Only for You

28: So This is Love?

The sun peeked into their villa, casting soft golden light across the room. The warm glow stretched over the bed, illuminating the tangle of limbs, sheets, and discarded pillows on the floor. The light hit Zac's face, making him squint and clutch his eyes shut for a moment before they fluttered open.

Fatima's curly hair was sprawled across his chest, her arms wrapped tightly around him like she had no plans of letting go. The fan, which had been on all night, still whirred in the background, cooling their bodies after the heat they had created between the sheets. After the fourth round, they'd both been drenched in sweat, desperate for air, and had cranked the fan up—now, in the morning light, it was still doing its job, keeping them cocooned in comfortable warmth without overheating.

Zac blinked, adjusting to the brightness. He glanced around the room, taking in the state of their bed. Half of it was untouched, the two of them pressed to one side, teetering at the edge, as if even in their sleep, they couldn't bear to be apart. The blankets were on the floor, tangled in a heap, and half of the pillows had joined them.

A lazy, satisfied smirk pulled at his lips. Last night had been wild—scratch that, every night with her was wild. But there was something about this morning that made him feel... different. Settled. At peace. Happy. He ran his fingers through her curls, gently detangling a few strands that had wrapped around his fingers during the night.

His body ached—in the best way possible. Every muscle reminded him of how much he had exerted himself, how much she had taken from him. And still, if she woke up and reached for him again, he'd give it all over without a second thought.

His fingers absentmindedly traced up and down Fatima's arm, feeling the smoothness of her skin. She stirred slightly at his touch, letting out a soft sigh before nuzzling closer into his chest. Her breath was warm against his skin, her body fitting perfectly against his, and damn if that didn't make him want to roll her over and start all over again.

She sighed again, this time stretching just a little, her foot brushing against his calf, nuzzling into the crook of his neck before letting out a small hum. "Mmm... what time is it?" she mumbled, her voice thick with sleep.

Zac glanced at the clock across the room. "Almost ten."

She groaned again, her arms loosening just enough for her to stretch. "We slept in?"

"Yeah, but we needed it," he murmured, pressing a kiss to her forehead.

Fatima cracked one eye open, looking up at him, her curls still a mess, her lips slightly puffy from all their kissing the night before. She was effortlessly beautiful.

"What?" she asked, noticing the way he was looking at her.

"Nothing," he smirked. "You're just staring at the man who put you to sleep real good last night."

Fatima scoffed, rolling her eyes before stretching again. "Cocky ass."

He chuckled. "Confident."

She shook her head but smiled, shifting to sit up, only to wince slightly. "Damn."

Zac raised a brow, sitting up with her. "You good?"

She side-eyed him. "You know damn well I'm sore."

His grin widened. "Well, that's your fault."

"My fault?" she laughed, shoving his shoulder. "You're the one who—" she stopped herself, shaking her head as she reached for the sheets that had somehow made it to the floor. She pulled one over her lap, glancing down at her own skin, seeing faint traces of him left behind—light marks on her thighs, a few on her neck.