I awoke in the morning, my body stretched out beside Ash's, my head on his chest. His arms still circled me, as if he'd not let me go all night. I lay there a few minutes without moving, not wanting to wake him. I liked the way his heart beat out a steady, untroubled rhythm, and how his body felt relaxed and warm against my skin. I liked that we weren't talking about what last night meant to "us".
My head-in-the-sand attitude didn't last. He woke up.
"Hey," he murmured, his voice gravely from sleep. He kissed the top of my head then cupped my face, turning me to look at him. He smiled lazily down at me and stroked my cheek. "Last night was amazing. Do you want to go for round three or eat breakfast?"
I sat up, pulling the sheet with me. A ripple of confusion passed over his face, then h
