Page 71 of Somnium

“Not if I can help it.”

By the time the sky beyond the windows grew dusty and pink with the morning sun, Cadi had made the completely rational and levelheaded decision that she would simply live in Elias’s bed for the rest of her life.

She couldn’t stand the thought of moving. Elias lay asleep behind her, the skin of his chest warm against her back with a protective arm draped over her to clutch her hand, as if even in his dreams he couldn’t bear to let her go. His deep, slow breaths drifted across her shoulder, threatening to draw her back into the peace of sleep right alongside him.

But unfortunately, the realities of adulthood didn’t care about Cadi’s love life. It was Friday morning, the storm had passed, and she had to go back to work. Careful not to jostle the mattress any more than necessary, she scooted to the edge and lifted his arm to slip herself free.

Grabbing his hoodie from where it had been discarded the night before, she shrugged into the soft fabric, lifting the collar to her face to breathe deeply. Elias’s smell still lingered in the fibers, and she quietly made a note to sneak this particular garment into her bag before she left.

She tiptoed from the room and into the main living space, barely daring to breathe in the eerie stillness. Without the steady hum of the refrigerator, the silence pressed in around her as she searched for her phone, praying it hadn’t died in the night.

Relief coursed through her when she finally found it. The battery indicator sat precariously at five percent, just enough to check her messages, and her face lit up as she read the alert from her boss. In the chaos of the storm, the roads were still largely impassable, so all non-emergency services were canceled for the day, which meant Cadi didn’t have to leave after all.

She quickly typed out an acknowledgement text before she tossed her phone onto the counter and shuffled back down the hall.

Easing onto the mattress, she crawled toward Elias, watching him as he slept. The gentle rise and fall of his chest, the peaceful look on his face, his hair still tousled from her fingers the night before. A flutter stirred deep in her chest at the memory of his lips on her skin, at the way his body had synced with hers perfectly in the dim candlelight.

Even just a few hours ago, that feeling would have been enough to make her panic and slam her defenses back into place to protect herself from the pain that inevitably followed when she dared to care too much. To get too comfortable.

But not now. This, him, them. It all just felt … right.

And as much as she hated to admit it, she missed him even though he was right there. Gods, when did she become so embarrassing? Bending forward, she brushed her lips against his before moving to his jaw, leaving a quiet trail of affection until he stirred.

“Mmm, what time is it?” he grumbled, his voice groggy.

“Six fifteen.”

One bleary eye cracked open in a sleepy glare as a low groan sounded in his throat. Cadi just beamed down at him.

“Oh gods, my girlfriend’s a terrorist.”

Her pulse skipped at his sleepy, unguarded use of the word, and the adorable way it seemed to wrap around her, carried by the faintest hint of his forgotten northern lilt.

“But a cute terrorist,” she teased as she bent forward again to nip playfully at his ear.

When he still didn’t move, she decided that it was time to take her pestering to the next level. Sitting back on her heels, she began to bounce lightly against the mattress, rocking his body back and forth with the repetitive movement. She squealed when he lunged, wrapped his arms around her, and dragged her back down onto the bed, locking her against his chest.

A minor setback.

She wiggled against him, tickling his sides as she squirmed, determined to break free. The occasional grunt from him was the only indication that her playful harassment was having any effect whatsoever.

After several unsuccessful attempts to free herself from his unyielding grip, she decided to try a different approach. She stilled, settling her arms around his waist in a momentary ceasefire. The quiet of the room settled over them, and she felt his breathing shift back into the slow, deep cadence of sleep.

Which was completely unacceptable.

She tilted her head up, smirking at her newfound ability to be extremely annoying, and lightly dragged her nose against the underside of his chin.

“I’m hungry …”

Her smirk widened into a self-satisfied grin at the long, defeated sigh that ruffled her hair.

“Fine,” he surrendered, at last releasing her.

Cadi bounced off the bed, shuffling to wait by the door as Elias stretched, his long legs slipping off the edge of the mattress. He tugged on a pair of sweats, his movements slow and uncoordinated through the lingering fog of sleep. A deep warmth unfurled in her chest at the adorable way he fumbled around, eyelids still heavy, feet shuffling as he moved to the door to join her.

“Did you know your accent slips out when you’re sleepy?”

He gave her a drowsy grin and slipped a hand to the small of her back. “I’m sure I don’t know what you mean, love.”