Chapter 52
Chapter Fifty-Two
Alonzo
“ O h my God.” Eyes wide, Maya kept shaking her head. “Did she just give us her blessing to have sex?”
I laughed. “Sounded like it. That’s…unexpected.” As strange as that interruption had been, I was relieved that Inang had lightened the atmosphere. Hearing that I had her approval didn’t hurt either.
My mouth suddenly opened in a yawn. Maya glanced at me, her brows furrowed. “Let’s go inside,” she said, grabbing my cooler. “You need to sleep.”
“Sleep is overrated.”
Carrying my backpack, I followed her into the house anyway. As I locked the front door behind me, she put the mais con yelo in the fridge, and then opened the door to her room.
It struck me how the last time I was her, the most I could do was slip a note under her door. Now she was letting me in, and even if she hadn’t responded to my declaration yet, it felt like I’d almost made it.
I put my bag on the floor next to her bed and looked around the room that I’d previously only seen on the screen while we talked.
Her bed was covered in a colorful quilt, and it looked like she hadn’t laid on it last night.
In the far corner, I spotted the canvas bag I’d given her hanging from the handle of her double-door closet.
And on her desk, her laptop lay closed next to?—
Mouth ajar, I picked the books up. My heartbeat pumped in my ears as I turned to Maya. “Why do you have law reviewers?”
Fear flashed on her face, then she set her chin and replied, “Because I’m working with the Law Library to add more functionalities to their app.”
I stared at her, afraid to believe what I was hearing.
Without me needing to ask, she told me how Eric had helped her get in contact with the library and pitch her idea of improving their app.
How the library had wanted to add more study modules but didn’t have the resources to hire a developer.
With Eric’s assistance, they found a law firm willing to sponsor the project, which Maya now led.
When she admitted that she’d been working on it these past few days, I asked, “Why?”
Despite her shaky voice, her words were clear. “Cause this guy I’m into wants to be a lawyer.”
I put the books down and strode over to her, hauling her up. She wound her arms and legs around me, breathing hard. “Fuck. I love you, Maya. Did I tell you that already?”
“You could tell me again.”
“Or I could show you instead.”
Cam
His lips crashed onto mine, and it felt like coming home and being thrown by a massive wave at the same time. It was the sweetest thrill I’d ever tasted. A moan tore from my throat at the hungry press of his lips, and he took the opportunity to sweep his tongue inside my mouth.
We broke apart just long enough to get rid of our clothes, then he had me gripping the bedsheets and gritting my teeth as he made me come with his lips and tongue.
My legs quivered as Alonzo raised his head and grinned, his mouth glistening with my pleasure. He rose to his knees, sheathing his erection in a condom, and then he pushed inside me, setting off another round of quakes in my core.
He groaned as I clenched around him. Putting my thighs over his arms, he sat up, his thrusts coming faster.
“Harder.” I slipped my hand between us to rub my clit, and his eyes darkened as he tracked my fingers.
“Shit,” he bit out. “I’m not going to last.”
“Then go again.”
Shaking his head, he leaned forward until his face hovered over mine. I gripped his back as his thrusts slowed into a deep, grinding motion that hit me at the perfect spot. The orgasm built up within me, stealing my breath, and just before I hit the crest, he murmured, “I love you, Maya.”
I cried out as I came harder than I ever had. He thrust deeper and held there, his hips pinning me with the force of his climax and prolonging my own.
He collapsed on top of me, breathing heavily. One hand gripped my waist while the other cupped my breast. “Fuck,” he said against my throat, sending goosebumps across my skin.
I brushed the hair from his forehead and placed a kiss on it. “Do you think it’ll ever wear off?”
He lifted his head and frowned at me. “Anytime it does, tell me. We’ll work on it.”
That shouldn’t have been hot, but my core tightened and he twitched inside me, hardening.
Groaning, he rolled off me and removed the condom. “I swear, you’ll be the death of me. Good thing Inang left, because you were loud .”
I glared at him. “You were the one who kept groaning and cursing.”
He laughed. “It’s been a while. I’ll be back—I need to go to the bathroom.”
“Me too,” I said.
We ended up sharing the shower, where I discovered just how strong Alonzo’s core was. Our moans mingled with the sound of the water as we came together against the wall.
After we caught our breaths, we washed and toweled each other off. He carried me fireman-style to the bedroom and set me down on my mattress without breaking a sweat. I promptly lay back, my eyelids drooping before I forced them open.
“Hungry?” I asked.
“Yeah, but it can wait.” He plopped next to me. “Sleep?”
I closed my eyes as he tucked me to his side. “Mmm.”
Before I knew it, I was fast asleep.
The rumbling of my stomach woke me up. My leg was slung across Alonzo’s waist, my hand on his chest, while his arm wrapped around my shoulder. My skin felt hot and sticky against his, but I didn’t want to shake him off.
This was…cozy.
Moving carefully, I craned my neck to look at his face and found him smiling down at me.
“Hi.” His gravelly voice shot right through me.
“Hi,” I whispered back. “How long have you been watching me sleep, you weirdo?”
“Not long enough.” He pulled me so my body was sprawled on top of his.
I rested my head in the middle of his chest, nuzzling between his pecs. A random thought crossed my mind that my face seemed to fit perfectly in that space.
“That feels good,” he murmured as he smoothed his hand up and down my back. “I could get used to waking up like this every day.”
So could I.
He was growing hard against my thigh, but he didn’t try anything, seeming content to trace my back over and over.
Was this what people meant by cuddling?
“I'll visit you every month,” he said.
Tilting my head, I stared at him.
He had a faraway look in his eyes, like he was planning things in his head. “They’ll probably be weekenders most of the time, but whenever there’s a holiday?—”
“That’s going to be expensive and time-consuming.”
His eyes snapped to mine. “You’re worth it. I’d come more often if I could,” he said. “At least Holy Week’s coming up.”
“No.”
He frowned. “Why not?”
“I have plans.”
“Oh.” His face fell, and guilt flooded me.
“I have a trip scheduled. To Manila.”
His jaw dropped. “Are you serious?”
I couldn’t stop from grinning. “I signed a contract and everything.”
Understanding dawned on his face, bringing with it joy as bright as sunlight. “You accepted the offer?” he breathed out.
“I did. So you’ll have to be ready to see me more often.”
“Hell, yes. When are you coming? I’ll block off the dates already.” He shook his head. “What am I thinking? Congratulations on your new job, babe. You—” He shut his mouth, eyes widening even further. “You said you signed the contract. When?”
I laughed. “Yesterday.”
“Before we talked.”
“I didn’t want to let whatever happened this weekend dictate my decision.
You were right—I wanted the job. I like my hiring manager, and the other employees I met seem decent.
My only issue was the pay, and I was able to negotiate an addendum stating they’ll evaluate a salary adjustment when I get through the probationary period. ”
Pride shone in his eyes. “That’s my girl. I’m happy for you, Maya.”
“Thanks,” I said. “The in-person meetings suck, but at least now I have a bigger incentive to make that trip.”
Smiling, he shook his head. “So you already knew you were going to give me a chance before I got here.”
“Yeah.”
“Did you just want to see me sweat?”
“Of course.” He affected an exaggerated eye roll, and I chuckled. “I’m kidding. It was just—I knew I wanted to be with you, but part of me was still scared.” Even now, my stomach clenched. “Everything I said, I really was stressing about, but you answered each of my concerns so easily.”
He moved his hands up and down my back, as though he had picked up on the remnants of my anxiety. “I had a list of arguments I thought you might make, and I prepared my counters.”
“Of course you did.”
“I like that you told me your worries,” he said. “I know this relationship is new, and it’s going to be harder since we won’t be together that often. But whenever anything’s bothering you, just let me know. We’ll find a way to work things out.”
Nodding, I murmured, “My first in-person is right before Holy Week, so I figured I’d extend my stay.”
“Sounds perfect to me.” Framing my face in his palms, he drew me in for a long, deep kiss that had me moving my hips against his.
And then my stomach growled louder than before.
I lifted my head, and we stared at each other in surprise. Alonzo’s chest shook beneath me. Suddenly, we were both laughing.
“Guess that means it’s time to eat,” he said.