Dominic's body hurt. He used to train with professional martial artists. He used to do Crossfit, P90X, Peloton, or whatever was in trend at the moment. And he used to challenge staff to regular games of basketball or soccer. Yet, despite all that, none of it prepared him for long grueling days of chopping down and hauling firewood, tending to the crops in the garden, and foraging for food in the woods.

"You're so tense today," said Elaina as the movie they were watching rolled out the credits.

It was June, but to Dominic's displeasure, Washington had significantly different weather than his sunny San Francisco home. Despite the summer solstice being only a few days away, he still found himself bundled up beneath a blanket in heavy flannel pajamas to keep him warm. Of course, that also meant Elaina spent every night snuggled up against him, so he had that going for him.

"I only wore my suede jacket when I went foraging and no thermals," he groaned, though he didn't mind how Elaina's hand massaged his thigh during her inspection of his constricted muscles. "It's June, dammit, I shouldn't have to be wearing five layers of clothing to go outside, nor should I have to keep a steady stock of wood to keep this place warm."

"I'm sorry," she responded with a twist of her lips, "but you really only need to wear like three layers, at least more than a t-shirt and a light jacket."

"I..." he started to issue a retort, but when he turned to see a playful smile dancing along her lips, he bit his words back and refocused his energies on the matter. "I think there was some false advertising about what life was like in this cabin."

"F-false advertising," she stammered, backing away slightly.

He never would have guessed how vulnerable she was given her demeanor when they first met, but once they settled into a life together, her walls crumbled and Dominic relished in the new side of Elaina that he was discovering. It was fun to know he could be the mischievous one sometimes.

He leaned in and continued. "Yeah, false advertising, and I think that as repayment for this deplorable behavior, you owe me a massage for my trouble."

She blinked for a moment as she realized his intentions were more devious than hostile. Once she had adjusted to this new understanding, a vicious smirk returned to her lips.

"Well, you big lug, if you want the full body treatment, you're going to have to spread out on the floor because you are way too damn big for this sofa." She gave him a playful shove as he rolled onto the ground with a groan.

"If you say so," he replied with fake grumbles in his voice, though he did resent the need to remove the blanket's warmth from his body. Not that he wouldn't have other means of heat to keep him warm in the very near future.

"Let's start with your back, shall we?" Elaina directed him to his stomach so that his cheek rested on the plush rug that Walt had replaced months ago. It was warm and soft, and with the lights low and the day near its end, he was tempted to doze off right there. However, when a pair of legs squeezed against either side of his torso and a pair of hands ran up his back, curving over his shoulders, he knew dozing off was no longer an option.

The massage started off well enough. She was no trained masseuse, but she got the gist of long, smooth motions that traced the muscles of his back as well as applying firm pressure on his shoulders to loosen them up. She moved around him as she worked, spending time on his arms, legs, and feet. At one point she massaged his buttocks, but he could tell by the way her hands moved, she wasn't looking to get him riled up.

Perhaps she really is just going to give me a massage, he thought to himself as sleep beckoned once again. I'll just have to thank her for it tomorrow morning after some much needed...

His thoughts were cut short when he felt a pair of soft breasts pressing into his back and a pair of equally soft lips brushing over his skin, teasing the hairs on his neck.

"It's time for you to flip over for the second half of your massage," she whispered in his ear before nipping his earlobe with her teeth.

Thanks to her hard work, he managed to flip over with lightning speed. However, despite his eagerness, Elaina stepped away for a moment to retrieve something from the kitchen.

"Your shirt better be off by the time I get back there," she said, shuffling a few items around before procuring a jar.

Despite his curiosity over what she was dipping her fingers into on her way back to the living room, he was quick to follow orders and, despite the cold, tore off the t-shirt he often slept in.

"Shall we?" she asked, straddling either side of him while rubbing her hands together so they glistened in the low light.

"I'm all yours," he replied, swallowing hard as she lowered her hips onto his, pressing her core against his growing desire.

Without another word, she slid her hands up his chest, dragging the scent of coconut with her. She leaned over once she reached his shoulders, splaying her fingers across his skin before pulling back. She ground herself against him, rocking back and forth with each new stroke up his body. As time went on, his skin became so slick with the oil on her fingers that she could slide up and down with such speed that the friction against his more sensitive areas nearly sent him soaring into oblivion. It was time some of that oil made it to his lower territories.

He reached out and grabbed hold of her thighs, his nails digging in as he fought back a shudder of longing.

"Love, you're going to have to take those hands elsewhere. We're building up some road rash here."

"My apologies," she replied with a less than apologetic smirk. "Here, as compensation for your discomfort, I'll offer you this special upgrade to your massage." She gave him a wink before pulling her shirt overtop of her head, revealing a pair of naked breasts and a smooth stomach.

A hungry growl curled in his throat as she leaned down, dragging the erect tips of her breasts over his chest before diving in for a kiss on his neck.

"Hang in there, this massage isn't over yet," she whispered.

"We'll see about that," he replied through gritted teeth.

Sliding back down, she shuffled her weight towards his knees before placing her palms on either side of his cock. From there, her thumbs massaged the base of his shaft while her fingers made their way up to the waistband of his pants. Hooking her fingertips under the bands of his pants and briefs, she gave him one last playful smirk before tearing the clothing down and revealing him to the chill air of the cabin. He worried for a moment about how his anatomy may react to weather that was far too cold for June, but in the space of a breath, her hands were on him, running up and down his length with ease thanks to the delectable coconut oil coating her palms.

He groaned with desire, his back arching as her fingers encircled the tip before giving a bit of a twist and then dragging down his length once again. She continued pumping, sliding, and twisting until he felt himself boiling over. He had enough.

He lurched himself forward, ignoring any pain his abdominals might feel as he rose to meet her. He grabbed her by the shoulders, stopping her hands from continuing their relentless pace.

"The massage is over," he proclaimed, lifting his slight form up with one arm as the other busied itself with freeing her legs from their own clothing. "Now, it's your turn."

He placed one hand on her lower back, keeping her steady as he pressed her hips against his. With his other hand, he gripped the top of her thigh and sent his thumb down into her lips to find the sensitive nub that was already slippery from her contact with his oiled organ.

His hips bucked so that his length ran up and down against her, spreading the oil while coaxing her own juices to add to the delightful slickness between them. She groaned and whimpered with each pass of his thumb around her clit until she pulled his hand away and braced her own hands on his shoulders. Lifting herself up, he guided her back down again, her lips stretching with ecstasy as he entered. She buried her face into his shoulder as he grunted through the sweet friction that came with the repeated bounces of her hungry hips.

Not once during their ride together did she pause to question his desire. Not once did he look to the corner of the room where he had supposedly slit her throat. Both of them knew those wounds would take time to heal. He still fought with his guilt, while she still questioned her effect on him. But those were internal worries that became quieter and quieter with each passing day. As they planted kisses upon each other's lips, as they nuzzled into one another's necks, and as they reached their earth-shattering climax together, those worries were all but silent.

In the aftermath of their collision, neither could deny the true happiness and respect that reflected in their partner's eyes, nor could they deny the purity of the love they felt within their embrace.

"Dom," she said, rubbing her nose against his cheek before planting a soft kiss, "I love you."

He took a deep breath, turning his head so he could meet those dark, enchanting eyes of hers. "I love you too, Elaina."

"I wasn't finished saying what I needed to say," she replied with a devious smirk and a bite of her lip. "I was saying, I love you, but if you just ruined my rug again, you are going to owe me more than a replacement."

"What?" he gasped, lifting her off him and tossing her on to the sofa. "I did not... okay, maybe a little."

She howled with laughter as he joined her up on the couch. There he kissed her again and again until exhaustion finally settled in and they both headed to the loft. Warm and safe in their bed, they fell asleep with anticipation of another chilly June night spent underneath a blanket and cuddled together within the safety of each other's arms.