Pieces of Us

Chapter 26 One Step Closer

Two things.

One: She’s flushed as fuck. I know that look. I’d know that look even if I was blind. She recently had an orgasm. Apart from her skin being pinkened, she oozes of sex.

Two: She is hiding something. I haven’t given her any reason to trust me, but I plan to. It’s only when I have her trust again that I know she’ll open up.

I won’t lie. Both thoughts are jarring, and both thoughts are killing me. Unable to do anything about her secrets, I decide to focus my attention on the way her breath hitches as her eyes involuntarily hone in on my cock. Yeah. I wore the grey sweatpants for a reason. Us men always fucking know what gets the girls going. Thank you to the design gods for creating a pair of pants that make women pant, and that practically tear the pants off all women.

There’s nothing more I want than to sink myself so deep in Amity’s pussy, I practically drown. The caveman in me wishes I could fuck a baby into her just so we’re linked for life, but I know that is definitely not the right way to go about things.

Seeing her taut nipple poke out behind her cock-teasing virginal nightie is testing my willpower. I’m hard as nails and sure as shit could build a house, the way I want to pound into her. Long gone are the thoughts of another heavy conversation shared between us, which I’m thankful for.

I agonisingly groan when she arches her neck, no doubt trying to get rid of the sexual frustration she’s also feeling, among other confusing emotions.

‘Go out with me?’ I plead, wanting—needing?—to have her in my arms again. She perks up, eyeing me suspiciously like she knows I have an alternative agenda. I do. I’m going to get my girl back, no matter what it takes. Jagger be fucking damned.

‘Huh?’

‘Now. Get your sexy ass up and get changed. I’m…hungry.’ She doesn’t miss my innuendo as I leisurely sweep her body up and down.

‘Why should I do anything you say, huh?’ She crosses her arms, shoving her breasts up higher. The sting of my bite in my lower lip is nowhere near as brutal as the torture she’s currently putting me through.

I cock my eyebrow, a smirk forming on my mouth. ‘Because I’m about a second away from tearing into your pussy, your ass and your mouth, and I won’t leave until my cum drips out of every one of your warm, tight holes.’ I’m cocky as shit. I’ve taken a risk, and I’m not sure if it’s going to pay off, but I’m all about honesty these days, and I promised I’d never hide my thoughts or feelings from her again.

Her mouth gapes open perfectly, giving me a pretty look into just how well my cock would slide in there.

‘Up you get, Hart. We both need a time out from all the heaviness. Think of this as a trial for us moving forward.’ I tap her leg to get her scooting.

Leaping off the couch, I hear her lowly mutter that I’m the devil as she slinks away. I tip my head back and cackle. I feel like a king, knowing that she didn’t put up any fight. This means she’s willing and wants to hang out with me too. It’s a heck of a step in the right direction.

As she gets ready, I pin myself to the couch, flicking through emails. Some time later, she steals my breath as she re-enters the living space. She’s the epitome of sunshine in a paisley dress that is bursting with yellows, oranges and reds. While she always reminds me of the sun, in this moment she also reminds me of a phoenix rising from the ashes. I didn’t know one outfit could draw so much sentimental shit in me, but it fucking does. Her tempting curves are highlighted by the low neckline and strappy strings while her ass fills out the short part perfectly. My hands itch to map out all her new lines. Her dainty gold chain thongs awaken my Amity-only foot fetish with each step she saunters towards me. Her face is bare and beautiful while her hair is wild and scrunched up on the top of her head, fastened by a bandana matching her dress that she’s tied into a 50s-style bow.

Tonight is going to be a long night indeed.

‘Stop drooling and let’s go, Linc.’ She claps her hands as I tear my fist away from my mouth.

There’s a lightness to her that I haven’t seen since she’s been back, and for the first time in a long time, hope flickers in my chest.

A while later, we find ourselves at Miami Marketta. If we didn’t know where we were, it could be virtually anywhere, like the back streets of Thailand, Barcelona or New York. Any and every global street food is at our fingertips. I know it’s the perfect place to take Amity, since it wasn’t here when she left all those years ago. It’s also jam-packed like a can of sardines, so she’ll be a bit more inconspicuous.

The car ride over was quiet but not uncomfortable. When I snuck a glance, I could see she was taking in the familiar yet unknown sights around her. New buildings, restaurants and even something as mundane as roads have sprung up in her absence. The Gold Coast has expanded and moved on, but I never have.

I could have put the top down on my car, but her scent is intoxicating, and I want it to permeate my car. Somehow, she always smells sweet.

‘Want me to let you out so you don’t have to walk?’ I ask as we approach the entrance. She gives me a bizarre look as if my chivalrous behaviour is uncommon.

‘No?’

Sheepishly, I blurt why I offered. ‘Billie hated walking and always made me drop her off.’ It’s a thousand degrees outside, but I believe I just doused the car in liquid nitrogen, because I can feel Amity’s glacial stare pierce through me.

‘I’m nothing like her. When have I ever been that pretentious?’ It’s true. Nothing ever fazed her when we were growing up.

‘I know, baby. I’m sorry. I just. Tonight is a big deal for me,’ I huff, sagging in my seat as I scope out for street parking. ‘I’m so on edge. I don’t want to fuck this…date up.’ I’m so desperate for her to see a future with me, I’ll do anything she asks.

She’s oscillating between reigning in her default mode towards me and telling me off, and giving me grace. Biting the inside of her cheek, I can tell she really doesn’t want to say what’s on the tip of her tongue, which is that this isn’t a date.

Sighing, she lets it go. ‘It’s okay, Linc. Let’s just find a park and eat. This place is a vibe.’

It takes ten more minutes of circling the block to find a spot, and unlike before, the energy feels off. I can see the wheels turning in Amity’s head, like she’s second-guessing being alone with me. Luckily, that energy dissipates when we enter the foodie market. Instantaneously, we’re hit with an aroma of flavours from all corners of the world. The carnival and carts of food are mouthwatering, the crowds are jovial and the eclectic music is upbeat.

‘Want to check them all out before we decide?’ I bump her shoulder with mine.

‘You bet.’ Her eyes sparkle as she peruses each stall. It’s like she’s won the lottery when she spots the simplest of stalls—the fairy floss one. I briefly wonder when the last time she had fairy floss was. If her svelte figure is anything to go by, well before we ever broke up.

I’ll love every version of Amity, but I can’t help the bottomless pit in my stomach when it comes to why she felt the need to lose any weight. Deep down in this abyss, I know the answer. I just don’t want to face it just yet. Ignorance is bliss, right?

‘I haven’t had fairy floss in years,’ she murmurs, unable to peel her eyes away from the sugary spun goodness.

I vow to change that tonight.

‘Let’s add it to our list for later.’

‘Oh, no. I couldn’t.’ She isn’t talking to me. It’s like she’s talking to her inner self, debating the consequences.

‘Sure you can. We are. No ifs or buts about it. How about dinner first and dessert later?’ I steer her away from the trance she’s in, looking at the young girl behind the cart, spinning the sugar in the machine. ‘I’m thinking fish tacos, a kebab and some paella?’ I rub my hands together, eager to sample a variety.

She shoots me a stare as if to tell me I’m crazy. ‘I think I’ll just have a couple of the rice paper rolls over there?’ She motions to where she passed them.

‘Aw, come on! You probably live off those things!’ It’s meant as a joke, but she sighs dejectedly, averting her gaze to the floor. ‘I’m sorry. I’m being a dick. It’s…just hard to reconcile this version of you when all I’ve ever known is…my version.’

‘I know, Linc. So much has changed. I just—I try to be healthy now, because I can’t afford to get sick with my job.’ Her reason is bullshit, but I’m not about to call her out on it because she’s obviously struggling to tell me the truth. ‘How about a compromise?’

Colour me curious. I cock an eyebrow for her to continue.

‘You let me eat my rice paper roll and we’ll get some fairy floss.’

I’m ecstatic with that trade off, especially if I play my cards right and get to taste it on her lips. My dick jolts at the thought of licking the sweetness right from her mouth. My tongue nudges the inside of my cheek to force me to keep these salacious thoughts to myself. She sees straight through me, grinning wickedly before she winks at me and walks away.

This is good.

She’s flirting.

She’s joking.

She’s opening up.

She’s one step closer to being mine again.

‘I’m a growing boy,’ I shrug as I stuff the last of my taco in my mouth. Licking off the sour cream that’s sliding down my hand, I don’t miss how Amity’s eyes travel the path of my tongue.

‘You’re definitely not a growing boy,’ she laughs, throwing me a napkin. I can see there’s a hunger in her eyes. A hunger I thought had been extinguished.

‘I think I ate my weight’s worth in food,’ I grumble, patting my stomach. Amity finished her measly two rolls half an hour ago, and has been dutifully and patiently waiting for me to stop pigging out.

‘No room for dessert, then?’

‘Baby, there’s always room for dessert.’ I look at her over lasciviously, seeing a blush creep over her cheeks.

The band is taking a break, filling the arena with tunes from the radio. As I’m about to get up, notes to the start of one of our songs start playing. The strum of the guitar and melodic keys of a piano begin the introduction of Red Jumpsuit Apparatus’ ‘Your Guardian Angel’. I freeze and watch as a kaleidoscope of emotions cross over Amity’s face as a lump swells in her throat.

‘Dance with me, Hart,’ I whisper, extending my hand to help her off the stool.

This might just be the most cheesy, unconventional move I’ve ever made, but I myself am overcome with sentiment. When we both hear it, our souls attach to it. Each and every lyric is the very depth of what I feel for Amity. I thoroughly fucked us up, and I know hearing it again will set off a chain of good and bad memories.

Still, she doesn’t hesitate to take my hand. Placing it in mine, I silently vow to never let her go again. There is a whirl of crazy chaos around us—chatter, kids and a myriad of sights and sounds of cooking—but all of it fades into the background with Amity in my arms again.

We don’t dance but more sway together, our hearts pounding beneath our chests. It’s a heavy, momentous, heart-achingly tender moment we’re in, and it’s devastatingly beautiful. As the song comes to an end, I kiss her forehead. A simple, lone tear escapes and slides down her cheek. I swipe it away with my thumb and suck it into my mouth. How I ever fucked us up, destroying her, is beyond any rational comprehension. I can’t fathom or want to live with myself, knowing I tore us apart. I bring our linked hands to my lips and kiss each of her knuckles.

Neither of us wants to break this moment first, but it swiftly comes to an end when I get tapped on the shoulder. With Amity’s palm still in my hand, I swing us around to see who the intruder is, and they come in the form of a sweet old lady with stark white hair who comes up to my chest. She’s pushing ninety, but her spirit says she’s twenty. I can see in the gleam of her eyes that she has lived a life filled with vibrant memories.

‘Excuse me, but I just couldn’t help myself,’ she starts, staring up at me before flitting her eyes over to Amity. ‘You two lovebirds are just too adorable. You swept me back to a time when my dear old Roy.’ No idea who the hell Roy is. ‘Danced with me in the streets back in the 40s. My dear Roy has been gone a long time now. Died in the war.’ No idea which war, but surely it was either WWI, Korea or Vietnam. ‘But tonight I saw him again with the two of you.’

Amity’s free hand reaches out to the old lady. I don’t remember my girl ever being this overly open or emotional with strangers, but witnessing how tender she is with this woman just solidifies the person I’ve always known she is. She doesn’t exchange words, letting the stranger continue. ‘Roy and I held each other’s hearts. I wasn’t whole without him.’ She squeezes Hart’s hand before blinking back tears.

In a flash, she perks up. ‘Speaking of holes, sure there’s a few of your lady’s you could fill, right, young man?’ With that, she winks at me and toddles away. I burst into laughter, stunned at her dirty mind. Amity breaks out in a fit of giggles too. It’s exactly what we both needed to cut the tension and enormity of the last few minutes. Her fit turns into a full belly laugh, causing her to topple into me so she can steady herself.

‘Well, you heard the wise woman, let’s get one of my holes filled with fairy floss,’ Amity jokes, dragging me behind her as we weave our way to the fairy floss stand, quickly finding it and ordering.

‘Let’s take a walk. It’s way too hot in here,’ she suggests, already making her way to the exit. The pink fairy floss is bigger than her head, but at the rate she’s eating it, the entire thing will be dissolved in less than five minutes.

‘Agree. Save me some, will ya?’ I nod to the stick she’s holding possessively. Reluctantly, she stops plucking bits off it.

The night is balmy and I feel almost complete for the first time in years.

‘There really isn’t much around here but a brewery a few blocks away.’ We are essentially in the middle of an industrial area, which doesn’t bode well for the romantic setting I was hoping for.

I’ve always been in tune with her body and what she’s thinking, but as she looks around and contemplates my words, I have no idea what is running through her mind.

‘That’s okay.’

‘What are you thinking about?’ There’s begging in my voice for her to tell me, but fuck it.

She waits a beat before she looks me dead in the eyes. It’s too dark to see what colour green they are. I can always tell what mood she is in by the colour of them. Shitty lack of lighting.

‘I don’t know what extends beyond tomorrow…or even the next hour, but I can’t get what that old lady said out of my head.’ Her flustered response makes my cock flutter erratically.

Is she saying what I think she’s saying?

‘Just so I don’t die of false happiness and hope,’ I clarify. ‘You want me to fill your holes, baby?’ I’m using the best sex voice I can muster. I toy with the strap on her shoulder, allowing it to fall.

‘At this moment, yes. I don’t know if I’ll regret this tomorrow, and I sure as hell don’t know what this means between us, but I’m hot, I’m horny and my body craves yours. It’s illogical, but all I know is I need to be filled by your cock.’

Well. Fuck. Me.

Cock activated.

Brain deactivated.

This is probably a catastrophic idea in the grand scheme of things, but fuck if I care. If my girl wants me inside her, I’m there.

Whistling, I suck in a breath. ‘Let’s go then, baby.’ I yank her hand to follow me. Logically, I should take her back to the car and fuck her in there, Titanic style, but it’s kilometres away, as is her house. Scrambling to find an alternative, I spot a dark and abandoned laneway. She deserves more than a shifty fuck in an alley, but the need to be inside her trumps everything else.

‘I don’t want to kill the moment, but, um, do you have a condom?’ She’s breathless as she pants behind me.

‘Don’t need one, baby. I haven’t been bare with anyone in a long time, and my last test was clean.’ I don’t want to insult her and ask the same thing, so I refrain. I also don’t want her to marinate on my sexcapades, so I say the one thing that’s been on my mind all night. ‘Still got that fairy floss, Hart?’ I know she does. I just want to redirect her train of thought.

‘Uh-huh. I’m planning to eat it after you fuck me. I’m multi-talented, you see. I bet I can balance the stick while you’re pounding into me.’

‘I have a better use for it, baby.’

‘Oh, yeah? Why don’t you show me?’

We’ve finally reached our destination as I pull her halfway into the laneway. It’s a thoroughfare, so there’s every chance someone could walk down it—or we get mugged or mutilated—but I’m willing to take the chance. Thankfully, there is no stench of rubbish or sign of wildlife about, which admittedly would freak me the fuck out. Amity knows my fear of rats and mice is debilitating, so the fact that I am willing to risk my life just to be inside her should mean the world to her. Pushing all thoughts of those beady-eyed fuckers out of my mind, I quickly pushed the straps of her dress down her arms. She’s wearing the world’s flimsiest bra; it’s red and see through. Her nipples strain against the fabric, but are free in seconds as I yank that down to. Seeing them bounce in slow motion is something else. Fuck. Her breasts haven’t decreased in size, despite the rest of her. They are more than a generous handful, delectable as ever.

Pushing her against the wall, I forget all about the rough surface probably scratching her back. If she cares, she doesn’t show it. Instead, she passes me the fairy floss and challenges me.

‘Show me what it tastes like on your lips,’ she whispers, her devilish hands doing sordid things to my cock. Both feel over my sweatpants, making me even more ramped up for my grand entrance. When she squeezes me gently, I smash my free hand beside her head on the wall. ‘Don’t you drop my fairy floss now,’ she teases, winding me up with each stroke over my length.

My eyes are rabid as I memorise her lustful gaze. With the last of my will, I haphazardly tear off a piece of floss and start strategically placing it all over the available surfaces of her body. Her skin has a light sheen from the heat, so as soon as the sugar touches her, it dissolves into a spot of stickiness. Pieces are placed on both sides of her neck, in the valley of her breasts, both nipples, the underside of her boobs, and dotted all the way down her belly button. I plan to go lower, but not yet. Licking my way up her body, avoiding the spots of sugar, I feel her shudder.

‘I take it back. Don’t show me. Just fuck me,’ she moans, trying to direct my head where she wants me. I’m so much bigger and stronger than her, and she’s no match for me.

Pulling away, I see her parted lips panting for me to hurry up. I place one last piece of sugar on her tongue before I devour her. As my lips meet hers, our tongues search for one another. Tasting the sugar on her tongue drives me to insanity. She’s always been sweet, but she’s addictive in this moment. I feel like the hit is equivalent to a shot of morphine to my system. I’m experiencing a high that I’ve only ever experienced with her. I groan at her taste as she moans like she’s flying just as high as I am.

‘You taste like mine.’ My tongue darts to lick her lips, nipping the bottom one before plunging my tongue back inside her mouth. It’s all-consuming. It’s years of pent up passion and delirious memories, melded into one. ‘I’ll never get enough of you, Hart. Your taste. Your kiss. Your touch. The way you fuck. The way you belong to me.’ I grunt between harsh kisses. All I want to do is give her a hand necklace and fuck her like a beast against the bricks, but I need to savour this moment in case it’s our last.

She whimpers at my words, bucking into me to relieve the friction building below her waist.

The last time we fucked, we were just kids. She doesn’t know this animalistic side of me. She doesn’t know I like it dirty and rough, but if her body is anything to go by, she craves it.

The saltiness of her skin and jewels of sugar are a perfect concoction.

‘Jesus, I missed your tongue,’ she moans out, inflating more than just my ego.

I suck the base of her neck, swiping my tongue along the entire column before reaching the other side and doing the same. After ensuring all of the sweetness is gone, I suck and bite down, making sure I leave my mark.

‘Stop bruising me.’ She says it unconvincingly as she pushes my head further to her neck.

‘Am I making your pussy wet, baby?’ My tongue slides down the crevice of her breasts before I fill my mouth with her left nipple. My teeth graze the pointed cherry before I suck it into my mouth. Her mewls intensify. ‘Answer me.’ I slap her left breast, pulling my head back a touch to watch it wobble.

‘Yes,’ she whines out, shaking her head from side to side in ecstasy.

Moving my mouth to her right breast, I groan as I see her crystalised nipple winking in the moonlight. She’s always been salivating, but dripping in sin and sugar, she’s gluttony epitomised. Snaking my tongue lower and lower, I feel her muscles tense in delirium. Her hands can’t get enough of me as she grips my hair to keep me close to her skin.

‘I need you to hold up your skirt, baby.’ I’m on my knees worshipping her as she lifts up the hem and holds it firmly in place. Her pussy is barely covered by the flimsy material that matches her bra. Her cunt is weeping, darkened spots pooling on the fabric. Seeing her cum and how wet she is turns me primal. Ripping her G-string to shreds, I lose it somewhere on the ground. The last of the fairy floss is fast dissolving, so, without warning, I push the tip of the stick into her cunt, seeing it liquidate before my eyes. The sticky pink mess mixed with her cum is more than I can handle. I remove the stick and toss it to the floor.

‘Hurry the fuck up, Linc.’ Her plea is urgent as she looks down at me with frantic eyes. Shoving one of her legs over my shoulder to stabilise her, I dive in, saturating my mouth and chin with her sticky wetness.

‘Oh, god,’ she chants, bumping her head on the bricks. ‘Yes, Linc. Yes.’ She arches her back as she pushes her pussy into me.

‘Fuck my face, baby. Fuck my tongue until you squirt down my throat.’ She understands the assignment, steering my tongue and chin where she needs me the most. ‘Such a good girl, using me like this,’ I grunt. An earthquake shudders through her body as her cunt explodes on my tongue. ‘Fuck. Yes.’

My name spills from her lips, loudly at first, before dying in a whisper as her climax wracks through her. Kissing her pussy as it flutters back to life seems to settle her, but my cock is just about to drill its way through my sweats. I slither up her body, letting her taste herself on my tongue as I pull my pants down halfway. My bare ass is out for all to see, but I couldn’t care less about indecent exposure. Fucking arrest me. ‘See how good you taste, baby? How fucking addictive you are?’ She licks every remnant from my mouth.

‘Just fuck me, Linc.’ I love when she’s so desperate and horny for me. She frantically scrambles to find my cock. I take a moment to commit her expression to memory. Her eyes are hooded, cheeks ruddy and lips parted in a perfect ‘o’ as she finds her target. Truthfully, I never thought I’d get a chance to sample heaven again, so I don’t take for granted what a lucky son of a gun I am as she’s stroking my cock, her thumb swiping up the bead of cum on my tip.

‘Your pussy is going to be sore for days, baby. I’m going to split you wide open and remind you who this cunt belongs to.’ Her eyes widen as I spit on my cock, following the string of saliva as it hits my skin and her hand. ‘Eyes on me, baby,’ I grunt as one hand wraps around the base of her neck while I force myself inside her.

A cry rips from her throat as I thrust into her. Her eyes are wild, but I suspect mine are too. I can’t handle her frantic cries a moment longer, slamming my mouth to hers. As I continue to push inside her, I feel her strangle me. It’s like she doesn’t want to let me go. Fuck. Me. She feels exquisite. Like heaven. Like my home. What we’re doing is not just physical, it’s piecing our hearts back together. With each stroke, my hand clasps her neck harder, making it a struggle for her to breathe. She doesn’t claw at my arms to release her; instead, she grips the back of my head with one of her hands and forces my tongue to get lost with hers. Her other hand melds to my back, pushing me closer. Any closer and we’d fuse into one. As her cunt pulses around me, I feel her wetness slide down both our legs.

She’s close to erupting.

I’m rougher, harder and faster than I’ve ever been with her. I’m not an inexperienced boy anymore, fumbling his way. I’m a man who’s ferocious for his woman. I’m a man starved from being without his everything.

‘Take my cock, baby. Take it all. Feel how much I’m stretching you? How my balls are eager to explode deep inside you?’ I grunt. I’m spurred on by her sobs.

Her strangled cries are muffled but are loud enough for any passersby to hear.

‘Cum for me, baby. Cum all over my cock.’ My free hand rubs her clit raw as she shatters around me. She thrashes as she shuts her eyes in pleasurable agony. This moment is all I’ve been dreaming of since the day I lost her. To see how broken and beautiful I make her. When her pussy grips me like a vice, sucking me in, I unload inside her. Thick, heavy spurts flood her insides. I look down between us, seeing my cock slide in and out of her, our cum decorating it in the most brilliant white.

Both our pants decrease, bodies slick from sweat and heat.

Still inside her, I cup her cheeks in my hand as my lips meet every part of her face, silently thanking and revering her. She gives me a sated mew as a drowsy smile stretches across her lips.

I slip out of her, ready to adjust myself. Just when I thought the spell was broken, she sluttily surprises me. ‘Want me to clean you up?’ I almost choke at her words as she slides down the coarse wall and takes me in her hot and willing mouth. The slurps she makes are obscene, but fuck me dead, if they aren’t the sexiest sounds I’ve ever heard. I don’t remember her being this unreserved. Like I said, I love every version of my girl, but I’m not used to this one. I love teaching her things and exploring with her. Now, I feel like I need to relearn her body. Her tastes. Her wants. Her desires. Her fantasies. Her limits.

One hand goes to the wall to keep my trembling legs upright while the other fists the back of her head to push my cock deeper down her throat. I never fully deflated after I came, but now it feels like my balls have swelled up again, ready to leave another fresh burst on her tongue. When she hums around me, I bliss out, knowing she’s tasting me, her and the remaining essence of fairy floss.

‘Fuck, Hart, no one blows me like you do.’ I squeeze my eyes shut to stave off coming too fast. Her tongue licks me like a kitten before she sucks one of my testicles into her mouth and strokes my length faster. I forget how small her hands are on my dick until I see her thumb and forefinger can’t even touch. ‘I’m close, baby. Fuck…fuck…open your mouth and stick out your tongue.’ I jerk my cock in my hands, tapping her tongue as the first spurt of cum leaks out. With hazy eyes, she wraps her pretty lips around my tip and sucks the rest out. I’m entranced as she massages the rest from me. When I’m thoroughly spent, she slumps back, exhausted. Peering down at her, she looks like a fucking mess. My mess. Her hair is unruly, cum drips from the corners of her mouth, her mascara is streaking down her sweat-slicked face, and her dress is merely a belt, hiked up just over her tummy. I bet if I crouch down I’ll see her sore, spent, dripping cunt as well. This was the fuck of all fucks to rekindle our relationship… our way back to each other. I don’t care if she says it’s just physical between us. I know she’s lying.

‘Fucking perfect, baby.’ I stuff my cock back inside my sweats, tucking the poor, tired fucker away so it can rest. She’s still teetering on her toes, trying to regain her breath. I pick her up under the armpits, righting her on her feet. Wobbling, she leans on me for extra support. I position her so she’s leaning against the wall, piecing herself back together. I slide her bra and straps back up her shoulders, scoop the cum sliding down her thighs and suck it in my mouth and pull her dress back down, my hands gently skating across her contours. Rubbing her mascara away and smoothing her hair to an acceptable level is the last of operation fix-a-fucked-Amity.

A soft smile curves at her lips. ‘Thank you.’

I can’t see if regret is swimming in her eyes, but I can tell she’s being pulled under by a bag full of emotions. ‘Let’s get you home, yeah?’ I link my fingers with hers and walk us slowly back to the car.

On the way home, she falls into a peaceful slumber, her head resting on the window as soft snores lull around us. It’s not late enough for her dad to be home just yet, but she’s spent and will likely pass out for the rest of the evening. My car smells like sex, and it’s inebriating. I don’t want either of us to ever leave this haven, but I can’t be selfish with her right now. I need to give her some space to marinate on what we’ve just done.

‘You’re home, baby.’ I stroke her arm, coaxing her out of her dream-like state. She tries to shrug me off, her eyes furrowing, which makes me smirk. She hates being woken up. I should have remembered. ‘Hart. Honey. Wakey, wakey.’ I jostle her shoulder, making her bolt upright.

Blinking rapidly, it takes her a few seconds to remember where she is and who she’s with. Rubbing her tired eyes, she lets out a sigh. ‘Sorry.’ Her head softly bumps the headrest as she takes a deep breath.

‘It’s fine, baby. Do you want me to come in?’

She looks at me and then out the window at her home, contemplating the decision. ‘You better not,’ she murmurs. ‘Dad might be home any minute.’ My heart leaps into my stomach at the rejection.

Not wanting to push, I nod. ‘Sweet dreams, my Hart,’ I whisper, pulling her towards me for a hug. I inhale her heady, heavenly scent, hoping this is the first of many times she’s in my arms again.

‘I’ll talk to you…later?’ she hesitates.

Again, I nod. My throat is clogged with emotion as she reaches for the door. ‘Goodnight, Linc.’

I hate that I don’t know where her head is at, but I need to focus on the positive, and that is that her body is still mine. Exclusively? Who knows? But she still wants me, and that’s something.

Watching her trudge to her door is like watching my heart walk away from me. I only start the car again when I see the door firmly shut behind her.