When I woke up, my whole body ached badly. Every inch of me felt tender, straining with the memory of what we'd done.
What was I even expecting?
After all that sex, of course I'd be sore. Still, the ache carried a strange satisfaction—a quiet, heavy reminder of the night that had stretched endlessly between us.
Ruby was holding me in her arms, my head resting against her chest. Her skin was warm and smooth, a soft contrast to the soreness blooming through me.
I could feel the steady beat of her heart under my cheek, slow and calm, as if nothing in the world could disturb her now. I lay there for a long while, half awake, half lost in the haze of what we had shared. Her breath brushed through my hair each time she exhaled.
Sunlight streamed through the window and hit my face, sharp and insistent, forcing my eyelids open.
