Challen and Addy

Chapter 40 (Challen): A Kiss Every Morning

Copyright © 2025 by GroveltoHEA

I've heard some people say that Hell is here on earth.

Lying on my back beside my wife after so many months and being unable to touch her, I could believe it. My body was humming from her nearness, and those echoes of our past were fucking with my head.

My brand-new wife was tucked right into my side, her softness making me feel wholly complete. I'd never been a touchy-feely guy, but I had this overwhelming need to touch Addy whenever she was near, even if it was having our thighs brush when we were sitting next to each other, or holding hands, or a quick brush of my hand over her hair.

She suddenly pushed herself up to look down in my face. "I want to tell you something."

My hand reached up to cup her cheek. "What is it?"

"I have these...fantasies."

"Hot damn."

"I'm serious, Challen." Her face looked a bit uncomfortable for a minute. "I don't know if it's normal, but you're the first one I've ever trusted with this."

"Normal is whatever a couple decides is normal for them, Addy."

"You haven't even heard what I want yet."

"Tell me, then, so I can assure you it's normal."

"OK, so I've always really liked the idea of being woken up by you doing things to my body. Like, I'm in a sound sleep, and I wake up with your mouth buried between my legs or your hands all over me, or you're sliding into me."

"That's not bad, sweetheart." I brought her mouth down to mine for a deep kiss. "That's just you basically saying I can touch your body even when you're asleep."

"Is that weird?"

"No. It's what you like, and so it's perfectly fine. If you hadn't told me that, I always would have woken you up first to make sure you wanted to make love. Now you're saying I don't have to because you're giving me permission to touch you when you're not awake."

She looked relieved that I understood and so damn adorable  that I rolled her onto her back.

"And just for the record, you can touch me anytime, too. I have no problems with you waking me up with those lips of yours. Or hands. Or tongue."

"Noted," she said, her arms wrapping around my neck.

I smiled wickedly at her. "Now, just to make sure we're on the exact same page, I'm going to do some things to you to make sure you're one hundred percent OK with them whether you're asleep or awake."

"Sounds like a lot of work," she teased. "Are you  sure you wouldn't rather I just write out a list?"

"I'm more of a fan of practical application."

"If you insist," she sighed as I began.

"You're still awake," her voice said quietly in the darkness.

"Just visiting with some echoes of our past," I said, wondering if she would ever reinstate that kind of access to her body. It took a lot of trust in your partner to allow that, and I hated that I'd blown up something that should have been treasured along with everything else I'd ruined.

The sheets rustled as Addy rolled over to face me.

"Doesn't it feel funny to be sharing a bed again?"

"Doesn't feel funny to me, Addy," I said, turning on my side to face her. "It feels right, like coming home after a long absence. It feels like contentment and happiness all rolled up into you."