Somewhere In Between (18+)✔️

15| I love your hair like this

The damp washcloth felt cold against her heated skin as Max wiped away the traces of his pleasure. He'd disposed of the condom and then padded back into the room with the cloth in hand. When her chest was clean, he walked back into the restroom and came back out with another damp washcloth, this one was smaller than the previous one.

She shut her eyes as he passed the soft cloth between her legs. He placed a kiss on her nose then cleared his throat. "are you okay?" His brows furrowed as she continued to close her eyes.

"Yeah. I just feel so sleepy," she sighed. Max smiled as he reached out to tug on the silk binding her wrists. He kissed each wrist and gently massaged them before letting her hand drop beside her. He removed her ruined stockings that were still firmly knotted around her ankles, making a mental note to replace them. The ones on her arms had come undone when he had untied the silk binding her wrists together. He massaged her slightly red ankles for a few minutes before letting go. Cadee rolled over and laid on her stomach, her head facing him. "Are you okay?"

"I feel great," Max said, laying down beside her. She was grateful that Max had cleaned her up because getting up after the strenuous physical activities of the evening wasn't a priority right now. "Still up for dessert? I got cake from the diner we visited that day."

"Maybe after a short nap," she mumbled as she struggled to keep her eyes open. Max watched as she fought and then lost the battle with sleep. He pulled her closer, cradling her head on his chest and buried his face in her hair. The wild curls that fascinated him were mostly gone, leaving straighter strands. He ran a hand through them, refusing to think about his actions. He usually didn't do cuddles, but there was something about the woman in his arms that drew him closer. He wanted to know her. He wanted to peel all the layers around her until she was bare. He wanted and it had been a while since Maxwell Tanner ever wanted anything from anyone.

Cadee muttered something under her breath as she threw her leg atop his. Her right hand nestled on his chest and his breathing changed, coming out in slow, heavier puffs. He felt his heart beat wilder, as if he was racing somewhere. He wanted to move that tiny hand so it wasn't cradling his heart but he couldn't. It was with these thoughts that his eyes fluttered shut.

🌺🌸🌺

Max had never been a heavy sleeper. Even before his insomnia had started, he had always been alert while sleeping and the slightest sounds could always get him up. It was the sounds of soft, muffled sobs that woke him up. His chest was wet where her head rested on him.

"Babe? Are you okay?" he asked, holding her tighter. She didn't reply but continued to sob as if she hadn't heard him. "Cadence?" He shook her slightly and she sniffed, her cries becoming louder. Max turned on the lamp on the nightstand and sat up with her in his arms. When he lifted her head to get a better look at her face, he realized that she was still sleeping. Whatever she was dreaming about must hurt for her to be crying as she slept. He didn't know whether to wake her or just hold her till she calmed.

Choosing the later, he held her in his arms for almost five minutes before she quieted down and then went still. "are you awake?" he asked. Cadee lifted her head from his body, keeping her eyes down to avoid his inquisitive gaze.

"What happened?" her voice was low and sad. He reached out to maybe console her, but she shifted, going to sit on the edge of the bed.

"You were sobbing in your sleep. Are you okay?"

"I'm fine. It was a dream."

"It sounded like you were in a lot of pain. Do you want to talk about it?" He watched her tiny frame as she got out of the bed and turned towards the bathroom.