Julian woke me by entering me again.

There was no warning beyond the shift of the mattress and the press of his body between my thighs. I was still half-asleep when he pushed inside, the wetness from the earlier hours making the slide immediate and deep. A sound left my throat before I could stop it. His hand covered my mouth—not roughly, just enough to remind me the house was not empty of staff.

He moved with the same measured control as before, but the pace was slower, almost deliberate in its thoroughness. One of his arms braced beside my head. The other held my hip in place so every...