I wake up sore.
Everything aches, deep muscle soreness that radiates from my hips, my thighs, my lower back, places I didn't even know could hurt this much. The sheets are tangled around my legs, and when I shift position even slightly, my body protests with a thousand small pains that remind me exactly what happened last night.
The other side of the bed is empty and cold, Bael already gone to work before I even opened my eyes. I glance at the clock on the nightstand and blink.
Past ten.
I haven't slept this late since... I can't even remember when.
My stomach chooses that moment to make its opinion known, growling loud enough that I hear it clearly in the quiet room, hunger hitting me all at once with sudden urgency. I force myself to sit up, wincing as my body reminds me of every position Bael bent me into last night, every thrust that left me gasping, the knot that locked us together for what felt like forever.
My face heats up just thinking about it.
Stop.
