1
Icame to wakefulness slowly, aware that I was being watched.
I knew who it was before I even opened my eyes; Sayan had slept in my bed every night for almost a year now and I was familiar with the weight of his attention.
He wasn’t, however, usually quitethisclose.
I shifted back on the pillow a couple of inches in an attempt to bring his beautiful face into focus but he followed me, cupping the back of my head and leaning in to press his warm, full lips gently to mine.
“Mhm.” I smiled into the sweet kiss.
“Good morning,” he said.
“Mm-hmm.”
Unlike my naiad lover, I took my time to come to full wakefulness. Also unlike my naiad lover, I rarely did it this early by choice.
Sayan rolled me over onto my back and slithered on top. “Good morning,” he said again, and kissed me. As he withdrew, he nibbled on my bottom lip and whispered, “Get up.”
Enjoying the warmth and heft of his solid body pressing me into the mattress, I sank back into the pillows with a soft noise of dissent. My eyes drifted closed.
Sayan lifted his hips to sneak a hand between us and give me a frisky squeeze. “Get up.”
I dragged a pillow over my face with a groan. “No.”
The pillow was snatched away and his dark green hair spilled soft and warm around me as he leaned down. “Yes, Erik. You must come with me to my lake.”
I heaved a sigh and looked up at him.
He braced over me, his face expectant and open.
“Later,” I mumbled sleepily. “It’s early still.”
“Dawn was a whole hour ago. I have been waiting.”
I threw an arm over my eyes. “Were you watching me for the whole hour?”
He grasped my wrist and pulled my arm away, ducking down to kiss each of my stubbornly closed eyelids, and then my nose. “Of course.”
“Can you manage another hour?”
He was silent, but the restless shift of his heavy body over mine was answer enough.
I sighed.
“I will wait,” Sayan said abruptly.
“No, it’s all right. If you want to go now?—”
“I will wait. Sleep. I will lie with you. I will be patient.”
He didn’t move from his position on top of me. Gentle breaths ghosted over my face. I felt his gaze like a physical touch.
Keeping my eyes closed, I wrapped my arms around him and slid one hand down his long back to rest it on a smooth, firm buttock.
He dipped his spine, pushing his arse up into my hand, offering it should I want to do more than hold it.
When I didn’t do anything, he huffed quietly.