Chapter Three

Nathan

I wake up in the middle of the night, the kind of wake-up where your body knows something's off before your brain catches on. At first, I think it's just the usual shit—memories that won't leave me alone, the kind that drag me out of sleep in a cold sweat. But tonight, it's different. The bed feels warmer, softer somehow.

It takes a second to figure out what's happening, and when I do, my heart damn near stops.

Sadie's all but wrapped around me. Her leg is thrown over mine, and my arms—Jesus, my arms are holding her close, like I've got no intention of letting go. Her head's tucked under my chin, her hair tickling my neck, and the scent of her—something sweet and floral—is filling my lungs. I don't even know how this happened. We went to bed with plenty of space between us.

And then, I feel it—the hard evidence of my arousal pressed against her thigh. My gut twists in panic. If she wakes up and finds us like this, she'll think I've done it on purpose. The last thing I want is to make her uncomfortable. Hell, the last thing I want is to be the creep who takes advantage of a scared girl who just needed a place to sleep.

I try to move, to untangle us without waking her, but the second I shift, she stirs. Her eyes flutter open, and before I can even think of what to say, she's looking right at me, her expression still soft with sleep.

"Sorry," I blurt out, my voice rough with panic. "I woke up like this—I didn't mean to—"

She blinks a couple of times, then gives me this sleepy little smile that makes my chest tighten. "You don't have to apologize," she says quietly. "But I can move if it makes you uncomfortable."

Her voice is soft, but there's something in it that hits me deep, something that makes me realize just how much I don't want her to move. Before I even know what I'm doing, I tighten my grip on her, pulling her closer, my body acting on instinct.

"No," I say, my voice low. "I'm not uncomfortable."

And I'm not. Not in the way she might think, at least. I should be—this whole situation should have me scrambling to put distance between us, but all I can think about is how right it feels to have her here, to feel her against me.

Our eyes lock, and for a moment, everything else fades away. It's just the two of us in the dark, the quiet of the night wrapping around us like a blanket. I don't know who moves first—maybe it's her, maybe it's me—but suddenly, our lips are touching, soft and tentative at first, like we're both testing the waters.

Then something shifts. The kiss deepens. As my hands slide up and down Sadie's back, I feel her start to respond. The way she arches closer, the way her breath hitches—there's a tension building in her, and it's starting to get to me too. She's warm, and the way she presses against me stirs something deep in my gut. A slow, burning ache. I'm aware of every inch of her body, every shift and sigh, and it's taking all my self-control to keep things steady, to not rush her.

I let my fingers tangle in her hair, feeling the silky strands between my fingers, and tug gently, just to see how she'll react. When she grabs onto my arm, pulling herself closer, the sound that escapes her—a mix between a gasp and a yelp—makes me chuckle. I nip at her bottom lip, testing the waters, and when she yelps again, I can't help but do it again. Her reactions are intoxicating.

She's pressing so close to me now that I can feel every curve of her body flush against mine. I groan, feeling myself harden as her leg brushes against me. There's no hiding it—I'm as turned on as I can be, and it's obvious.

But then, I sense it—hesitation. It's the barest of pauses, but it's there regardless. So despite the reluctance I feel. I pull back, breathing hard with my heart pounding against my ribcage. I don't let go of her completely—I can't seem to make myself do it—but I put some space between us, just enough to let her know that I'm not pushing for anything more than she's willing to give.

"You okay?" I ask, my voice low and rough.

She nods, but it's slow like she's still trying to figure things out. "Yeah, I'm okay. I just…" She trails off, biting her lip, and it's everything I can do not to kiss her again.

I force myself to take a deep breath, to loosen my grip on her just enough to give her space. "We don't have to do anything you're not ready for," I tell her, meaning every word.

She looks up at me, her eyes wide, and I can see the uncertainty there. "Sorry, I just—I don't know."

"No, I'm sorry," I retort, even though part of me doesn't want to apologize. "We're going a little fast. I didn't mean to push you."

"You're not pushing me," she corrects quickly, her face flushing that pretty shade of pink that drives me wild. "I—This is what I want. I just…"

"You just what?" She says nothing and I pull her chin up to force her gaze back to me. "Use your words, little girl."

She breathes out heavily before sheepishly admitting, "I've never done…anything before."

"Anything?" I ask with a blink of shock.

"Mhm," she looks away but I tap under her chin again.

"Eyes on me." Her gaze snaps back to mine. "I'm not going anywhere, Sadie. We can take this slow."

"I don't think I want to go slow," she responds her teeth pulling her bottom lip between them. "I just don't know what I'm doing and I don't want to disappoint you."

I nearly groan. How could she think this innocence would disappoint me? If anything, knowing that I'm the first to touch her twists up my insides in a way I'm not ready to deal with.

"Nothing you do could disappoint me," I murmur, leaning in to give her another kiss, slow and deliberate. "We can take things further if you want."

"I want to." She looks away for a second before remembering and locking her eyes back with mine. "You just have to lead it."

I give her a slow grin. "That's never an issue, sunshine. Lay back." She only hesitates a second before she untangles from me and lays back against the pillow.

I don't waste any time leaning over her. My lips find her neck, kissing and nipping at the sensitive skin there, feeling her shiver beneath me. While she's distracted by the sensation, I hook my thumbs into the waistband of the tiny sleep shorts she's wearing. Slowly, I start to slide them down, revealing more of her skin inch by inch. My eyes trace over her body as I remove the shorts and her panties, tossing them to the floor.

"God, you're beautiful, Sadie," I murmur, more to myself than to her. The words just spill out, raw and honest. The sight of her laid out in front of me takes my breath away. "I'm going to make you feel so good."

She tries to say something, but when I blow over her heated skin all that comes out is a choked-off sound. I chuckle at that, letting my hands slide over her bare thighs, feeling the tension in her muscles. She's so responsive, so eager, and it's driving me wild.

"Please," she gasps, her voice laced with desperation. I doubt she even knows what she's asking for, but that's okay. I know exactly what she needs.

"You're eager, huh?" I say with a smirk, leaning down to kiss the inside of her thigh. "Such an eager little girl for Daddy." My words and actions pull out a soft little mewl from her lips and it spurs me on.

I take my time, moving slowly, biting gently at the sensitive skin with each kiss. The way she trembles under my touch, the way her breathing hitches—it's like a drug, and I'm addicted.

When I finally reach her center, I run the tip of my tongue through her folds, just a light, teasing touch. She gasps, her body jerking in response, and I can't help but smile against her skin. "You like that?" I ask, my breath hot against her.

"Yes."

"Yes, Daddy," I correct automatically.

She groans low in her throat as flit my tongue out again. "Yes, Daddy. Please. "

I look up at her from between her legs, and when our eyes meet, her expression is enough to make my blood boil. That's all I need to hear. I dive in, running the flat of my tongue through her wetness, savoring the way she moans, the sound strangled and desperate. I keep the pace slow and deliberate, wanting to drive her to the edge but not over it—at least, not yet.

As I work my way up to her clit, I flick my tongue against the sensitive bundle of nerves, and the way she responds nearly makes me lose it. Her hands fly into my hair, tugging me closer as I suck on that spot, hard enough to make her back arch off the bed.

Her breaths come in quick, shallow bursts. "More, Daddy. I need more," she manages to say, her voice trembling.

I can feel her getting close, her body tightening under my touch, and I decide to push her just a little further. Sliding my hand up, I press two fingers into her, curling them just right. The way she starts babbling, the incoherent words spilling from her lips, tells me everything I need to know.

I pump slowly in and out of her, loving the way she clenches around my fingers, drunk on the taste of her on my tongue. She squirms above me, her body out of her own control as she rides my face and fingers, seeking her release.

"Close, Nathan," she manages to say between gasps. "Nathan, I'm close."

I hum against her as I pick up speed, and the vibration coupled with the pound of my fingers in her finally pushes her over the edge. I feel her muscles tighten around my fingers, and the way she comes apart around me is nothing short of breathtaking. I keep my movements steady, guiding her through the intense waves of pleasure until she's trembling, completely spent.

When I finally pull back, her eyes are glazed over, her body boneless from the intensity of it all. I crawl back up to her, pressing a soft kiss to her lips, letting her taste herself on my tongue.

"You were incredible," I tell her, my voice low and rough with emotion I didn't expect.

"No, you were, Daddy ," she answers with a soft giggle.

I kiss her again, slow and tender, before pulling back just enough to rest my forehead against hers. There's a contentment in me that I haven't felt in a long time, and as I hold her close, I know this is just the beginning.