Too warm. She awoke feeling sweat trickling down from her temple to her eye, stinging it.
Slowly coming to her senses, she realized the source of her discomfort. Usui was pressed against her back, his whole body glued tightly to her. Both his arms were wrapped around her as he spooned her. She could feel his calm breath fanning the top of her head.
She took in the room, suddenly realizing that they were no longer on the carpet, but on the king-sized bed, under the covers. He must have carried her there while she slept. It could not have been longer than an hour, as the light was still the same.
She breathed in deeply and felt him stiffen behind her, before slightly tightening his hold around her.
She shifted and rolled over to face him, still encircled by his unwavering arms. As her face levelled an inch away from his, his eyes focused on her face attentively.
They gazed at each other for a while. She noticed a slight bruise on his lower lip where she had bitten him earlier in the heat of the moment.
Hesitating for a second, her fingers skimmed across it lightly. His eyes followed her movements, his expression darkening slightly at the realization of her thoughts, her recollections.
Yet Misaki could perceive the guarded wariness in the green pools. Even though his body was relaxed against hers, his eyes inspected her with cagey watchfulness. However, when her fingers slid from his mouth up to his cheek, cupping it with her palm, his gaze softened at the affectionate gesture.
It was fascinating, Misaki thought, how his normally stony, impenetrable facial expressions were so eloquent in their little shifts and stirs. Was it because she knew him so well? She could never guess his thoughts, but when his guard was down, his soul was generously outstretched before her.
Despite guilt gnawing at her heart, Misaki felt unusually light and relieved for the first time in two days. She felt as if the inevitable had happened. Laying in his arms, she felt home.
As if following the line of her thoughts, he shut his eyes and lowered his forehead to rest against hers. She inched her face a centimetre closer, brushing the tip of his nose with hers.
When his hand started to slide up her side, however, she gently but firmly wriggled herself out of his embrace to sit up. She was sweaty all over, having been under the thick cover with her clothes still on, not to mention the added body heat.
As she started to get up from the bed, she felt his hand grasp her wrist firmly .
"No."
She shot him a quizzical look. He was sitting up in the bed, holding her by the wrist. He looked like he was searching for the right words.
"You can't go now".
A simple, yet subtly dominant plea.
He thinks I'm going to leave just like that, after what happened?
She released her hand from his hold.
"I'm just going to shower."
His posture visibly relaxed. He sat back and leaned against the headboard of the bed, watching her pad her way to the bathroom.
As she grasped the handle of the door she heard him spring from the bed to his feet before catching up with her.
"Wait", he reached to push his hand against the bathroom door she had cracked open, closing it shut.
She scowled up at his face as he reached down for her hand again.
"Stay with me tonight", his thumb skimmed across her knuckles. "Please."
Misaki was suddenly distracted by his short-sighted gaze. Because he was not wearing neither his glasses nor his contacts, his myopic eyes were not entirely focused, making him look slightly lost, yet heart-wrenchingly endearing.
Taking her hesitation as a sign of encouragement, he cupped her cheek, pulling her to him. He inhaled slowly, as if preparing himself before a rehearsed speech.
"I know how you're feeling right now, I know what you must be thinking..", she looked away at his words, seeing the guilt reflected in his eyes.
"But you cannot run from this, Misaki", his embrace tightened in response to her stiffness, "at least not tonight".
She swallowed with difficulty. Putting both her palms firmly on his chest, she detached herself from the heat of his body.
"I'm going to shower".
She turned to open the door, feeling his expectant gaze fixed on her.
"I.. need to clear my head."
Under the hot stream of water, she soaped her clammy body thoroughly. Her face turned eagerly at the source of the stream, she wished the water would ebb her chaotic thoughts, wash off his wet kisses, exorcise her demons.
She felt like she still had not descended from the incredible orgasm he had given her. Her skin felt tender to her own touch and her lower body was still pulsating deliciously. She inhaled sharply at the flashback of him moving inside her, his hands frantically exploring, stroking her whole body, manipulating it to experience an unimaginable ecstasy.
What would it mean for her to stay and spend the night with him? Would they talk some more? Would a compromise be reached?
Or Would they fight? Would they fuck like animals again?
She cringed at the last thought. Shutting her eyes tightly she rinsed her hair.
She thought of Hinata, his open adoration for her, his relentless kindness and love. He did not deserve this.
She did not know how she would stomach seeing him once she got home. How would she be able to kiss him without incinerating in the spot from shame, humiliation and guilt? How would she ever be able to let herself be pleasured without imagining Usui throughout it all?
Her thought returned to the figure waiting for her in the room and wondered what was passing through his mind. What was he expecting from her right now?
You're in my bones, Misaki.
Her insides shuddered at the recollection of the voice that had uttered the words, before he had skyrocketed her to an incredible height she never believed was possible to experience. It had been an hour since it had happened, but her insides were still throbbing, purring like a satisfied cat.
Unable to resist the temptation, she slid her right hand down to her body. Stroking her sore yet burning core, she softly tilted her head backward, sighing softly as she massaged herself. Her nipples felt sensitive under the tough stream of water. She felt weak on her feet, yet fiercely, aggressively alert and alive.
At the bathroom door, when he had spoken to her, the desire to give in, agree to anything he asked had been so strong her knees had begun to shake.
Really, she thought ruefully, was an exceptionally good sex all it took to make her feel so helpless?
Well, that and true love, a small voice spoke in her head.
She huffed and irritably turned off the faucet. So much for water clearing her thoughts.
Stepping out of the shower, she forced herself to look into the eyes of the woman she had become – a cheater? A love slave? A fool? - and was greeted by the sight of her burning ambers. Her eyes looked at her feverishly.
A carnivore.
No, she decided, she did not recognize the person in the mirror, but she was hyper-aware of her desire. After getting a taste of him, she craved him, deeply, painfully, with her body and soul.
She had never in her life wanted anything more.
She sighed with her eyes shut, finally making up her mind. He was right, she could not fight it.
At least not tonight.
Misaki's inner dialogue was interrupted by the sound of soft bluesy piano music seeping through the walls.
She dried her hair half-heartedly, before wrapping herself in another towel.
When she exited the bathroom, her senses were overtaken by a familiar smell. He was cooking rice omelettes.
Since when did hotel suits have kitchens? – she mused, walking in the direction of the smell.
She found him at a small kitchenette around the corner of the room. His back turned to her, he was chopping up something on a small kitchen island counter as eggs sizzled on the frying pan.
She stood immobile for a minute, not wanting to disturb him. She could not help but smile when he hummed softly along the simple melody playing in the stereo. She had missed seeing him like this, relaxed and casual, undisturbed by any worries. His head bent down, the exposed whiteness of the nape of his neck made him look suddenly extremely vulnerable. Her heart squeezed as she fastened the towel above her breasts more firmly.
"Welcome back, Ayuzawa", he said suddenly, before turning his head in her direction. He eyed up her barely covered body with a smile and popped a piece of chopped pepper in his mouth.
Startled, Misaki realized that he had not actually seen her naked body even in the most heated moments. In fact, it had been because of the extreme heat of the moment that they had not bothered to disrobe, instead taking what they needed from each another in manic urgency. On her walk to the kitchen Misaki had spotted the visible mark on window glass against which he had pressed her back when he...
Feeling somewhat embarrassed under his gaze, she lowered her eyes and approached the kitchen island, perching onto the stool next to his. She stole a glance at him as he proceeded with the chopping. He was wearing his glasses again, his body relaxed against the stool. He was so tall he was more standing than sitting, merely leaning against the seat. Giving his muscular shoulder one last wistful glance, her eyes shifted to the ingredients of the meal he was preparing.
"I thought you might be hungry", he said, following her appreciative gaze. He was finished with vegetables and was now chopping a block of aged Gouda cheese in small cubes.
The food really did smell otherworldly, thought Misaki, as her stomach rumbled loudly.
"Thank you", she smiled at him gratefully and stretched out to steal a cube of cheese. She noticed his movements stilling, as she followed the trajectory of his gaze, skimming from her knees up to her thighs, reaching the hem of the bath-towel. She felt her pulse quicken.
"My dress was damp", she tried to explain, trying to ignore the wettness quickly pooling between her legs.
He said nothing. Instead, his eyes shamelessly, slowly lifted from her thighs to her face. He cut the last of the cheese and chuckled.
"Isn't the towel damp as well?", he said, cocking an eyebrow. His voice sounded lower and dangerous, yet he maintained a conversational tone.
Misaki bit her lip. His arrogance was irritating, but only served to fuel her arousal even more.
"Why don't you check?", she heard herself snap back at him before she could stop herself.
He stilled his movements, stretching out his arms onto the counter.
With a quick flicker of his hand, he turned off the stove, and finally turned to face her fully. Her breath hitched as he slowly stepped to stand behind her stool, his face levelling with the crook of her throat.
He slid his hands from her hips to her thighs, feeling the fabric.
"I think it's very, very damp", his breath fanned her ear while his palms stroked their way up to her stomach.
"I think you should..", his whisper was turning into a growl, "take it off".
Upon saying the words, his deft fingers slowly, unhurriedly unclasped the towel from the top of her breasts, loosening the towel to fall around her body.
Misaki did not mind the cold air hitting her naked body. The heat and stimulation she was feeling from him pressed against her back was so intense she was beginning to be covered in cold sweat.
His one hand lifted to softly stroke her left breast, as his face leaned down to nip at her throat.
"Oh god", she whispered, her eyes rolling up to the ceiling. His hand replaced his mouth, stroking her throat , holding her there firmly. She felt his hair tickle her breast as his mouth captured her right nipple, gently squeezing it between his lips.
She entangled her fingers in his hair, holding him fastened to the spot.
"Bite me", she pleaded raggedly.
Usui moaned at her words, before enclosing her nipple between his teeth, giving it a rough squeeze he knew would hurt.
She let out a shaky moan.
Quickly, he stopped his ministrations to lift her from the stool and hoisted her body onto the counter, softly pushing her to lay down on the marble surface.