Ella didn't know how long she lay there in Nicholas's arms, only that the world had gone quiet.
The kind of quiet that made her feel like they were the only two people on the planet.
Her body was still humming, warm and boneless, every muscle unspooled. The blindfold lay forgotten beside her head, the sheets beneath them a mess of tangled linen and heat. Nicholas hadn't moved much—he stayed close, arms wrapped around her waist, one hand stroking slow, soothing patterns across her back like he was tracing the outline of something precious.
She sighed into his neck. "You trying to make me melt into the mattress?"
"I think you already have," he murmured, voice gravelly with spent desire.
She smiled, cheek pressed against his collarbone. "You're smug."
"Only because you make it too easy," he said, pressing a kiss to the top of her head. "You okay?"
The question landed softly. Ella didn't rush to answer.
