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Breathing in the scent of skin that is familiar and foreign all at once, I stretch my sleep-heavy muscles and cuddle closer to Lochdon.

He wraps his arms around me holding me close with four perfectly placed points of pressure. A girl could get used to this.

“Good morning,” I say, sleepily, eyes still closed as I snuggle my cheek against his chest.

“Good morning.” The words are pitched oddly and I smile against him, kissing the broad plane of his pec and then his collar bone, his throat, working my way up until his chin tucks and his lips find mine.

I don’t mind the idea of having to kiss him any time I wake up next to him. It sounds like the perfect way to start a morning. A ritual I’d choose even if it wasn’t necessary.

Pulling me up and over him, two of his hands clasp my face in his and the other two hold my hips, gently rocking me against his erection.

Good morning.

When he drops his head back, he sighs. “A quiet part of me worried that you would be gone when I woke. That I had dreamed you had stayed with me.”

Six heavy-lidded eyes fix on me. “I would be lying if I said this didn’t still feel like a dream.

“I’m here.” For as long as he wants me. “And I’m yours.” For as long as he wants me.

He doesn’t lift my hips and move me back onto him when he kisses me. This time, he’s content to linger in those kisses.

My whole body feels liquid against him.

This is right. Waking with him, gently rousing… It feels like a dream to me, too.

I love him, but I don’t want to tell him while we’re naked. I don’t know why that’s important, but it is.

A chirping sound echoes from the vicinity of his clothes. They’re neatly folded and a square that reminds me of an old-school pager rests on top of them.

He doesn’t move at first, so I ask, “What’s that?”

“An alarm.” He pokes at my sides, tickling me.

“For what?” I ask, poking him right back.

“To remind me that we have someplace to be.” He holds me tight to him as he sits up and swings his legs out of the bed. “The faster we get dressed, the faster you’ll find out.”

But I don’t get up. Not immediately.

“What kind of place are we going?” I glance at my own clothes. My ‘just in case I have to stay over’ option isn’t really meant for going out. “I don’t exactly have a lot of options.”

One hand pressed to my back, he holds me tightly to him, kissing me so thoroughly my toes curl and I press up higher on my knees for more.

When I remember I asked a question and I ease back, he’s holding a box.

“You can wear whatever you like… but I thought you might want something new.”

Sliding from his lap, I take the box with a smile and feigned suspicion.

It’s a dress.

A pretty a-line dress that’s white and blue and purple… I hold the fabric against his skin and he smiles sheepishly.

“Well obviously I’m going to wear this.” I press up onto my toes and kiss him and when he helps me with the zip, the fabric molds to my curves… reshaping itself to fit me like a glove.

“I love it.” And I love you.

But that can wait until we’re not in this cube-like hotel room.

“Where are we going?” I ask as he takes my hand in one of his and leads the way out into the station.

“You’ll see.”