Hungry enough to not wait to hear how I came up with a solution to your problem?”
He paused, contemplating if she was the one dangling the carrot before him. It appeared as though Arden wasn’t above a little bribery of her own. “There are very few things that would keep me from eating pussy.”
“Really?” Her arched eyebrows lifted. “So you don’t want to hear how—oh...” Garvey dipped his face and scraped his tongue roughly against her clit. “It can wait.”
