by London Hale
I wasn’t sure how to speak. How to tell him. Didn’t know how to put into words how excited I was. Rumor had just thrown me a lifeline, one that could keep me on the island and in school for months. One that made me feel financially secure enough to take my time finding a new job. Rumor had just made me the happiest girl on earth.
And I wanted Connor to feel the same way.
“I missed you,” I said, as I tossed the envelope onto the table behind him. No sense explaining that right off the bat, not when he was already so concerned. Not when we had something to celebrate.
“I missed you, too, but that doesn’t answer—”
He didn’t get to finish his sentence because I yanked him down and pressed my mouth to his. It took him a second to respond, but once he did, he took over. Grabbing my ass, pulling me against him, groaning into a deepening kiss as he slid his tongue against mine.
“Want you,” I said when we broke apart. And my God, did I. He looked so amazing in that uniform with his cheeks pink from being out in the cold. So delicious.
I tugged him toward the couch, unbuckling his belt as we moved. There was no use waiting—I was wet for him, had been since the moment he walked in. I just had to get him naked.
Connor caught up with me quickly. He shrugged off his coat, his cold hands then moving to lift the shirt I was wearing. Stumbling, rough and greedy with our hands, we stripped each other as best we could. My need had become a wild thing, an energy all its own. A desire I couldn’t restrain. When we reached the couch, I shoved him down and crawled on top of his legs, unable to wait a second more than I absolutely had to. This was my show, my turn, my happiness to give. My relief to share.
“What’s going on with you?” Connor asked, staring up at me, giving me that lazy sort of smile that made my heart flutter for him. His shirt was half unbuttoned, his white undershirt hiding his chest from me. Still, I ran my hands over the fabric, pressing hard, massaging. Needing to touch him.
“I got good news today.” I reached down to where his pants lay on the floor and pulled a condom from his wallet. He’d said he didn’t need to carry them anymore since we stayed home so much—whether he stashed them in his wallet or in the drawer next to the bed, he didn’t see how it mattered. I’d reminded him we could have sex wherever we wanted if he had one with him. That had convinced him to keep one on him at all times, which was coming in handy.
Connor held on to my hips as I sheathed his cock, as I rocked over his thigh. He moaned and grabbed for me, and I followed his tug, making sure to run my fingers over his balls as I climbed up the length of his body. His groan was deep, his eyes hooded and lust-filled, and I was ready for him. Always. Every time.
“Lo,” he whispered as I moved up and held the base of his cock.
“Be with me, Connor. Just be with me.”
When he nodded, I slid down, taking him inside me, joining us together. Finally. There was something so tension-filled about those first moments together, so restrained but wild. He’d rock just enough to slide deep inside me, and I’d hang on to whatever part of him I could grab. Adjusting to him, taking him in. Readying myself for what was to come. He was huge, my Connor. Long and thick in a way that both smarted and felt so good. And the man knew how to move, knew how to use more than his hard cock to work my body over.
With a groan, Connor thrust up, his hands on my hips and holding me in place. His cock pushing deeper inside of me. So deep, I never wanted him to leave. Never wanted him to move, but that wouldn’t happen. Didn’t happen. The man worked for every ounce of my pleasure and his, rolling his hips, pushing up with his legs, using his arms to move my body on him. He was a goddamned fucking machine, and I was the lucky girl who got to handle him every day.
Our sex wasn’t slow or sweet; it wasn’t rough, though, either. It was messy and slightly awkward on such a small couch, but it was us. He gave me everything he had, always so considerate and attentive in his affections. Always so present when we were together. I tried to return that to him, to earn his care with my own. I rode him hard, rocking and bouncing and leaning back so I could take as much of his cock as possible. Working my hips and squeezing the muscles inside to give him everything I had. Everything he needed.
But Connor never just took. No. He was a giver, especially in our sex life. Connor played with my tits, my clit, rubbing my legs, spreading my pussy so he could watch me take all of him. He muttered obscene things about my body—how wet I was for him, how swollen and tight. How he loved watching my tits bounce, how he wanted to fuck me from behind so he could see my ass turn red from his hands on me. He was so totally in the moment, so beyond noticing anything other than the two of us, and that was all because of me. Because of us. Because of our connection. My filthy fucking savior.
And when I came, when I called his name as I clenched around his cock, I knew there would never be anyone else for me. No man could ever make me feel as beautiful and as cared for as Connor did; no other person could ever make me feel so loved. He was my knight in shining armor, my prince, and my best friend. I certainly didn’t deserve him, but I was going to do my best to earn him.
With one final swerve of my hips and an arch off the couch from him, Connor groaned and finally surrendered to his own orgasm. He held me close as his body went rigid under mine, pulling me down so we had more contact. Thrusting deep one last time as he practically growled through his release.
As his entire body seemed to seek out ways to touch mine.
As he whispered my name like a chant.
Perfect…and mine.
Lola lay boneless on my chest, her panting breaths matching mine as I trailed my fingers up and down the length of her back. Jesus, I could get used to this, coming home and being met with my girl ready to fuck, pouncing on me as soon as I walked through the door. Except for one problem: we weren’t at home—or where I’d started to think of as home, anyway.
She’d been staying with me since the night I’d found her on the mainland, and I’d enjoyed every single second of it. I loved seeing her face when I walked through the door after a long shift. Loved that she’d always greet me with a bright smile, that dimple popping out. Loved that she’d sometimes greet me with that smile and one of her delicious as hell meals—like she wanted to take care of me. Loved holding her as we fell asleep. Loved waking to her head nestled on my chest, her hand resting on my stomach, legs entangled with mine. Like she couldn’t quite get close enough—a sentiment I understood.
But she hadn’t greeted me at my place.
Walking into the four-plex after my shift and seeing her door wide open had almost sent me into cardiac arrest, my mind going immediately back to that evening in the alley, pulling that asshole off her. The bone-deep fear for her safety had nearly choked me. And then she’d been standing there, happy and glowing, and that panic had eased somewhat. Anything that could make my girl smile like that couldn’t be all bad.
The unease was back, though. Did she come down here every day while I was at work? The thought of her here without me when I hadn’t yet been able to replace her locks killed me. Between work and spending ninety percent of the remaining time inside Lola, I hadn’t made it a priority. And now here she was, in her poorly secured apartment, all because I hadn’t gotten my shit together to fix it for her. Having her down here—especially when I wasn’t with her to do a sweep of the place first—made me twitchy as fuck given her history.
Still, she was safe now. In my arms.
I pressed a kiss against her forehead. “Not that I’m complaining, but what was that all about?”
Her cheek lifted against my chest, her smile so bright I could actually feel it. “I got good news today. I figured I could share my joy.”
I laughed, reaching down to get a handful of her bare ass and squeezing. “You definitely shared it. But as distracting as your body is, don’t think I’ve forgotten about the fact that you were down here with the door wide open.”
She lifted her head, brought her hands
to my chest, and settled her chin on top of them. Her smile dimming the tiniest bit.
Reaching out, I brushed a strand of hair back from her face. “You wanna tell me what the good news is?”
With a nod, she said, “My ex-boss sent me a graduation present. It’s enough to pay my rent and tuition while I find a new job.”
I frowned, the thought of her worrying about something as trivial as money squeezing my chest. Didn’t she know by now that I’d do whatever I needed to—work overtime or get another job—to make sure she was happy? “Have you been worried about money?”
“Of course. Tuition is expensive, and rent needs to be paid every month. I don’t want to be homeless.”
“Beautiful, you know I’d never let you be homeless.” Honestly, it was dumb as hell that she even had this place. She spent ninety-nine percent of her time in my apartment. And that was one percent less than it’d be if I had my way. The idea of being at work, knowing she was safe at home…our home? Knowing she’d actually chosen to make a home with me? I’d be the happiest asshole in the world. “You know there’s a really easy solution to that, right?”
“Oh yeah? And what’s that?”
“You’re on a month-to-month lease, aren’t you?”
“Yeah. I didn’t want to deal with the whole background check thing just in case.”
“Well, it’s almost the end of the month. So maybe you terminate your lease.” I smiled at the confusion showing on her face, how her brow drew tight, the corners of her mouth curving down. I reached up and smoothed the lines on her forehead. “Maybe you just move in with me instead.”
She froze for a moment then her eyes went wide, and she pressed her lips together, like she was attempting to contain her smile. “Are you sure you’re ready for that?”
Grabbing her ass with both hands, I hauled her up my body so I could kiss her. Here I thought I’d been completely transparent in my feelings for her, and she was worried it was too soon for me? Against her lips, I said, “If I had my way, you’d already be there.”
She finally let that smile break free, her eyes sparkling with happiness. As quickly as it appeared, though, it fell from her face, seriousness taking over. “I’d want to pay my way. I won’t be your charity case.”
I had to work hard not to roll my eyes—I knew that wouldn’t go over well. “You’re not a burden, Lo. Could never be, even if you couldn’t pay your way. I get why you want to—respect the hell out of you for it.”
“Connor, I—”
I stopped her with a finger pressed to her lips. “But even if you can’t, that doesn’t matter to me. It doesn’t.”
“It should.”
She still didn’t get it. She was so independent. So fucking strong. Had worked hard to provide for herself for so long, and I loved that about her. Loved her determination and tenacity. Loved that she didn’t need me to take care of her, but she let me. Allowed me that honor. It only made her stronger in my eyes. Only made me love her more.
And there was no getting around that…no avoiding it any longer. Sometime in the two years of our friendship, I’d fallen and I’d fallen hard. Now that she was mine? Forget it.
“It doesn’t matter. Not with us. Not with you. There’s not going to be some kind of tally between us. That’s not how this is gonna work. I know you’d do the exact same thing for me, because that’s how we are. I love you, and I’ll always take care of what’s mine, all right?”
She froze, her entire body stiffening. Shit, was it too soon? We’d only officially been together for like a week, but that didn’t take into account the hundreds of days we’d shared prior to that. Didn’t take into account hours upon hours we’d spent in each other’s company, slowly falling in love during movies and shared pizza, tucked away in one of our apartments.
Before I could worry too much, she bit her bottom lip as a smile curved her mouth until she couldn’t contain it. Until her dimple winked at me. When Lo was happy, her entire face lit up. In the time we’d known each other, I’d made it my mission to make her as happy as I could, whenever I could. And right then? She was beaming.
“All right,” she said.
Returning her smile, I tugged her closer, nipping at her bottom lip. “All right? As in, yes, you’ll move in?”
She laughed against my lips. “Yes, I’ll move in with you.”
With a groan, I took her mouth in a kiss, sliding my tongue against hers. Needing her closer than she was. She moaned into my mouth, grinding down on my already hard cock. I wanted nothing more than to slip inside her again, watch her as she rode me until she came all over me. Later. I’d just had her, so I could wait a couple hours to fuck her again. What I wanted right then was to take her out. Celebrate the step we were going to take.
I slowed my kisses, stilling her rocking hips with firm hands.
“Why are you stopping?” She pressed her lips out in a pout.
My laugh turned into a groan when she ground her pussy against me. “Believe me, I don’t want to. But I think this calls for a celebration. How about we go out to El Placer? Margaritas and tortas and showing off my girl.”
The smile dropped from her face as quickly as a light shutting off. “I don’t know. What if…” She paused, looking down at her fingers as they traced circles on my chest before meeting my eyes. “I don’t want to run into anyone.”
I didn’t know if her fear came from being recognized, or from being manhandled by a previous client. Didn’t matter. I’d make sure she was safe. “Lo…I’m not tossing you out to the wolves. I’d be with you, and you know I’d never let anything happen. You can’t hide away for the rest of your life.”
She blew out a breath and pushed back, resting her elbows on my chest. “I know, I’m just not ready yet. I don’t want to leave our happy little bubble. And people come from the mainland for El Placer. There’s more of a chance at someplace so touristy.”
For a moment, I studied her, taking in the set of her shoulders, how the sparkle in her eyes had dimmed, the smile falling from her face. Hating that I’d taken away a bit of her happiness, but also knowing she couldn’t spend the rest of her life tucked away in the apartment. Even if it was one we shared.
Relenting—for now—I said, “All right. Tonight, we’ll get takeout instead. Watch Weekend at Bernie’s. How’s that sound?”
She smiled and pressed her lips to mine. “My favorite. You know my weaknesses.”
I slipped my hand over her ass, trailing down between her legs until the wetness of her pussy met my fingers.
Groaning, she arched against me, lifting her ass and presenting herself to me. “See?”
“To be fair, I’ve always known tacos and comedies were your weaknesses. Figuring out having my tongue all over your pussy was another one is a fairly new development.”
Her laughter turned into a moan when I slipped a finger inside her, then added another. She rocked against me, thrusting back while I fucked her with my fingers, rubbing her clit against the head of my cock. Mouth open, eyes closed, cheeks flushed, she was halfway to her next orgasm already.
I brushed my lips along her jaw, sucking at the place just below her ear that always made her go crazy. “And next week,” I whispered against her skin, “we can go to The Beerhive and test out the waters. All friendly faces there, promise.”
She pulled back, her eyes snapping open, and looked down at me. Even as she continued to rock against my hand, she pouted. “It’s not fair to ask me that now.”
I grinned, pushing my fingers deep. “I know.”
She groaned, her eyes fluttering closed. “Fine, whatever. Now will you make me come?”
“Greedy girl, aren’t you? You just came all over my cock, and now you wanna come all over my fingers?” But still, I gave her what she wanted, using one firm hand on her hip to guide her movements as she rocked over me, the other pumping my fingers inside her.
She worked herself faster over me, pressing down against the head of my cock as she stilled over me, her
whole body going taut, mouth open, head thrown back. “Connor…”
Jesus, hearing my girl say my name while she shuddered on top of me, her pussy squeezing my fingers as she came? Didn’t know if there was a better feeling in the world.
“That’s it, beautiful. Love making you come.”
I kissed her temple, using soft touches to bring her down until she was once again boneless on my chest, her contented sigh filling the otherwise quiet space.
Recalling her doubt over going to the bar, I tightened my arms around her, wanting to offer her reassurance. “You know that even if there weren’t friendly faces at the bar, I have your back, right?”
“I know.” She tilted her head to look up at me, smiling. “And I love you for it.”
I’d been wrong. Hearing her tell me she loved me while lying naked in my arms was the best feeling in the world. I leaned forward and nipped her lips, unable to contain my smile. “If we don’t get upstairs right now to get you food, I’m going to fuck you again.”
“I’m not sure I see the problem here,” she said, just as her stomach rumbled with an ungodly sound.
“Your monster of a stomach is the problem.”
She laughed, swatting at my chest as she pushed up and off me, gathering our clothes so we could get dressed. The only thing that placated me as I watched her cover up her gorgeous body was knowing she’d be naked again as she fell asleep next to me tonight…and every night for the foreseeable future.
Once she’d gathered up a few things, including the envelope with her graduation present in it, we headed out. As I shut the door behind us, it only reminded me of exactly what I’d come upon earlier. I tugged at her hand as she walked up the steps in front of me, heading toward my—our—apartment. “Lo…for my sanity, I really need to know why you were in your apartment with your door open.”
She didn’t stop, didn’t even glance back at me. “I was getting my mail.”