Chapter 162: Morning Light

Xander

I woke first.

The room was still dim, morning light filtering through the half-closed curtains in soft gold stripes across the bed. Astrid lay on her side facing me, one arm tucked under the pillow, the sheet slipped down to her waist. Her perky breasts rose and fell with each quiet breath, the soft peaks relaxed in sleep. Reed’s side of the bed was empty, the covers thrown back. I could already smell coffee and something warm drifting faintly from the kitchen.

I stayed still for a long moment, just looking at her. The curve of her shoulder. The way her lashes rested against her cheeks. The faint marks my mouth and Reed’s hands had left on her skin last night. Pride and something warmer settled low in my chest.

I leaned in and brushed my lips over her bare shoulder. Soft. Testing. When she didn’t stir I kissed the side of her neck, then the hinge of her jaw. My hand slid under the sheet and settled on the warm skin of her waist, thumb stroking slow circles. I trailed my fingers higher, cupping one perky breast, feeling the soft weight of it fill my palm. My thumb brushed the nipple once, twice, until it tightened under the touch.

A small sound left her throat. Her lashes fluttered.

I kissed the corner of her mouth, then the other corner, then finally her lips when she turned toward me with a sleepy smile.

"Good morning," I murmured against her mouth.

"Mmm. Morning." Her voice was rough with sleep. She kissed me back, slow and warm, one hand coming up to rest against my chest.

When we pulled apart she blinked around the room. "Where’s Reed?"

"Kitchen. Making breakfast like the responsible twin he is." I nuzzled the soft place under her ear. "We should probably take our bath before he starts yelling about cold eggs."

She stretched under my hands, the sheet slipping lower. "Okay. I don’t want to be late to class."

I grinned against her skin. "We’re bathing together. And you don’t have class today."

Her eyes opened fully. "Xander Ashwood, have you been stalking my schedule?"

The full name did something to me. I laughed, low and pleased. "I pay attention. Sue me."

She sat up, the sheet falling away completely, and wrapped her arms around my neck. Those perky breasts pressed soft and warm against my chest. I took that as the only answer I needed.

I scooped her up in one motion, her legs wrapping around my waist, and carried her down the short hall to my bathroom. The door clicked shut behind us. Soft light from the frosted window filled the space. I set her on the edge of the counter long enough to grab two toothbrushes from the holder, squeeze paste onto both, and hand one to her.

We stood side by side at the sink, brushing in companionable silence broken only by the soft scrape of bristles and the occasional glance in the mirror. I watched the way her reflection moved, the curve of her ass, the way her breasts shifted when she leaned forward to spit. When we finished I rinsed both brushes, set them aside, and turned on the shower.

Steam began to rise. I guided her under the warm spray and stepped in after her, closing the glass door. Water ran over her hair and down the lines of her body. I reached for the soap, worked it into a thick lather between my hands, and started at her shoulders.

I washed her slowly. Thoroughly. My soapy palms slid down her arms, across her collarbones, then lower to cup those perky breasts. I circled them, thumbs brushing the nipples until they peaked again under the water. She leaned back against my chest with a soft sigh.

"Feels good," she murmured.

"Good. I’m not done."

My hands moved lower, soaping the soft plane of her stomach, the flare of her hips, the rounded curves of her ass. I lingered there, squeezing, letting my fingers slip between the cheeks just enough to make her breath catch. Then I turned her to face me and dropped to one knee on the tile. I washed the length of each leg, the sensitive skin behind her knees, the insides of her thighs. When my soapy fingers finally slid between her legs she was already slick and warm. I cleaned her carefully, rubbing gentle circles over her clit until her hands settled in my wet hair.

I stood again, rinsed the soap from both of us, and pressed her back against the cool tile. My cock was hard and heavy against her stomach. She looked down at it, then up at me, eyes dark with the same hunger I felt.

"Still want to be careful about being late?" I asked, voice low.

"I don’t have class," she reminded me, smiling.

I kissed her hard. My hands gripped her ass and lifted her. She wrapped her legs around my waist as I guided my cock to her entrance and pushed in with one smooth thrust. The tight heat of her cunt closed around me and I groaned into her mouth. Water poured over both of us. I started to move, deep and steady at first, then harder when she moaned and dug her nails into my shoulders.

Every thrust drove her back against the tile. Her perky breasts bounced between us. I leaned down and took one nipple into my mouth, sucking hard while I fucked her. The wet sounds of our bodies meeting mixed with the rush of the shower and the soft, broken moans she couldn’t hold back.

"Missed this," I told her between kisses.

She answered with another moan, hips rolling to meet every stroke. I felt her start to tighten. I shifted the angle, grinding against her clit with every thrust, and watched her face as the pleasure built. When she came it was with a sharp cry, walls fluttering and clenching around me. I followed a few thrusts later, burying myself deep and spilling inside her with a low, satisfied groan.

We stayed locked together under the water until our breathing slowed. I set her down carefully, rinsed us both once more, and shut off the spray. Soft towels waited on the rack. I wrapped one around her first, drying her hair and the rest of her body with the same slow attention I had used to wash her.

From the kitchen Reed’s voice carried clearly through the apartment.

"Breakfast is ready!"