Did she really feel that comfortable, that safe, with him? The trust implicit in that simple act of falling asleep while they were joined was more profound than any words of love.
Regardless, he didn't disturb her. He decided to wait like this, holding her close, feeling the gentle rise and fall of her chest against his, until she slipped fully into slumber.
Minutes passed in quiet stillness. When he judged by the depth of her breathing that she was in a deep enough sleep, he began to move. Slowly, carefully, he stood, keeping her cradled against him as he rose onto the mattress.
Gentle as a thief in the night, he pulled his now-flaccid shaft out of her.
A soft, wet sound accompanied the withdrawal. Her brow furrowed slightly at the dragging sensation, a tiny, sleepy whimper escaping her lips, but after a moment, she stilled again, lost to her dreams.
