8Mara. The morning after is supposed to be soft, gentle, all tangled sheets and lazy kisses, but nothing about us is normal. I wake up to the light leaking through a cracked curtain, slanting gold across Gabriel’s narrow bed. The room smells like sex and rain, humid and alive. I stretch, arms over my head, and roll onto my side, watching Gabriel sleep. For a second I just study him, the stubble on his jaw, the crease between his eyebrows, the way his mouth is relaxed now that he isn’t worrying.Last night is still on my skin. I feel deliciously sore, marked and claimed. I want to curl back into him, but I know I shouldn’t push my luck. The rectory is quiet, but not silent. Someone might be around. It’s thrilling and terrifying at the same time.Gabriel wakes with a slow groan, arm flopping over his eyes. He blinks at me, confused, then smiles when he remembers where he is and who’s in his bed. For a second, he’s just a man, not a priest or a martyr or anyone with secrets. I run my ha
Last Updated : 2026-02-14 Read more