85 "my body"

I woke up in the dark.

Not from a nightmare.

Not from pain.

Just... awake.

The house was quiet in that deep way it only gets after midnight, when even the wind outside seems to rest. Moonlight slipped through the curtains in a thin silver line across the floor.

Walker slept beside me, flat on his back, one arm thrown above his head. His breathing was slow and steady, the kind that said he was actually resting for once.

I lay there watching him for a minute.

For days my body had felt like a stranger's. Bruised. Distant. Hollow.

Tonight it didn't.

Tonight it felt warm.

Alive.

My fingers traced the sheet between us, hesitant at first, like I wasn't sure what I was about to do. Then quietly, carefully, I slipped under the covers beside him.

Walker still didn't stir.

The blankets smelled like him—soap, leather, and the faint dusty scent of the ranch that seemed to cling to his skin no matter how many showers he took.

I leaned closer.

My lips brushed his chest softly.

Just once.

His skin was warm under my mouth, his heartbeat slow and steady beneath it. I kissed him again, slower and lower this time, letting my lips run against him for a moment.He shifted slightly but didn't wake.For a second I just listened to his heart.After everything... the alley... the screaming... the blood... the shame that had tried to swallow me whole...

This felt like the opposite of all that. Quiet. Safe. Mine. My fingers slid lightly along his ribs as I pressed another soft kiss against his waist.That's when his voice, thick with sleep, rumbled above me.

"Mmmm... that's one hell of a way to wake a man up..." he spoke quietly

I froze. Then slowly looked up.Walker was staring down at me through half-closed eyes, the corner of his mouth pulling into that crooked smile he only gave me.

"You been down there long?" he murmured.

"Not long," I whispered.

His hand drifted into my hair, fingers brushing through it lazily.

"What are you doin ma?" he asked, softer now.

I rested my chin on his belly. "Nothin."He studied my face in the dim light, searching the way he always did now—like he was checking for cracks. "What brought this on?"

I hesitated. Then shrugged a little."I think I just needed to remember my body belongs to me..and so does yours ." I smirked slightly. Something deep and protective moved across his face. His hand slid to my cheek, thumb brushing the fading bruise there."It always did," he said quietly.I leaned into his touch. "I know."For a moment we just stayed there, tangled in blankets and moonlight. Walker finally chuckled under his breath. "Gotta say," he murmured, "I'm not complainin' about your midnight revelations."I smiled against his waist line as I kissed it again. He held his bottom lip between his teeth. "What are your plans blondie?" His fingers pushed my hair out from my eyes. "What do you think?" I grinned teasingly tugging down his boxers.

"C'mere"  Walker's arms wrapped around me and pulled me up beside him until we were face to face.His eyes were still heavy with sleep, but there was something warmer waking up behind them now. His thumb brushed slowly across my cheek, lingering at the bruise.

"You sure?" he asked again, voice low. I nodded. "I just needed to feel close to you."The corner of his mouth lifted."Well," he murmured, "you picked a mighty effective way of doin' that."I laughed quietly.His hand slid to the back of my neck, pulling me closer. The kiss he gave me was slow at first, careful, like he was still afraid I might break. But when I kissed him back harder, his hesitation faded. "Easy there," he whispered against my mouth, smiling. "No," I murmured, tugging him closer. "Not easy." That got a low chuckle out of him. "Well damn."His hands slid down my back, pulling me against him as we sank deeper into the pillows. The quiet house, the moonlight, the warmth of his skin—it all made the moment feel almost unreal. For the first time in weeks, my mind wasn't somewhere else. It was right here. With him. Walker kissed me again, slower this time, his hand sliding up into my hair as he pulled me closer. The heat between us built quickly, both of us breathing a little heavier now."You're gonna be the death of me, woman," he muttered down at my now bare chest. His lips kissed my skin , paying close attention to each breast.  "Good," I teased softly with my hand running through his dark hair.  His laugh rumbled against my lips as he rolled slightly toward me, pulling me with him. "Get them damn things off" I pleaded to him as my fingers shoved his boxers away from his thighs. He was quick to nuzzle his face into my neck. His hands already gripping the back of my thighs as they wrapped around his waist. A gasp is all I could let out when his warm hard flesh shoved into my warm small core. He groaned. "Mhm!" My hand grasped the pillow below my head. My toes curling at his girth. "Ohh...shit" I whimpered. His hands held himself up beside my head. One hand grasped my jaw gently to look at him. "You okay mama.."me grunted "tell me mama" he smooched my lips sweetly. "Uh huh" I whimpered "I like it" I gasped softly which a strong grip on his forearms. "Yeah?" He moved swifter now, his hips bucking quicker but still so sweet and gentle. His hand rose, placing his grip to the headboard above my head. My hands slid down his body as I watched his girth pump in and out..in and out. "Oh... walk.." I moaned breathlessly up to him. His face was so satisfied.  It was a  breathtaking scene. He was so thick my toes were curling, my nails were scratching. "Is that good baby?" He asked as his thumb rubbed my bottom lip. I yelped out a moan "god! It's so big!" I growled as my hands clawed at his hips "mhm!" He leaned down to my neck as his kissed the skin "take it mama.. take it" I grunted from straight pleasure "I'll fuckin take it!" I whimpered. "Holy...sssshit!" I my head shot back with pure loved, pure bliss. His big meaty arms wrapped around my skull as he moaned in my ear. He was so hot. So unbelievably hot. He held me in a flesh cocoon as I moaned his name even louder. "Harder walker! Fuck me! Harder" I begged. That was always his sweet spot. My dirty words. That was his weakness. I can hear him moaning "yeah.. ugh! Yeah baby" ....

And just as things were starting to get... serious—

The bedroom door creaked open.

"Daddy?"

Walker froze.

I froze.We both turned our heads slowly toward the doorway. Patsy stood there in her little pajamas, hair sticking up in every direction, clutching her stuffed horse.Her sleepy eyes blinked at us."Why are you two yelling?"

Walker groaned and dropped his head back onto the pillow after adjusting his boxers back together.  "Oh Lord."

I scrambled upright, pulling the blanket up around myself while trying not to laugh, trying not to expose too much ."We're not, baby," I said.

Patsy tilted her head suspiciously "you're wrestling" she said. I shook my head "no..not wrestling"

Walker dragged a hand down his face, already defeated. "You couldn't have waited five more minutes?" he muttered to the ceiling. I glanced at him "five? Really?" Walker looked offended. I snickered.

Patsy padded across the room and climbed right onto the bed between us like she owned the place. "I had a bad dream," she announced."Well that's just terrible timing," Walker grumbled under his breath.I smacked his chest. "Be nice."

He sighed dramatically as Patsy immediately curled up against my side.

Walker looked down at her, then at me."You planned this," he accused quietly."Absolutely," I whispered back.Patsy yawned, completely unaware of the moment she had just ruined. "Can I sleep here?" Walker stared at the ceiling again."Apparently," he said. I smiled and kissed the top of Patsy's head. Walker rolled onto his side facing us, shaking his head with a crooked grin."You know," he murmured to me, "I was really startin' to enjoy wakin' up like that."I smirked. "Tomorrow night." He raised an eyebrow.

"Promise?"Patsy mumbled sleepily between us."Stop whispering."Walker sighed."Yeah," he muttered softly. "Tomorrow night."