The Bargain

Chapter 16

~AZRIEL~

For the second time that week, Azriel woke up with Gwyn in his arms. The first time had taken him by surprise, but today he intended to make the most of every moment. He glanced at the clock near her bed to check the time. It was early. They had some time left before they needed to get ready for Merrill's class. Not as much as he would like for them to have, but enough.

And although he was fully awake, this moment still felt like a freaking dream. Gwyn wanted him. And not just for the night. She wanted him in her life every day. Azriel was nearly tempted to pinch himself. But her weight against him was enough to reassure him that this was real, that she was real.

He propped himself up on one elbow to look at Gwyn. Somehow, despite the fact that there was absolutely no room in the bed, Gwyn had managed to roll over in her sleep so that her face was nestled against his chest. Her copper-brown hair was braided down her back, leaving her neck and shoulders exposed. With a smile, Azriel leaned down and placed a feather-light kiss just above the strap of the little top she was wearing. She sighed but did not otherwise stir. Maybe she was a heavy sleeper. Goodness knows he wasn't. But maybe lying next to her would change that.

Azriel kissed her again, a little longer and a little firmer this time. Gwyn arched her back, and he was reminded of a cat slowly waking from a nap in a mid-afternoon puddle of sun. Except he was the puddle and Gwyn was luxuriating in him. He kissed a line up the side of her throat to her ear.

"Were you dreaming about me, baby?" His voice is low and scratchy sounding.

"Isn't that my line?" she returned, sounding sweet as she shook off the last holds of sleep. Azriel kissed her smiling lips and Gwyn shifted even closer to him, hitching her leg over his hip and rubbing up against his erection. "Ooo, nevermind, dream about me as much as you want."

Azriel tried to chuckle, but Gwyn kissed him again before he could. Her arms came up to wind around his neck and her fingers threaded into his hair. He placed his hand on the small of her back and encouraged her closer. Partly because he needed her there and partly because this bed was too damn small. He wanted to roll her over onto her back, let her feel exactly what sweet dreams of her did to him. But he was afraid that if he tried, he would roll them right off the bed and onto the floor.

"Tomorrow," he promised between kisses. "We do this in my bed.

"Sounds perfect," Gwyn purred. She brought one hand down the front of his chest, over his abs, and to the top of his boxer shorts. She splayed her hand wide along his hip. Then she gave him a little shove, as though to roll him over onto his back. The only problem was that he was already pinned against the wall. There was no place for him to go. Azriel grunted as his shoulder blade ground against the wall.

"Maybe we do this exclusively in my bed from now on," he grumbled.

Gwyn halted her efforts to roll him over. "Exclusively?" The hint of cautious joy in her voice was almost enough to undo him.

"I mean, only if you are comfortable with that," he said. Last night he had been preaching baby steps and this morning he was all but suggesting she come to his bed every night, wake up in his arms every morning. Who was he right now? Gwyn had him turned inside out and upside down. Last night she had helped him slay the demon that had been haunting him for over three years and this morning he found himself greeting the day as a new man. Maybe he was the one who needed to take baby steps.

"I don't know. Are me and my pegasus panties welcome in your bed?"

Azriel mentally shook his head. Gwyn was a firecracker; she was whip smart and had a wit that kept him on his toes at all times. All the shit that she gave him shouldn't turn him on this much. But it did.