I heard him go into the closet, and I lifted my head when he came back out, anxious to catch a glimpse of his perfect, naked body. But he wasn’t naked. He had removed his nice clothes and was now wearing just a pair of maroon athletic shorts. Um, okay.

He straddled my back, and my first thought was, ooooh, kinky. Then he worked his hands into my hair and started massaging my scalp, starting at the front and working his way back. “That feels amazing, Ax,” I said, burying my forehead in the pillow while leaving space for my nose and mouth to breathe. His long fingers went to my temples and rubbed firmly until I was practically drooling. Then he scraped my hair into a messy ponytail with his fingers and kissed the back of my neck.

Axel leaned over and pumped some lotion into his hand from a container on his nightstand that I hadn’t noticed before. It was a light citrus and vanilla scent, and he leaned forward and whispered in my ear, “This smell always reminds me of you.” I inhaled deeply and realized that it smelled very similar to the body wash I used in college. How had he remembered that?

When his thumbs pressed into my neck and down the tops of my shoulders, I felt like I was melting into the mattress. Over and over, his thumbs and fingers worked their magic until all the tension I held there was alleviated.

Axel’s fingers were strong yet gentle as he rubbed my right bicep and then the ropy muscles of my forearm. He linked his fingers sweetly with mine and used his thumb to massage my palm in mesmerizing little circles. Then he used his slick thumb and fingers to stroke each individual finger slowly and sensuously. He repeated the whole process with the other arm.

He smoothed his hands upward and started working on my shoulder blades and upper back, and I felt something on my neck. Quick, tiny kisses that were so soft they felt like someone was blowing bubbles, and they were popping lightly against my skin. I had never felt so treasured and cared for in my life as his lips continued to shadow the movements of his hands. When his hands reached my lower back, Axel dropped more of the tender kisses across my upper spine.

He was adding more lotion as needed, and soon I was engulfed in the sweet aroma as his hands slicked over my skin. He used the powerful heels of his hands on my lower back, which was extremely tight from all the standing, leaning, pushing, and pulling I had done at work the past few days and nights.