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He swore, low and vicious. Only once my own waves ebbed and eased did I gather enough wherewithal to feel him pulsing inside me. We settled, our chests heaving, spent breaths brushing against each other’s shadowed faces.

I made no effort to move, and neither did he. Instead, we savored the afterglow together. I found my hands making lazy, idle circles in his hair that’d fallen free from his hood at some point. It fell just to his shoulders. He peered up at me through what I assumed were heavy lids. I wondered what he would say, what our first words would be after this unexpected joining.

Fear snaked over my skin, wondering if this would alter our dynamic. I didn’t even know his situation. What if he was married? That thought sobered me as thoroughly as a stone bashed against my skull. I swallowed, bracing myself.

He didn’t use words to put my mind at ease, though. Instead, he brought his lips back to mine, doling out the softest kiss we’d yet to share, smooth and slow. Something of reverence.

I let my worries slip away, finding myself leaning into that sweet kiss, letting it tend to every part of my mind that prepared for injury. When we finally parted, all I could manage to say was, “That was…”

“I know,” his quiet astonishment matched mine. A hint of pride flickered within, hearing confirmation that he had been equally consumed by that burning flame of passion. I smiled, huffing a laugh onto his skin that was still so near to me. My hands traced over his cheeks, his jaw. My thumb swiped over his bottom lip before sinking another kiss into him. He hummed against it, and I couldn’t contain my smile.

“Can you grab my pants?” I asked with that wicked smile still plastered on my face.

“Of course, my lady.” He gently lowered me to the ground.

I laughed softly, the sound heating my heart. Before pulling up his own pants that had remained around his ankles, he swiped mine from the ground and gave them a violent shake to clear away any forest debris.

I found myself biting the side of my thumb, slowly twisting my body from side to side while I watched. He held my pants between us, but didn’t hand them over. “Let me,” he said. He bent down, sliding his hand down my calf until he reached my ankle.

My smile wasn’t going anywhere, anytime soon. I let out another quick laugh, and lifted my foot, leaning forward against his shoulder for support. Once my foot slipped through the pant leg, he moved to the other, still taking the time to caress my skin before reaching that ankle. I shifted, lifting that one next. “I’m fully capable of dressing myself, you know,” I teased.

Tenderly, he pulled up my bottoms until they grazed over my ass, finally resting at my hips. “Oh, I’m well aware of how capable you are.”

I released the most girlish shriek from how fast he wrapped his manly arm around my waist, forcing the front of me to mold against his firm chest and muscled abdomen, and drove a kiss so claiming that I couldn’t help but hum. When he pulled back, he finished, “But I can’t let you have all the fun.”

I found my hands splayed against his chest, over the thin layer of leather that made up his nighttime uniform. High quality indeed, especially compared to my own cotton garb. Not only did I find my hands there, I found myself not wanting to let go.

Reality crashed over me in that instant. I timidly let my hands slip from their spot, and I tore my gaze away. He sensed the shift and immediately bent down to cover himself at last.

Before he rose to his full height, I reached for his hood and gingerly pulled it further forward over his head. On his slow rise upward, he stopped and did the same for me. A silent message; we still had secrets to keep.

I pulled my mask back over my surely swollen lips, and he did the same.

“Meet me here tonight?” he said.

I smiled behind the black fabric. “Of course.”

The entire walk home, I floated, maneuvering the shadows and streets with carefree grace. Not from intentional stealth, but from the natural airiness that now buoyed me up.

Until I approached the looming house that reminded me of what awaited.

An apology I desperately needed to give.

Disregarding the fact that it was the early hours of the morning, I made my way to my sister’s room after checking all the doors were locked and changing into my nightgown, fighting the smile that still lingered from the best night of my life. It’d taken me until I got home to realize my panties had been left behind in that tiny forest. I’d had to bite my lip to stifle the laughter.

I didn’t knock, only slipped in silently, holding the door steady, making sure not to push it past the point where it would start creaking. Melody’s bed was nearest the door, and I padded across the wooden floorboards. Lifting the blanket, I poured myself between the sheets. This wasn’t the first time we shared a bed, though it had been years since the last.

When I knew I should have bumped into her, my feet and hands continued sliding. They reached the other side of the bed, and I sat upright with a jolt. She wasn’t here. Only Kenzie lay asleep in hers until I strode over and shoved her.

“W-what are you doing?!” she groggily snapped.

“Where’s Melody?” I asked, unable to hide the tremble in my voice.

“What?”

“Melody! Where is she?”

Kenzie sat upright, attempting to blink the sleep from her eyes. “I-I thought she was out with you?”