“Open,” he rasped. “I want to watch you.”

It was a struggle, but I kept my eyes locked with his. Finally, as the waves started to crest, Donovan quickened his pace, moving toward his own finish until he groaned and buried himself within my body one last time. Even through the condom, I could feel the heat seeping out of him and spilling into me.

Most men I’d been with over the years would roll over onto the bed or get up and go to the bathroom after. And if they didn’t, I did. We hadn’t made love, and I’d never wanted those intimate moments after, but I craved them with Donovan almost as much as the actual act.

He wiped a sweaty strand of hair from my face. “How big of a wuss would you think I was if I said that felt almost…holy?”

I laughed. “I might think I went to the wrong church growing up.”

He brushed his lips with mine. “I wish I didn’t have to get up and deal with this condom. I want to stay right where I am…maybe tie you up and keep you underneath me for a few days.”

I cupped his cheek. “You don’t have to tie me up. I’m not going anywhere this time.”

Donovan smiled. “I like the sound of that.”

He climbed out of the bed, and I propped myself onto my elbow to watch him walk to the bathroom naked.

“Hey, tight ass,” I yelled as he reached the doorway.

He turned around with a grin. “Yes?”

“You might not have to tie me up to keep me anymore, but that doesn’t mean I wouldn’t enjoy you doing it anyway.”

He chuckled and mumbled as he left the room. “You’re going to be the death of me. I just know it.”

***

I woke to blinding light shining in my eyes. A ray of sunshine had streaked in from between two wayward blind slats and landed right on my face. I shielded my eyes with my hand and looked over at the end table to the clock.

11:33? Could that be right? I grabbed for my cell to double-check. It had been years since I slept this late. But sure enough, it was indeed almost noon.

I couldn’t help the smile that crept onto my lips as I recalled the reasons I’d slept in—the many, many reasons. Donovan and I had had marathon sex. I wasn’t even sure how many times we’d done it, but the last time had been with the most gorgeous light. Dawn had just broken, and that yellowish-gold morning sun had streamed in through the blinds like it was doing now. Only then, the streak had landed on Donovan’s handsome face while I was on top of him, rocking myself to yet another blissful orgasm. His jaw was peppered with stubble, and his eyes blazed the most incredible blue. The gold from the sun had made them seem almost translucent. But it was his smile that took my breath away. He seemed so truly happy watching me, and it made the moment that much more intimate.

My body ached in the most delicious way right now, and between my legs was swollen. But just thinking about the way he’d looked made my body not care how sore it was. So I rolled over to see how deep of a sleep the sexy man next to me was in, only to find he wasn’t sleeping at all. Patting the sheets, my hand met cold. Apparently I was the only one who’d slept in. Tugging the sheet from the bed, I wrapped it around my body and went in search of Donovan.

My apartment was quiet, and he was nowhere to be found, but the smell of coffee wafted through the air. I followed my nose to the kitchen and found a fresh pot of coffee with an orchid sitting next to it. Beneath the plant was a note.

Had to run to the office to pick up a file. When I was eight or nine, I asked Bud about sex. He wouldn’t give me any of the gritty details, but he told me the most important part of being with a woman was making sure she was fed the next morning. So there’s a yogurt and fruit parfait in the fridge and a buttered bagel on the counter. I wasn’t sure what you would be in the mood for. I set the coffee for eleven, taking a guess you’d sleep at least four hours. Be back by noon with lunch.

X

Donovan

P.S. Your place needs more plants, and this one reminded me of you. Most people don’t understand orchids and think they’re fragile, but they’re actually not. The truth is, they’re far tougher than anyone realizes, and of course beautiful.

I held the note to my chest like a schoolgirl. Seriously? This man was too good to be real. He was gorgeous and tough on the outside, but inside he was soft and almost vulnerable. I sighed and set the note down to pour myself a much-needed coffee.

A little before twelve, I decided to jump in the shower before Donovan returned. I left the door open to the bathroom, so I could hear if he knocked before I got out. But I was just wrapping myself in a towel when he did.

“Hey,” I opened the door.

Donovan’s eyes swooped down and back up again. “Damn.” He thumbed down the hall and held up a box. “The Amazon delivery guy was just about to knock to deliver this when I told him I’d take it. You would’ve made that kid’s day.”

I smiled coyly. “Just the kid’s day, not yours?”

He stepped inside and wrapped an arm around my waist, dragging me close to brush his lips with mine. “You made my day a few times before the sun rose.”

The way he looked at my lips when he spoke gave me butterflies.

“I think we made each other’s day.”

Inside my apartment, Donovan set the box down on the kitchen counter. “What time did you finally wake up, sleepyhead?”

“Oh my God. Not until eleven thirty.”

“Is that from the Ambien on your nightstand? I didn’t see you take one.”

I blinked a few times. Holy shit. I hadn’t taken a sleeping pill last night. That was the first time I’d fallen asleep in almost six years without some sort of chemical assistance. “I…I didn’t take one.”

Donovan grinned. “Does that mean my dick is better than drugs?”

He was of course being cheeky, but he didn’t understand how significant not taking anything was for me.

“I haven’t slept a single night without a pill in nearly six years, Donovan.”

His smile fell away. “Really?”

I nodded.

“Never even after…” He shook his head. “I’m sorry, it might be the Neanderthal in me but I can’t finish that sentence. Just the thought of you with another man…”

“No, never. Not once. I keep a bottle in my bag and a bottle at my bedside. A few years back, I was really into running. I did a half marathon and then went to an after party. I was exhausted when I got home and thought it might be the night I could do it. But it’s not a physical thing; it’s mental. No matter how tired my body is, my brain won’t turn off.”

“I guess we found the tipping point for flipping that switch. It might be hard to keep up with what we did last night, but I’m game to try. I’ll happily replace your pills.”

“That’s very noble of you, but I don’t think it was the exertion as much as something else.”

Donovan’s brows drew together. “What, then?”

“I felt safe.”

I watched as he swallowed what I’d said. I felt safe. Something so simple, yet it meant everything to me.

Donovan closed the gap between us and brushed a lock of hair behind my ear. “I want to give you the world, but you just gave it to me by saying that, Red.”