I crawl up her body. She pulls me down and kisses me—doesn't flinch from her own taste, just opens her mouth for mine and pulls me closer. Her hands go under my shirt, working it up, and I sit back to pull it off. Then I'm bare from the waist up and her hands are everywhere—across my ribs, over the long scar, over the thick one at my collarbone, learning me.
"You're warm." She's tracing the scar across my stomach. "You're so warm."
"I run hot."
"Wow. Bold of you. I mean—you're not wrong, look at you, I could rock climb off these abs—"
"Mel."
"—but bold."
"Body temperature."
"Oh.Ooooh. That's what you meant."
"That's what I meant."
"Useful."
I laugh. Even now. Even underneath me, she talks. She finds the joke.
She makes me laugh.
Her hand drops to my waistband.
I catch her wrist.
Sit back on my heels and work my pants off while she watches. Her eyes go wide when I'm bare. She looks. Doesn't look away.
"Oh."
"Oh?"
"You're—that's—okay. That's a thing. That's a—Mel,you're going to be FINE. People do this all the time. People have BEEN doing this. Bodies are designed for—"
"You're rambling."
"I am rambling. I'm definitely rambling. LOOK at you, Keer. You're fucking huge—I'll stop."
"Don't stop on my account."
"Just—" She holds her hand out. "Come here. Come back. I want you back."
"Where do you want me, Mel."
"With me. On me. In me. Anywhere, just—come back."
I come back.
Settle over her. Bare against bare. Hard against her stomach. She makes a sound when she feels it and her hips lift up into me on instinct.
"Easy." Against her ear. "I've got you."
She breathes out. Hand finding the back of my neck.
"Keep talking for me." My mouth at her temple. "I want to hear it."
"You—you want me to keep TALKING?"
