I drove into her through it until my own control snapped.
I buried myself deep and came with her name rough in my throat, my body locked over hers, my hands fisted in the quilt beside her shoulders.
For a while, neither of us moved.
I stayed inside her, breathing hard against her neck while her fingers moved slowly through my hair. The lake sounded through the open window. A bird called from the pines. My heart beat too hard and too close to hers.
Daphne turned her face and kissed my temple.
My throat worked before I trusted myself to speak.
I lifted my head. "You okay?"
She smiled, slow and soft. "You ask that like I'm not naked and extremely pleased in your bed."
"I like confirmation."
"That was very confirmed."
I laughed and kissed her.
When I eased out of her, she made a sleepy protesting sound that almost got me hard again. I got up long enough to clean us both with a warm cloth from the bathroom, then stretched out beside her and pulled her against me.
Daphne tucked one leg over mine. Her palm settled on my chest, right over the ink and the hard beat underneath it.
"So," she said.
I looked down at her. "So?"
"I finished my hours."
"You did."
"Your brother left."
"He did."
"Cascadia paused the access path."
"Yes."
She traced one tattoo with her fingertip. "And you brought me to your bed."
"I did."
Her smile curved against my chest. "Very productive day."
I tightened my arm around her. "Birdie would make us a sign."
Daphne laughed, warm and tired, and I held her closer.
She traced one finger over the ink on my chest. "So what happens now?"
"Tomorrow?" I said. "Birdie tells everyone she saved the P-Patch."
Her laugh warmed my skin. "And tonight?"
I rolled her under me, and her smile went soft in a way that made every hour of behaving myself worth it.
