Menagerie

Chapter 9 - Charlotte

I woke up, blinking in confusion for a few seconds. I hadn't expected to sleep at all last night, but here I was, cocooned in blankets and tucked snugly against Simon. I flexed my foot and calf muscles, afraid to move much more for fear of waking him. It was something of a sacrifice, since morning stretching was one of the best feelings, second only to what transpired last night.

I needn't have restrained myself, though, since Simon instantly shifted and kissed the side of my head. "'Morning," he said, voice rough with sleep.

I rolled so I was facing him. "'Morning, Simon." I did stretch then, closing my eyes and straining my stiff limbs. I hummed with pleasure. I couldn't quite remember ever having woken up feeling so relaxed.

I opened my eyes and my relaxation evaporated in the heat of Simon's gaze. His eyes ran all down my body and I realized I'd worked my way out of the blankets. Ordinarily, bedroom eyes like that made me feel flushed and nervous, but I could feel such affection and joy coming through our bond that all I could do was smile dopily at him.

Simon brushed a hand over my cheek and from there down my body, increasing pressure until he was grasping my hip, angling me, winding himself closer...

A knock rapped on the door and I stiffened. "Char! You promised me breakfast!"

I groaned. "Come back in an hour!" I called. "Serena," I explained to Simon. "And I only told her I hoped we could have breakfast together."

His eyes danced, though I could see that his muscles were straining against the need to pull himself into me. I wriggled a little closer and nuzzled my nose against the base of his neck, enjoying the soft skin there and the strength of his scent.

Serena pounded on the door and sang, "I'm not leaving!"

"If we ignore her, someone will call management and have her removed," Simon said.

"Tempting," I said, brushing my hands down his length and feeling him jerk beneath me. "But they need to move on soon and I don't want to miss them."

I quickly rolled and launched myself out of bed, laughing when his hands darted after me, snatching at air. "Come on, I want you to meet them."

But when he got out of bed completely unclothed, my feet carried me to him without my mind's permission. He chuckled and hugged me tightly. "I think I might take off work tomorrow," he mused, and nipped along my ear, making me shudder.

"Char, I'm starting to get seriously annoyed. Do you think I don't know what's going on in there?" Serena said.

"Remind me again why I like her?" I asked, but I resignedly extricated myself from him and darted to my suitcase, pulling out the first outfit I found and dashing into the bathroom, where I was safe from temptation. I could hear Simon's laughter behind me, and it brought an answering smile to my lips, even as I shoved my way into my clothes.

While I took advantage of my time in the bathroom, I marveled over how easy this all was. Simon and I hadn't had a chance to speak much last night, but I felt completely comfortable around him even though he was almost a stranger. Was that a mate thing or a soulmate thing? Was this how my parents had felt, so long ago on their first morning together? I tried to remember what they had told me about their early days together, but I mostly remembered that Mom was stressed and that my father, ever the confident one, had merely been completely content.

And then he went home with her and they were never truly apart again.

It was going to be a little trickier for us, even if the bond between us was easier. I thought I remembered reading that you could only stay in Canada for six months without special permission and Simon would need to be living here for at least five months. I dwelled on that while I brushed my teeth, then shook it off as a problem for later. As a freelance writer, I'd gotten very good at doing online research. There had to be a way to make this work.