All This Time

CHRISTMAS BONUS #2 (Part 1)

DAY TWO of a very van der Waals Christmas

I wake up slowly, savoring that in-between place when dreams still linger, gripping tight to me with clingy limbs, and the world hasn't yet crept in. The comforter is warm and soft, pulled over my head. It cocoons me, keeping my body warmth inside, hugged around me like a onesie.

An arm snakes across my bare waist, brushing the small of my back and the curve of my hip. A hand possessively wraps around my stomach and a body presses against mine with a heavy sigh. "I don't want to wake up," Wolf whispers against my spine, kissing down the ridged column until all trace of sleepiness fades away and a pleasant, fuzzy awareness takes over.

"So let's just sleep in," I say, clasping my hand over his. "That sounds awesome." I bury my cheek into my warm pillow and close my eyes.

"But it's morning."

"I have no proof of that." I keep my eyes screwed shut.

He laughs, the rumble coming from deep in his throat. "Come on, Charlotte. Rise and shine."

"No." I keep my face steadfastly snuggled into the pillow. "Can't."

"Can't?" His fingers rise higher on my body, tweaking sensitive flesh until I gasp and my eyes pop open.

"Wolf," I complain, groaning. "I know you're a Type A personality, but can you please try to just relax and savor how nice this is before one or both of us fucks it up by doing something colossally stupid. Talking, for one."

"You make a good point," he admits, chuckling warmly, "but I haven't slept in since college."

"Start forming some bad habits." I roll over and peek at him from under the covers. "I can teach you. I'm really good at sleeping in."

"You're good at other things, too," he says in a soft voice, bending his face to mine.

Panic streaks through me. Oh no, I should have woken up a little earlier to brush my teeth, I groan inwardly, but Wolf doesn't seem to notice my morning breath, and much to my surprise, I don't find his that appalling either.

"Thanks," I murmur. My cheeks warm.

"I was thinking we could walk around the village today?" he suggests, swinging his legs out of bed. I can see the top of his ass and his tapered waist as he bends down to pull up his boxers.

Even though he's on vacation, I can tell he finds it hard to break the habit of waking up early. "Mmm," I mumble. "Fine."

"Jeez, don't sound so reluctant," Wolf teases, flopping onto the bed.

The moment his back hits the mattress, I sit up, letting the sheet and comforter fall away from my body. Once air hits me, I shiver. The hair on my arms prickles and I loom over Wolf's face, letting my hair dangle around the two of us like a curtain. "I'm not."

"The servants will talk if we stay in bed all day," he counters, and I blush hard, thinking of how embarrassing it will be to face the maids and Humphries after they know I've just ridden Wolf like a cowboy breaking a stallion.

"Good point." I swallow. "Let's get ready."

As Wolf ambles off to his own en-suite bathroom, I tumble out of bed and hit the floor, searching for my underwear and bra. I find my delicates in a discarded heap on Wolf's side of the bed and scoop them up, tossing them on the bed. The sight of my underwear on the rumpled comforter makes my cheeks flame. The bed we'd spent all night making love in. And it was making love, not the other, cruder word. I snatch the delicates and shove them into an empty dresser drawer, reminding myself to do laundry later.