along, that was for sure. The little monkey was an early riser, just like his dad. As I was slipping back toward slumber, panic suddenly hit me in the chest like a lead weight and had me jerking upright, throwing the duvet back as I frantically wondered why William hadn’t woken me today. Where was he? Was he all right?
My head snapped from side to side as I looked around the room, which further confused my sleep-fuddled brain, because it wasn’t our bedroom. Blinking agitatedly, I rose from the bed on wobbly legs, but it wasn’t until I felt the marginally warm soreness on my bottom and between my legs that I finally came to properly and remembered where I was.
The Cotswolds, in the holiday cottage Nathan had booked. Will wasn’t here because he’d spent the night with Rebecca and Nicholas so Nathan and I could fuck like bunnies. Which we had more than done, I thought with a grin.
Focusing again I nodded my head. Will was safe. Thank God for that. A huge, rushed breath left my lips as my legs gave out and I sank onto the mattress with a relieved sigh, my head spinning from my earlier panicked breathing.
Flopping backwards, I tried to relax my body again as I began to take note of all the small aches in my muscles, not to mention in other far more intimate parts of my body. My cheeks heated and a grin spread on my lips as I recalled last night. Wow. The vouchers I had made Nathan certainly seemed to inspire him, because he really had been in superb form, even pulling out some toys we’d never used before. The crop for one. I hadn’t thought I’d like, but, wow, had I been wrong. I might have been a little surprised by some of the moves he’d pulled, but I couldn’t deny that I’d enjoyed every single thing he’d introduced me to.
Now we had Will, Nathan and I hardly ever got to lie in together and snuggle, so I had hoped he would still be in bed with me this morning, but disappointingly the room was empty. Knowing how protective Nathan was of both William and me though, he was probably already next door with our son checking that he was OK after his first ever night away.
Pushing myself upright with a smile I licked my lips as I allowed myself a few more moments of quiet before heading for a shower.
Once I was showered and dressed, I checked the cottage and found it empty, so headed across to Nicholas and Rebecca’s, the morning air cold against my cheeks, but the sun shining. It looked set to be a glorious day.
Giving a brisk knock on their door, I only had a second of waiting before Rebecca opened it with William cradled in her arms. ‘Morning! Here’s your mummy,’ she cooed, giving Will a gentle rocking before reluctantly handing him across to me as I entered the lounge with her.
‘Good morning, my beautiful boy,’ I whispered, lowering my head to place a kiss on his soft head as his eyes opened at the sound of my voice. My little man. The simple feeling of having him in my arms again made my entire body relax. Nicholas walked into the lounge to join us, giving me a nod of greeting. ‘Morning, Stella. I’m just making coffee, would you like one?’
I’d slept so well last night, but I loved the kick start that coffee gave, even though I was limiting myself to just one a day while breastfeeding. ‘Oh, yes please.’ Giving another nod, Nicholas headed into the adjoining kitchen and I smiled at just how quietly aloof both he and his brother could still be. In fact, their mannerisms were so similar that they could almost be twins.
‘Was he any trouble?’
‘Nope, after I gave him his last bottle at eleven he slept like a log until he got hungry at five this morning, which I thought was pretty good going,’ Rebecca told me as she took a seat on the sofa.
Gazing down at William I couldn’t help but smile. He was sleeping peacefully, his little lips pursing as he dreamt, and he looked so content that I felt my heart flutter with love as it did every time I looked at him. I had loved
C. J. Cherryh
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