He rubbed his eyes blearily, feeling disorientated as he began to wake up. Clumsily reaching to check the time, he found it wasn't even six am yet, and lay down again, hoping for another hour or two of sleep. But after a few minutes, still feeling restless, he began to look around the room, his eyes slowly adjusting to the dim light.
Beside him Carla was soundly asleep, her hair cascading over the pillow as she lay on her side, her breathing steady. He smiled, remembering how he'd felt at the hotel last month, watching her sleep. That was only the second time they'd spent a whole night together. And now he got to wake up with her every day. He felt like the luckiest man alive.
Overcome with emotion, he rested his body against her back, murmuring reassurance as he wrapped her arms around her and hugged her tightly. He knew how much the trial had set her back, but as she slept all her worries seemed gone. She looked serenely beautiful.
Then in her sleep she moaned slightly, just a small sound, but it aroused him instantly. Suddenly wide awake, he became very aware of the feel of her naked body against him, the warmth of her skin, the curve of her breasts.
Lying there, his arms curled tightly around her, all he could think about was how much he wanted her, the pleasure they could give each other. He found himself getting hard, longing for her touch, as his mind filled with thoughts of what they could be doing in the time before the day began.
It was all he could do to stop himself waking her up, but he held back. He loved her so much. How could he disturb her when she seemed this peaceful and happy?
He tried to distract himself by planning his day. The school run, the bookies, the cafe. Just a normal working day. But as she gently moaned again, he found himself imagining the way he'd hold her as he made love to her. The taste of her kisses, the feel of her caresses, all vividly real in his imagination until he opened his eyes.
He backed away to try to calm down, but in her sleep she rolled back towards him, pressing herself against him, sending him wild with lust. He was so aroused, his skin sensitised to the soft sheets, his body aching, longing to be inside her.
He didn't know what to do. If he left the room, he might be able to calm down but he couldn't tear himself away from her warmth, her scent, her touch. They'd had lots of sleep last night. Would it really be so bad to wake her up?
Before he could talk himself out of it, he ran his hand along the curve of her waist, stroking her thighs, smiling as she sighed in pleasure, reaching out to him in her sleep. At least she'd be in a good mood when she woke up.
With growing confidence, he began to kiss her neck, sucking against her soft skin, whispering words of love into her ear. Then as he felt her stirring against him, he stopped, letting her wake up gently.