Off the Cretan Track chapter 30

As predicted, Nick took a long time to fall asleep, but in a way, he didn't mind. It meant that he had more time to wonder how on earth he'd managed to end up in bed with Sal, and to appreciate the fact. After all, who knows if he'd ever get the opportunity again? His arms had become numb from holding Sal in one position for so long, but he didn’t really want to move them in case she woke up and maybe moved away from him, or worse, decided that perhaps they shouldn’t be in the same bed after all, and banished him to the sofa.

His one hand had taken its position resting on her waist, with the arm underneath her body and around her back. The underside of his forearm was in contact with her bare back, but he itched to feel it with his hand, to run his fingers over her smooth tanned skin, maybe reaching lower to the base of her back and... Hmm, no good in thinking down those lines. His hand was however placed on her waist, over the satin of her nightie. None of the satin proved to be much of a barrier, but in a way, it accentuated the skin and curves underneath it as it slid easily over her body. He wondered, as he often did with Sal, if, when she'd decided to buy that nightie, she'd purposely bought it, knowing how the satin would feel to the person she was sharing a bed with.

He was so acutely aware of her body against him, how could he not be? And somewhere in the back of his mind, a thought was threatening to materialise, but he kept it pushed firmly in the recesses of his brain for fear that if he let it run riot, it would drive him close to insanity, considering his present predicament. The thought involved the freedom his hands could have at that point to roam wherever they liked. It was bad enough that he could feel her chest rising and falling against his as she breathed restfully in and out. The movement pressed her closer against him with every inhalation, the soft fullness of her, cushioning itself against the hardness of his chest. God, stop thinking about that! His hand wanted badly to move there, to touch and feel, and part the material away from her body to gain full access to her bare skin...right there. He took in a deep breath again and tried to calm the excitement of his racing pulse.

This continued, the build up of sexual tension and the sure willpower it took him to control himself, until his mind became too exhausted for any more sexual excitement, and he simply gazed down at Sal, taking in the small details of her so that he wouldn't forget the hours he'd spent holding her. He moved his gaze from her full, rose coloured lips, to her small, baby nose, to her eyelids and the long dark lashes that were resting on her flushed cheeks. He smiled as his eyes took in the sprinkling of freckles across her nose. She hated them for some reason; he thought they were so cute.

Nick felt so strange all of a sudden as he watched her. Between the sheets that had wrapped them together, even though she was asleep, it was as if there were only him and Sal on earth. Nothing else mattered. There was just Sal's soft breath and warm body cradled against him, and him, being the male comfort she craved. She looked so totally peaceful and at home there, curled up against him. He was amazed at how well they seemed to fit together. How could he be feeling these things about her? It was odd but, with Sal, he had feelings he’d never experienced before, which he found hard to fathom out. All he knew was that he fervently wished that night could last forever.

He was thinking too much; to his consternation, his throat began to ache with emotion.

He moved his eyes then, from her face, down the length of one of her arms, from the shoulder to the elbow, and up again, to her hand which was lying on his side. Her fingers had gently grasped him there, as if needing to hold on. He focused on the flash of gold from her finger in the dimly lit room. Who had brought her that ring? he wondered. Then his thoughts drifted back to her 'most sexy' nightie, and he wondered who she'd brought that for. The thought was a disturbing one; he banished it from his head, not wanting to spoil the moment.

Very gently, and a little possessively, he kissed the top of her head, and rested his cheek against it. All was silent and peaceful. He soaked in the moment, letting all residuals of energy seep from his body, and before he knew it, he was drifting away too.