Page 238 of Nyx

He nods as I stand from the edge of the bed, my muscles sore in the absolute best way.

I wince with the first step, and of course, ever observant, he notices.

"We probably should've stopped after the second time," he says.

"I regret nothing," I tell him with a glance over my shoulder and a wink before closing myself in the bathroom.

I look like I've been through something, I realize when I catch a glance of myself in the mirror. I press my palms to the counter and lean in a little closer.

The amazing sex, as great as it was, didn't remove the dark shadows under my eyes. Stress and lack of sleep will take their toll on your body no matter how happy you are.

Instead of worrying about something that only a good night's sleep can fix, I take care of my business, wash my hands, and turn on the shower.

I'm going to live in these perfect moments because I know that tomorrow I'll have to face other people. Dana, Melissa, and Caroline will have questions, and I haven't yet decided how I'm going to handle them. I'll tell them the truth, of course, but there are so many branches; I just pray I can get through it without breaking down.

I pull open the door and stick my head out, trying my best not to feel embarrassed about still standing there completely naked. When Graham and I were together, I dressed as quickly as possible. It's not that I was uncomfortable in my skin, but the vulnerability that it gave me was always a concern.

He grins at me, hiding mostly behind the door as he crosses the room.

"You're sure?" he asks, as if I hadn't been the one to ask if we could shower together. "If you changed your mind, I can-"

"I haven't," I assure him.

"But there's a little doubt in your eyes," he counters, pausing in front of me and making no move to come closer until he verifies.

"I just," I begin, pausing as I try to find the best way to explain.

He waits, standing in front of me without a hint of pressure on his face or in the stance of his body.

"We've done a lot tonight," I say.

"We have," he replies with a grin.

"I don't know that my body can handle any more."

"You're worried I'm going to pressure you for more sex?"

I open my mouth to tell him no, but my statement already betrayed my thoughts.

"I wouldn't," he assures me. "Ever."

"Okay," I tell him, knowing his words are his truth.

The man has never said one thing and then proved the opposite with his actions.

I open the door further, dropping my eyes a little as I take a step back.

"Up here," he says, curling a finger under my chin and softly urging my eyes up to his.

Kindness fills his eyes as he looks at me, but I don't get the feeling that it is tainted with pity.

"I'll never try to convince you to do something I can clearly see that you don't want to do."

"It's not that I don't want to."

"I know," he says softly. "You know what I mean."

This suddenly feels like relationship talk, but it's not a subject I'll bring up right now. I just want to live in the perfection of what we did tonight and the comfort he's shown me since we've gotten closer.