Epilogue - Four Months Later
Clint
There was a fatal flaw in my plan I’d failed to realize.
Construction season in Canada lasted only until the snow flies.
Then the amount of work flagging dwindles to almost nothing.
Luckily, I had already completed my heavy-duty equipment training by the time the highway switched seasons.
Unfortunately, I could only find casual work driving a snow plow.
I sat at my still-rickety kitchen table with a stack of bills in front of me and tried to make one plus one equal seven in the assets column. I expected a pang of regret to hit me for not having gone back to my old life, but it didn’t come.
Once I had made up my mind about not going back, I’d had to explain my decision to my mother and my father.
Mom wasn’t that concerned about it. My father was still convinced he would get out of the charges and hell, maybe he still would.
It wouldn’t be on my dime though. He had enough friends in high places to sort out his sins without me, including Mark.
Mark had gone to work for Kingston Financial Group a few weeks after Jessie got the supervisor job.
They could have him.
Besides, with Jessie at the helm the little worksite on the Coquihalla didn’t need Mark. She was kicking ass, just like I knew she would.
Unfortunately, I still had reality to deal with.
Insurance and short term disability money had kept me afloat until my ankle had healed.
Then I’d worked the rest of the season flagging.
There was still some work flagging for vehicle accidents.
That combined with my casual work driving equipment had money coming in, but not reliably.
At least I had real friends now to let me know about work opportunities and pick me up when I fell.
And I had Jessie.
As if my thoughts had summoned her, she came through the door with her lunch kit in one hand and a bag of groceries in the other.
Unlike me, she had a consistent job through the winter.
I watched her take her scarf, hat and winter coat off to reveal the curvy figure underneath.
She kissed me hello before turning her attention to the papers in front of me. “Never enough money is there?”
I sighed and pulled her into my lap. “No, but I’ll make it work.”
She pressed her soft lips to the side of my neck. “I know a stress relief method that is totally free.” She kissed her way down to my collarbone. “If you’re interested.”
This woman drove me crazy in the best possible ways. “Sounds perfect.”
“I need a shower first,” she said.
I rolled my hips against her ass so she could feel my hardening length.
“Mmm, feels like you are ready to go now.”
“For you? Always,” I stood, wrapping my arms around her middle to take her with me.
She squeaked, tightening her arms around my neck and securing her legs around my waist.
I walked down the hallway with her clinging to me, past the dresser where she’d first ogled my ass, and into the bathroom.
I put her on the counter and brought my lips to hers, kissing her hungrily, my tongue diving into her mouth.
She met me with the same passion, chest pressing against mine, hands sliding up to cup my face.
“Alright, let’s get you clean, then dirty, then clean again. ”
We both hurriedly stripped down to nothing.
Once we were both under the water, I started to wash her skin. She was a hard worker, and I liked to take care of her in any way I could. Spoiling her with expensive dates and gifts wasn’t an option. Not that Jessie would want that.
I ran a cloth over her arms and back, but got distracted once I came to her breasts. I leaned in and lavished kisses over her bare skin. “How do you taste so good?”
She shivered under my touch.
“We need to get done in this shower so we can finish what we started.”
We managed to make it to the bed, skin still wet from the shower. Jessie leaned over, grabbing a bottle of lube from the night stand and tossed it to me. “How do you want me?” she asked coyly, leaning against the mattress.
I grabbed our pillows and tossed them aside. “Hands and knees.”
Jessie was a power house of a person.
Strong, confident and capable.
She had accepted me as a partner in life.
Normally, I was happy to let her take the lead, with one exception.
When it came to the bedroom she liked when I told her what to do.
When I praised her and worshiped her and brought us both pleasure.
I think she liked not having to make every decision after a lifetime of solving problems.
She did as I asked, positioning herself on her hands and knees before glancing at me over her shoulder.
“Fuck, you look good. All ready for me.” I grabbed the lube bottle and slicked myself up, reaching between her legs to apply the rest to her already wet heat. When she got the lube out, I knew she wanted it hard.
I lined myself up behind her, in a way I couldn’t when I’d still had the cast on my ankle. I teased at her entrance with the head of my cock until she made a sound of pleasure and pushed back against me. “So eager, baby.”
In one motion, I slid into her until I was buried to the hilt. I froze for a moment, reveling in the feel of her body wrapped around me, gripping me tightly. “You feel so good.”
She hummed her approval and rested her head on the mattress between her arms.
I planted a kiss on the back of her shoulder and then started to move.
I pulled out then snapped my hips forward, and she pushed back against me, meeting my thrust with one of her own. “Goddamn, Jessie. I love fucking the stress out of you.” I emphasized the words with another snap of my hips and when she let out a low moan, I let loose.
There was a familiarity in the way we moved, in the feel of her body surrounding mine.
I knew how she liked it and she wasn’t shy about expressing what she needed.
I could feel a burn build in my legs and a line of sweat form on my forehead.
None of that slowed my movements. Pleasure was building at the base of my spine, setting fire to my skin and from the way Jessie’s moans were getting louder, I knew she was close, too.
“You going to come for me? Or do you need more?”
She shook her head back and forth where it rested against the sheet. “Just don’t stop.”
I kept my rhythm steady, even as my balls tightened against my body and my limbs threatened to turn to Jell-o.
“So close,” she moaned, sliding a hand under her body to circle her bundle of nerves.
“Fuck, yes. Let me feel it.”
At my words, she stiffened around me, her core vibrating, her inner muscles squeezing around my dick.
I couldn’t hold out another minute and before her aftershocks were over, I was filling her up with my release. I slowed my movements, enjoying every wave of pleasure that washed over me, until the last shudder.
With both of us spent, I slid out of her and collapsed onto my side. She did the same and I wrapping an arm around her, pulling her into my chest. I was breathless, sweaty and exhausted, but happy to be that way.
She kissed my shoulder and nuzzled into my neck where my pulse was still beating wildly. “Not a bad way to relieve a little stress.”
“If I could just figure out how to pay my bills, I’d be set.”
She cleared her throat. “I had an idea about that, actually.”
“Oh?” I pulled back enough that I could see her face.
She nodded. “What would you say if I told you I knew how to cut your travel expenses and rent in half?”
“I’d say I love you even more than I already did, but I’d also question if what you’re suggesting is legal.”
She laughed. “How much do you love me?”
I pulled her tighter against my side. “More than money, power, influence and a car that actually runs.”
She smirked. “Move in with me. Ditch the apartment, and sell your car. We can share one vehicle and split the rent on my place.” She held her breath and waited for my reply as if it would be anything but fuck yes.
“Are you serious?”
She nodded.
I peppered kisses all over her face. “Of course, I want to live with you. Are you sure you’re ready for that?”
We already spent most nights together, but I had avoided bringing up living together. She was still having a hard time removing herself from her mom and sister’s financial mess, and I didn’t want her to see me as another problem to fix.
Her face softened. “I do. We’re always together anyway, and besides, I want a life with you. Why not work together to get ahead?”
Her declaring that she wanted to be with me, not just dating but living together, sharing bills and burdens, sun rises and sun sets confirmed that every decision I had made since handcuffs were clicked around my father’s wrists were the right ones.
I had less than I’d ever had in my life but with her in my arms, I was richer than I had ever been.