I slept peacefully; both my body was blissfully relaxed and my mind was calm. If I'd had any dreams, I couldn't remember them.

Light kisses on my shoulders, upper back, and neck woke me up. They were sweet ones, tender ones, and brought me out of a sleepy state with a smile resting on my mouth.

My eyes felt heavy still, and from the soft light shining in through the bedroom windows, I could tell it was still early in the morning.

"Good morning to you too," I laughed softly and gasped when I felt that he was still inside me. His length was deliciously hard.

Had we both kept our positions during the night? It certainly seemed that way. I tightened around him automatically, causing him to groan.

His reaction made me squirm against him, loving the response I was getting from him. He tightened his hold around my hips, keeping me in place.

"Don't make me lose my self-control. I only got so much left in me," Callan grunted. "Right now, I want to take my time with you."

Slow wasn't a pace I was used to, but I was helpless to my own urge to submit. Callan continued giving me soft kisses, nibbling my skin on occasion. It felt good; the build-up was usually fast, but this time it was much more gradual, like tiny sparks expanding slowly into something greater.

When he finally started moving, I was burning with need, which I was sure had been his intention. His piercing rubbed my insides as he pulled out slowly and filled me back up one inch at a time. The pace made me feel so much more strongly with all my attention at his lazy thrusts.

I let out a low moan as he hit the end of me; those sparks of pleasure lit up before dimming down slightly. Again and again, he lit the sparks, and for each time, they grew even more powerful until all my nerve endings came alive.

Callan rocked into me, unhurried, and my body started pushing back automatically, craving for him to fuck me harder. It didn't work. Instead, his grip on me tightened further, holding me completely still–forcing me to take only what he had to give.

"Careful, Bella, you wouldn't want to get punished now, would you?" he breathed into my ear.

That depends on what kind of punishment, I thought; out loud, I asked, "How would you punish me, Sir?"

He chuckled darkly, following my train of thoughts. "The kind you wouldn't like, I assure you." Secure that I wouldn't move, he moved his hand from my hip and cupped one of my breasts, massaging it, and flicked my nipple until it was hard and sensitive.

"Don't hold your orgasm for me. I want to feel you come on my dick," he said huskily.

This orgasm built so slowly, I didn't feel it at first, not until it was upon me. It wasn't the strong, out-of-body pleasure I'd gotten used to. This was a calmer one, though I still felt waves of pleasure move through my entire body. Callan gripped my chin and turned my head to him. With his lips on mine, he swallowed down my moans of bliss.

I gasped against his mouth as he started fucking me harder, racing to his own finish line. His movements became jerky as he came, pumping into me as he washed my insides with his cum.

"Now that is the perfect way to wake up." I smiled even as he gave me one last kiss.

"Something we can agree upon." He pulled out of me and turned me around. Shifting, he laid down on his back and guided my head on his chest. He began playing with my hair, something I noticed he did a lot. I liked to think it was because he simply wanted to touch me, or it made him calm to do so. It certainly made me feel calm.

Cuddling was fast becoming a favorite of mine. It wasn't something I'd had the pleasure of before, but I could now tell how touch-deprived I had been.

"Tell me something about yourself that you haven't told anyone before," Callan whispered. It wasn't really an order; it was more like a request–a wish.

"Hmm." I had to wrack my brain to find something to share with him. There was one thing that came to mind, and it had been something I had been too afraid to say out loud before, like it would come true if I did. "I used to be scared that I wouldn't be able to fall in love."

His hand froze in my hair. "What made you think you wouldn't be able to?"

I shrugged. "I'd never felt it before. I've had plenty of boy friends, as in friends who were boys, but I never had any romantic feelings for them, even if they might've felt something towards me. After over twenty years, I had to start wondering if there was something wrong with me. Not that being aromantic is wrong. It's just not what I want to be."

It had frightened me when I'd first suspected that might be the case. Being aromantic seemed so...lonely.

The thought of not being able to connect with someone on such a deep level was heartbreaking. I'd always wanted to share my life with someone in the same way my parents did. The glow in their eyes when they looked at each other. The way they knew each other so well, they didn't even need to talk to understand what the other person was thinking. The soft goodbye kisses on their way to work and the happy hello kisses when they got back. The smiles of love and the gentle squeeze on the shoulder...I wanted it all, and I'd been terrified I wouldn't have that.

"You said 'used to be scared' are you still scared?" Callan asked, bringing me back to the present– back to us.

"No," I answered honestly. "I'm not scared anymore." Because these men made me feel like I was more than able to love someone like that if I let myself. Somehow, that knowledge was almost scarier. It took a lot of strength and courage to hand over your heart to someone else, especially when you didn't know if they felt something for you in return.

"And why is that?" His chest stopped moving like he was holding his breath and his heart that had calmed down from our earlier exertion sped up again.

I opened my mouth to answer–though I had no idea what to say, it wasn't like I was tough enough to admit my feelings to them–only to be interrupted by the phone. Saved by the ring.

"One second," I said and reached for the phone. With a sigh, I saw that it was from work. Accepting the call, I put the phone to my ear. "Hello?"

"Hi, Emma. It's Agnes. I'm calling to see if you're able to cover Kevin's morning shift? He won't be able to come in today," Agnes asked, straight to the point as she always was.

Looking at the screen, I saw it was only six-thirty am. No wonder I was so tired when Callan woke me up.

"Sure," I answered reluctantly. The last thing I wanted to do was work when I was supposed to get the weekend off, but I always had problems saying no to work. "I might be a little late, but I'll be there as soon as I can."

"That's fine. I'm sure Oliver can manage for a while. I'll let him know. Thank you," she said warmly. We said our goodbyes before hanging up.

"Work?" Callan questioned.

"Yeah..." I affirmed with another sigh.

"Then you should get ready," he nodded, looking disappointed but understanding. "There are clothes for you in the dresser. I'll go make some breakfast for us."

My whole body protested against leaving the bed, but it still had to be done. After a quick shower, I picked out underwear and a pair of jeans. At the last second, I grabbed one of Callan's t-shirts, because let's face it, the baggy ones were much more comfortable than anything else at my disposal. Though, I also wanted to wear it simply because it was his. It made me feel good.

Callan looked pleased at my choice of clothing when he saw me. His eyes heated and he took a step towards me before stopping. I could tell he was holding himself back, knowing we didn't have time to start anything, and I cursed the fact that I had to go to work. I wanted to jump back into bed with him, and have my wicked way with him. It didn't even have to be a bed, it could be on the couch. Or the kitchen table. Or the floor. Or against the wall.

Luckily, I would see him again today, and the other guys as well. Thank God.

We eat breakfast in a hurry and drove to my apartment to get my uniform. I stayed silent throughout the entire ride, saving the energy I knew I would need when working with Oliver. To say I was dreading it would be putting it mildly.