He woke before I did. He always does after a night like that.
I stayed still, eyes closed, letting him believe I was still asleep. I like the way he hovers on the edgeāunsure whether to move, unsure whether heās allowed to touch. That moment of restraint is better than any alarm clock.
Eventually, I shiftedājust slightlyāand that was all he needed. He leaned in and nuzzled the curve of my hip, then lower, then back up again, slow and steady. I kept my eyes closed. I donāt need to look at him to feel everything.
He knows the routine. His hands stayed behind his back. No wandering. Just lips and breath and quiet devotion.
When he reached the swell of my breast, he pausedāwaiting. I didnāt say a word, but I tilted toward him, just enough.
He latched on like heād been starved for it. No urgency, no begging. Just warm, rhythmic suckling, the kind that makes time slip away. I let him stay like that, nestled against me, feeding off the skin I let him have. Itās not always about denial. Sometimes itās about letting him fill himself with something he canāt get anywhere else.
His breathing slowed. His whole body softened.
Thatās the difference between us. He melts. I stay steel.
But I stroked his hair, just once, and whispered, āGood boy.ā
Thatāll carry him through the rest of the week.