This Love

10. Die with a smile

***I had hoped to have this finished by Valentine's Day but it kinda exploded in length... Anyway, enjoy this surprise chapter and happy late Valentine's Day <3***

~AVA~

Ava usually woke first and today wasn't any different.

She stayed absolutely still, keeping her eyes closed and just breathed, using her other senses to take in her surroundings instead. The cool air on her exposed face, the warm smell of coffee wafting through the partially opened window to mingle with the light scent of lilies from her latest bouquet of offcuts from the florist below. And finally, the soft snores of the woman behind her, pressed tightly against her back as she slept soundly.

It was her favorite place to be.

Ava smiled and carefully rolled over. Warmth enveloped her as the arms she was cocooned in pulled her even deeper into the embrace, a quiet grumble breaking up the rhythmic snores.

Beatrice was such a deep sleeper.

Ava lifted a hand and traced her fingers over Beatrice's features, softened by sleep. She loved the way her girlfriend practically melted when she slept, her body loose and malleable. It was a stark difference to the sometimes too tense way Beatrice carried herself when she was awake, like she was always trying to crack a case.

The promotion to detective was what Beatrice always wanted, and something Ava was so proud that she'd achieved, but her girlfriend definitely had the propensity to overwork. Not that she didn't love that obsessive side to Beatrice. Especially when that obsessive side was channeled into making her come.

A shiver ran down Ava's spine.

Ava bit her lip. She had promised Vincent she would help him in the shop today; it was one of the busiest days of the year for florists, but the temptation of Beatrice was difficult to ignore.

Ava rolled her head toward her alarm clock; it was still early. Fuck it, she had time.

With a devilish grin, she leaned forward to brush the lightest of kisses to Beatrice's slack mouth and pressed a hand to the center of her chest. Feeling the steady thud of her girlfriend's heart against her palm, Ava trailed feather light kisses along Beatrice's jaw and down the delicate skin of her neck.

Unable to help herself, she grazed her teeth over the hollow of Beatrice's throat and that's when she felt Beatrice respond, what had been slow thumps of her heart starting to speed up as she shifted in her sleep, unconsciously giving Ava more access to her neck.

Ava's body warmed at the thought of Beatrice giving herself over to her even in the midst of sleep and decided to see how much she could push this before her girlfriend woke up.

Lowering her face back to the reddening skin of Beatrice's neck, Ava let the hand on her chest slip downward. She could feel the swell of Beatrice's breasts and the solidness of her muscle despite the barrier of her flannel pajamas between them.

Dragging her tongue down Beatrice's throat, Ava slowly undid the first two buttons of the shirt, peppering kisses to the hard edge of Beatrice's collarbone.

Pulling the shirt open a little more, Ava freed one of Beatrice's breasts, watching with interest as the nipple stiffened in the crisp morning air. Beatrice squirmed slightly, her sleeping body reacting to the cold and Ava quickly closed her mouth around the pebbled flesh.

Beatrice sighed, and it sounded so conscious that Ava had to glance up at her face to see if she was in fact awake. But Beatrice's eyes were closed and Ava smiled, grazing the nipple between her lips with her teeth.