When she lit up the screen he threw an arm over his eyes but then changed his mind when he realized he was missing an opportunity. He squinted one eye open, then the second, Nora’s profile lit in white-blue light, her face scrunched and sleepy and still goddamned sexy. He moved his hand, traced a finger along her spine.

“Four fifty-seven,” she said, setting the phone back down with a clatter before dropping her forehead to his skin. “Late.”

“No,” he protested lazily, stroking outward from her spine, running his fingertips up her side, over the curve formed by the side of her breast. “Early. Not even morning, really.”

She made a funny, disbelieving half snort but then shuddered when he stroked her again. Pretty much it was only his hands and his dick that were fully online, but he could work with that. She could work with that, if she’d only—

“Let me—” She broke off when he got his finger close to her nipple, then sighed, dropping her head to kiss his stomach again. “Let me run to the bathroom first.”

He laughed softly in satisfaction, knowing he had her, and when she slapped playfully at his chest as she climbed out of bed he caught her hand, pressing a kiss in the center of her palm. When she started to walk away he did a small, simple thing, a thing the sleepy part of his brain told him was most natural: he held on to her loosely, a move that was less about keeping her than it was about touching her right up until the last possible second, and she laughed, squeezing his fingers back before letting them trail lightly away from his.

But when she let go, he realized why it seemed so natural.

Where he’d seen it before.

That was what his dad used to do.

Every time his mom left the dinner table, or her spot beside him on the couch. Every time they were out, and she’d walk away from him, only ever for a minute or two. Even when he was sick, his most sick—in bed, in the hospital—he did it. Any time she left his side.

Oh, he was awake now.

He pushed himself up when Nora left the room, then blinked at the brightness cast his way when she flicked on the bathroom light. But as he heard the door creak shut, he was slowly sent into darkness again, a catch in his breath as he tried to shake off that brief, ill-timed trip to his own personal underworld. Waking up this way, that had been a mistake.

With Nora, he had to be more careful.