It’s still early when I wake, the morning light barely managing to illuminate my surroundings, and I smile happily as I take them in.
To my left, there’s a head of perfectly styled black hair made messy by my fingers. A face accented with the occasional thin scar, a strong nose over a proud sinner’s mouth. Intelligent eyes that are currently closed as he slumbers.Cypress.
The arm that I have across his chest as I lie on my side is rising and falling with each of his deep breaths, his left hand fully enveloping my right. Spread out on his back like he doesn’t have a care in the world, and he probably doesn’t.
To my right, there’s a heated exhale into my hair, a strong well-muscled arm banding around my waist. I’m curling into the curve of his body as he surrounds me, protecting me even in his sleep. My fingers are tightly intertwined with his where they rest against my abdomen, as if afraid that if we don’t hold on, one of us might slip away.Aiden.
I squeeze his hand, testing to be sure he really is still here, and he grunts, his voice low and gravelly as he mutters, “Morning, baby.”
“Morning,” I murmur back, the way his mustache scratches against the back of my neck as he shifts closer making me shiver. I stretch to try to hide it, pushing back into him in the process, and he groans.
“Sorry, did I hurt you?”
He’s quiet for a moment before lifting up to kiss my cheek. “Not exactly.” My brow furrows, and he chuckles. “Don’t fuss. I’m all right.” He catches my earlobe between his teeth, and I gasp.
“You’re going to wake up Cypress,” I warn.
“Not if you’re good and quiet.” Aiden lifts up on his forearms, dragging me beneath him, and I giggle as I stare up into his deep brown eyes. “Can you do that for me?”
“Neither of you can,” Cypress growls from my other side, his eyes staying resolutely shut. “Clearly.”
“Oh, good, you’re up,” Aiden says, already kissing what appears to be his preferred spot beneath my jaw. “Want you to listen to us and be jealous.”
I flush, laughing again, and he smiles against my neck. I like him like this. So playful and relaxed.
“Trying to remember where we left off.” His nose trails along my clavicle. “Right about here, I think.” I arch into him when he moves lower. “Can’t believe you fell asleep on us.”
I bite my lip, covering my face with my hands in embarrassment. I hadn’t been able to help it, not when their touch had turned so soothing, Cypress murmuring in my ear as I curled into his side, Aiden a comfortable blanket of heat at my back.
“Kissed into a stupor, I believe is the expression,” Cypress chimes in and finally opens his eyes. “I require coffee.”
“Mm-hmm,” Aiden hums in agreement, lifting up to look at me. “You want some coffee, too?”
Coffee does sound perfect, but so is what he was doing just now. Fortunately, I don’t really end up having to choose. They’re both affectionate with me all throughout our new morning routine, placing a lingering touch as they move past, sneaking a kiss as they hand me a plate or a mug.
It really is perfect, except I keep waiting for them to be like that with each other, too. Keep waiting for a touch or a look that tells me what I saw hadn’t been part of a dream after all. And it must be obvious that I’m watching them so eagerly, because Aiden catches me eventually and cocks his head in silent question.
“Sorry,” I say quickly, flushing under his gaze when he walks over from his place by the horses to crouch in front of me.
“Don’t be sorry.” His mouth finds mine again. “There something on your mind?”
“Yes…” I tell him slowly. “You and Cypress.”
“Can’t say that bothers me,” he says. “Anything in particular?”
“Um…”
Cypress chuckles from near the wagon, his eyes finding mine through his reflection in the mirror he hung up on the frame to shave, and I know immediately I’ve been caught by more than just Aiden. “She knows, wolf.”
Aiden frowns and looks over his shoulder at him. “She knows?”
Cypress drags the straight razor along his skin with a softthwick, though his eyes still manage to convey his amusement. “She does. Don’t you, little bird?”
Aiden turns back to me, searching my face, and I go still, guilt for spying on them two nights ago clawing at me. “I…guessed?”
Cypress chuckles again and flicks the razor shut before drying his face with a towel and replying, “We really must teach you to cover your tracks.”
My tracks… Oh, God, he saw my tracks? He’s known thiswhole time?If the earth opened up and plunged me into hell at this exact moment, I wouldn’t even scream. “I, um…” I wring my hands in my lap nervously, trying to find the right words to say. “I couldn’t sleep when neither of you came back so…” I look at Aiden, and I’m not sure he’s breathing even before I say, “I saw you kiss him.”