In the Interlude

Chapter 26 - Uncomplicated

Aïcha didn't sleep that night even long after Tom had fallen asleep. Staring at the ceiling, she could feel herself surrounded by this tall man, his breath on her neck. One of his arms laid flat on her stomach, their legs intertwined and the taste of his lips, of him, still lingering on her own lips, on her. Just the thought of being in this intimate position made her blush.

This was the first time she was in bed with anyone since her husband passed away.

It was strange to feel this intimacy again. She had been worried she would feel empty and sad and guilty after this but no, she felt happy and alive for the first time in years. And by the look on his sleepy face, he was happy as well.

Aïcha was replaying what happened in her mind in a loop.

They made love. Slowly, tenderly, as if he was afraid of breaking her.

And they made love again. Passionately, impatiently, as if their lives depended on it.

Tom didn't want her to leave; he asked her to stay until the morning. And so she stayed.

Aïcha turned slightly to her side and studied his face. She wanted badly to run her fingers through his tousled curls, over every one of his fine features but was afraid of waking him up. Instead, she listened to his steady breathing and finally drifted to sleep.

It was a little after six when Tom tentatively opened his eyes. The early sunlight streaming through the window promised a pleasantly warm day. For the first time in forever, his first thoughts when waking up were not about going for a run.

No. His first thoughts were, inevitably, of Aïcha. The heat and passion they shared last night were better than he could have ever imagined. It was worth the wait. It was tender yet raw, urgent yet sincere. They didn't speak much during or after, but their bodies spoke a language of their own.

He looked at her beautiful face, her naked body under the sheets and that's all he needed to feel desire stirring in him again. She looked peaceful, deep in sleep. He brushed a curl from her forehead, counted the very light freckles on the top of her nose, pushed slightly and slowly the sheets down from her full, round breasts.

All his fidgeting threatened to wake her up. Reluctantly, he hauled himself out of bed and made for the bathroom.

When he was back, Aïcha was waking up. She yawned and stretched, the white sheets falling further down her stomach. His body reacted in a very clear way.

"Good morning." She shot him a grin. "It looks like someone is happy to see me."

"You have no idea," he answered, quickly closing the distance between. He climbed onto the bed and came toward her on his hands and knees.

She hid her face in her hands. "I need to go to the bathroom first, can you hand me a t-shirt please?"

Amused by her reaction, he took her hands in his and looked into her eyes. "What are you hiding?"

Aïcha tried to free her hand and wriggle herself out from under him. The sheets completely fell on the floor, making her feel even more embarrassed. She never felt more old than first thing in the morning. She needed to wash her face, brush her teeth, put some order in her crazy hair and relieve her bladder, before contemplating anything further. Turning her head to the side, she begged Tom again for a t-shirt.

"On one condition," he teased.

She rolled her eyes and turned to him, lips sealed, an eyebrow higher than the other.

"You have three minutes to be back here or there will be consequences."

Tom let go and went looking for a t-shirt. He threw it over to her. In a split second, she was wearing the piece of fabric and sprinting to the bathroom.