In Between Her Legs.

Chapter Fifteen: After the Storm

The bathroom is quiet now, the only sound the soft drip of water down the shower tiles. The air is thick with steam, the scent of him still lingering, still wrapping around me like an invisible tether.

Damien exhales a deep breath, his body loose, his muscles no longer rigid with tension. His hands, which had been gripping me with bruising force just moments ago, now trace slow, absentminded circles over my damp skin.

For a long moment, neither of us speaks.

I lean into him, resting my forehead against his chest, feeling the slow, steady rise and fall of his breath. His heartbeat is strong beneath my cheek, a quiet, grounding rhythm after everything we just did.

His arms wrap around me, one hand sliding up my back, his fingers threading into my damp hair.

"You okay?" His voice is softer now, quieter.

I nod, exhaling against his skin. "Yeah."

He kisses the top of my head, lingering for just a second before stepping back, reaching for a towel.

"Come here."

I let him wrap the soft fabric around me, his fingers tucking it securely before grabbing one for himself.

There’s something almost domestic about the way he moves now toweling off his hair, watching me from the corner of his eye as I squeeze the water from mine.

It’s so different from how he was just minutes ago.

Rough. Unrelenting.

Now, he looks calm. At ease.

But there’s something else, too. Something unreadable in his expression as he watches me move around his space.

I feel it when I slip past him, reaching for my robe.

I feel it when I walk out of the bathroom, expecting him to stay behind but instead, he follows.

It lingers as I climb into his bed, pulling the covers up, my body still buzzing, still warm from his touch.

And when he slides in beside me, pulling me against him, his body radiating heat, I feel it most.

The quiet possession.

The claim.

I don’t question it.

Don’t fight it.

I just close my eyes, let myself settle into the weight of his arm draped over my waist, his breath steady against the back of my neck.

Sleep takes me faster than I expect.

And for the first time in a long time

I don’t wake up alone.