He Couldn't Be That Bad? // Sebastian Sallow and You (spicy)

22. Morning Muse (very spicy)

The entire night was void of nightmares. I'd slept so hard, so deep, I almost forgot where I was when I finally awoke.

Sebastian is spooned up behind me, his breathing soft, his body still.

I suppose sometime in the night I'd been able to wiggle a little more slack into the blankets and he's comfortably pressed right up behind me. The crook of his knees bending with mine, his arm draped over my waist.

Despite waking up in a strange house, the cold morning air on my face... I feel warm, rested and calm. Safe.

Sunlight is pouring through the worn linen curtains and streaks of light across the house are speckled with lazily floating dust.

Careful not to shift the bedding too much, I start to slide out of bed.

But I feel Sebastian's arm constrict around me, holding me in place, as if to keep me from vanishing like the morning mist. "Hold on now." He purrs.

I had no idea he was awake, but I continue to pull against his grip. "I need to get the day going."

"Five more minutes." He groans, his head flopping back into the pillow.

Turning just my head around, his eyes are closed, a sleepy smile on his face as he nuzzles into my shoulder. I realize I might be content to do exactly this forever.

"I'll give you six." I relent, settling back into the crook of him. Reaching a hand up and squeezing the arm that's wrapped around me. He's got his jacket on which I find strange.

"So very generous." He says and I can practically hear his smirk. Shifting behind me I can feel something hard against my backside. "Sorry." He leans away, the arm around me lifts and it sounds like he's adjusting himself so I'm not uncomfortable.

But the feeling, however brief, tightens everything in my core. I press back into him more, purposefully moving my hips against him once he's cuddled up behind me.

"Careful." He says with a playful yet warning tone. "Don't start what you can't finish."

I've been drinking the tea every morning now, it tastes like ferns steeped in bog water, and I don't know how long I'd need to drink this stuff for it to be effective. That is the only thing that keeps me from throwing myself on top of him right now. I change the subject. "How long have you been awake?"

He squeezes me tight with a deep inhale. "An hour or so. Once I woke up, I didn't want to fall asleep again. I want to savor this."

That touches me, I had hoped for the same thing when I first felt sleep tugging at me last night. But in this warm peaceful little cottage, sleep came and claimed me as much as Sebastian has claimed me in his arms.

My fingers grazed over the back of his hand, flipping it over I ran a fingertip down the creases in his palm. His skin is cold from the night air, but stars above I love his hands. His long fingers, his strong flat palm and the meat of his thumb that flexes when he brings his hand to my face. I love the worn callouses, the tanned skin, the few freckles that I want to press my lips into. And as I move the tip of my nail over the knuckles, they feel sturdy, patient. As if seeing what else I might do. I stroked a finger down his, the air between us becoming tight.

Gingerly sweeping my hair up and to the side, he placed a delicate kiss to my ear. The tip of his nose is cold and it sends a little shiver down my spine.

"And we don't have class. So you have no excuse why you need to leave." He says mockingly and lets out a mischievous little laugh.

"Well I do, actually. What time is it?" I push my hand out of the covers to reach for the pocket watch on the bedside table. Once it's exposed to the morning air, I yelp and pull it back in. "It's freezing!"