Like Heaven
Cassidy
The mattress dips beneath me as Ethan kneels between my thighs, his broad shoulders pushing my legs wider.
The Christmas Eve moonlight filters through the half-drawn curtains, illuminating the blue contours of his muscled form.
Hours after tucking Axel into his mattress downstairs, we’d found ourselves drawn back to each other.
“Fuck, Cass.” His voice is rough as his hands slide up the inside of my thighs, brushing against the softest parts of me. “I’ve dreamed about this. About you, just like this.”
The air suspends in my chest when his fingers trace higher, teasing, but never quite touching where I’m needy. His grey eyes lock onto mine, burning with hunger.
“I missed you,” he murmurs, lowering his head. His breath ghosts over my skin, hot and promising. “Missed your taste.”
His tongue flicks out, just once, right where I need him most, and my hips lift off the bed.
“Ethan—”
“Shhh.” His hands pin my hips down, holding me still as he presses an open-mouthed kiss to my inner thigh. “Let me love you.”
And then his mouth is on my pussy, his tongue dragging through my folds with long strokes. I whimper, tangling my fingers in his hair, but he doesn’t rush. He takes his time, savoring me.
When his lips seal around my clit, sucking gently, my thighs tremble around his head. “You’re so fucking perfect,” he growls against me. “I could do this forever.”
I’m already close, my body winding tight, but he doesn’t let me come. He pulls back to blow a stream of cool air over my wet skin, making me whine in frustration.
“Please—”
“Tell me what you need, baby.” His finger slides into me, and I grind against his hand.
“You,” I gasp. “I need you.”
His mouth crashes back down on me, his tongue working in perfect rhythm with his fingers, and I shatter around him. My toes curl against the sheets as the orgasm rips through my body.
When I finally come back to myself, he’s crawling up my body, his lips finding mine. The taste of my arousal on his tongue makes me moan into his mouth.
His skin slides hot against mine in the moonlit darkness. The weight of him, the strength in his arms as they bracket my head, and the scent of his cologne mixed with our shared desire are heady.
Ethan’s hard length presses against my still-sensitive flesh. The thick head of his dick slides through my wetness, brushing against my swollen clit with each pass but never quite giving me what I crave.
I spread my legs wider, lifting my hips until his dick finds its way inside me. The fullness is overwhelming, and my inner walls flutter around him, adjusting to the welcome intrusion as he sinks deeper.
“Fuck—” His forehead drops to mine, his body trembling with the effort to stay still. “You feel like heaven.”
I can’t speak. I can only whimper as his hips roll in deep strokes. His mouth returns to mine, his tongue sliding against mine in the same rhythm as his thrusts.
His fingers dig into the soft flesh of my thighs as he angles himself to hit the perfect spot with every thrust. The change in position sends white-hot pleasure spiraling up my spine, making my back arch off the bed.
The sudden intensity of my orgasm catches me off guard, and I shriek into his mouth. My inner walls pulse around his length as ecstasy crashes over me. He swallows every sound, every gasp and moan, his hips stuttering as he rides out my release.
With a growl, he rolls us without breaking our connection, and I find myself suddenly straddling him. The new position makes the stretch deeper, and the friction perfect.
Bracing my hands on his chest, I move my hips in wide circles, feeling the coarse hair on his chest under my palms. His hands slide up from my waist, over my ribs, finally reaching my hardened nipples.
“Ride me,” he commands, as he grips my hips possessively. His thumbs dig into the hollows beside my hipbones, guiding me in an up-and - down motion. The moonlight streaming through the window highlights the definition of his abs as they flex beneath me. “Just like that.”
Our mouths fuse together in a messy kiss. Every time I lift my hips, he pulls me back down harder. My movement becomes erratic as the tension mounts, my thighs trembling with the effort to maintain the pace.
The third orgasm builds faster than the last, and my body shudders as pleasure tears through me, leaving me gasping and clinging to him. He groans, the sound rumbling up from deep in his chest.
Before I can catch my breath, he flips me onto my back again, this time breaking the kiss to yank my legs over his shoulders. The sudden change in position steals my breath, leaving me dizzy and disoriented. This position has me spread wide, and completely at his mercy.
“One more,” he growls, his pupils blown wide with lust as he stares down at me. His chest heaves with exertion, sweat glistening on his brow and along the column of his throat. “I want to feel you come on my cock one more time.”
And then he moves.
There’s no gentleness this time. No slow buildup. He drives into me with punishing strokes, his hips snapping against mine as he fucks me like he’s making up for eight years of absence in this single moment.
“Look at me,” he demands, his voice rough. “Watch me while I fuck what’s always been mine.”
I can’t look away.
The headboard slams against the wall, while the bed creaks beneath us. His fingers dig into my thighs, holding me open, exposing me to him.
The pleasure is almost too much as he hits my G-spot over and over. When his thumb finds my clit, rubbing in tight circles, I come with a cry.
“Fuck—” His own release hits him hard, his body jerking as he paints my womb with his sperm.
His hands slide up my back, pulling me up against his chest, and he rolls us again—this time keeping me on top with his cock still buried inside me.
My body clenches around him, but he doesn’t move, doesn’t pull out. Instead, his arms wrap around me, holding me close, and kissing me.
He strokes my hair, my back, and my hips. The kiss lingers, soft and deep.
Eventually, our lips part, and I rest my cheek against his chest. His heartbeat thuds steadily beneath my ear, lulling me into a drowsy haze.
I don’t know when I fall asleep. I don’t know when he does. All I know is when I wake up, he’s still inside me.
“Merry Christmas, baby.”
Lifting my head, I look at Ethan. “What time is it?”
“I’m not sure, but I know it’s Christmas.”
I lean down to kiss him. “Merry Christmas, Ethan.”
“Marry me,” he says suddenly.
“What?”
He reaches over to the nightstand. “I bought this eight years ago,” he says, revealing a solitaire diamond. “I was going to give it to you Christmas morning.”
Tears blur my vision as I stare at the ring and think of the future we should have had.
“Cassidy Morgan,” he continues, “will you marry me? Will you help me raise Axel? Will you give us the life we should have had all along?”
My mind flashes to the life I’d once imagined with him. For years, I’d convinced myself that dream was dead, buried alongside my trust and hope. Yet here it is again, reborn in this unlikely place, on this precious morning.
“Yes,” I whisper, then louder: “Yes, yes, absolutely yes.”
He slides the ring onto my finger, and it fits perfectly.
I admire the way the diamond catches the moonlight, then settle back against Ethan’s chest with a contented sigh. “I can't believe you kept it all these years.”
“I couldn’t let go,” he admits. “A part of me always hoped we’d find our way back to each other.”
Eight years ago, I would have received this ring in a very different way. Now it carries the pain we’ve endured, the growth we’ve experienced apart, and the healing we’ve begun together.
“Ethan,” I say softly, lifting my head to look at him. “What happens when the roads clear? You live in L.A., and I’m in Atlanta.”
“I’ve been thinking about that too.”
“How do we make this work? I mean, practically speaking.”
“It won’t be easy at first,” he admits, his expression serious. “I can’t leave L.A. right now. My partner Matthaios has been spending half his time between Greece and New York lately, which means I’m handling most of our major clients alone.”
I raise an eyebrow, curious. “What’s keeping him away so much?”
Ethan’s mouth quirks into a smile. “It’s quite a story, actually. He dated this woman and stole her father’s company out of revenge. When she found out, she left him. He hasn’t seen or heard from her since. He’s been searching for her for months, like a man possessed.”
“So you need to be there.”
“For now, yes. But we could make it work with visits until we figure out something more permanent. I could fly to Atlanta on weekends.”
I consider this, imagining the strain of a long-distance relationship while trying to give Axel stability. The thought of being separated from Ethan again, even temporarily, sends a cold wave of panic through me.
“What if...” I start, then pause, gathering my courage. “What if I looked for a library position in L.A.?”
Ethan goes completely still beneath me. “You’d move across the country?”
“Yeah.” I trace my finger along his collarbone, suddenly nervous. “Libraries exist everywhere, and L.A. must need librarians. I could start applying right away.”
“But your position in Atlanta. You’re the head librarian. You’d be giving up everything.”
I shake my head. “Not everything. I’d be gaining us. Besides, I’m good at what I do, Ethan. I could work my way up again.”
His arms tighten around me. “You know, you don’t have to work at all if you don’t want to.” His voice is tentative, almost shy. “Our company’s done well. Really well. I’m worth... well, several hundred million these days.”
I pull back. “That’s... that’s beyond anything I can comprehend.”
He nods, looking almost embarrassed. “Information security turned out to be lucrative. We developed a proprietary system that most major corporations now use. What I’m saying is, if you wanted to take time off, or do something different, or just focus on our family, you could. We’d be more than fine.”
“I’ll keep that in mind,” I say, though I know I would take him up on the offer for the next few months at least while Axel adjusts.
“I’ll do everything I can to make the transition easier,” he murmurs. “My main residence has five bedrooms. Plenty of space for all of us. And L.A. has some amazing private schools.”
“By the way, the social worker called yesterday. She found a foster family for Axel. They offered to pick him up tonight. Well, last night now.”
Ethan’s body tenses. “What? No. Absolutely not.”
“I already told her no,” I assure him, placing my palm against his chest. “I told her we were both interested in obtaining guardianship.”
“Good.” His voice is fierce, protective. “My son isn’t going into the system. He’s been through enough.”
“Our son,” I correct, watching his expression soften. “We’ll raise him together.”
“Our son,” he repeats. “Cassidy, what’s in Britney’s journal... do we tell him someday? About how he came to be?”
I’d been wondering the same thing. How do you explain to a child that his mother drugged and assaulted his father?
“I don’t know,” I admit. “Maybe when he’s older. He deserves the truth, but he also deserves to be protected from it for now.”
“And how do I explain why I wasn’t in his life?” Ethan’s voice is tight with guilt. “I should have done more. Should have fought harder.”
“We tell him that adults make mistakes. That sometimes the world is complicated.” I smooth my hand over his chest. “But mostly, we’ll show him through our actions that he’s loved, wanted and belongs with us.”
Ethan’s hand catches mine, bringing it to his lips. “When did you get so wise?”
“Somewhere between losing everything and finding it again,” I tell him. “Besides, children can be resilient when given love, consistency and stability.”
“Then that’s what we’ll give him,” Ethan says. “Starting today.”
“Oh! I just realized. I have gifts we could give Axel,” I say, pushing myself up.
Ethan’s eyebrows raise. “You do?”
“In my luggage. I packed a few things for my trip to Jamaica. I’ve made friends with some of the locals over the past few years, especially this family with children around Axel’s age. I was going to give them to the children there, but...”
“But now they can be for Axel,” Ethan finishes.
“They’re probably not what he wants,” I admit. “But they’re new, and they’re something. He shouldn’t wake up with nothing on Christmas morning.”
“I’m sure he’ll be happy, Cass.”
I feel a sudden urgency to prepare for morning, to make sure everything is perfect for Axel’s first real Christmas with us. “We should probably get those gifts wrapped and under the tree before he wakes up.”
“We will,” Ethan promises. “But first, let me hold you a little longer.”
“Oh! I should probably let Desiree know we’re okay,” I say, suddenly remembering my best friend trapped across town.
“Now?” Ethan glances at the clock. “Baby, it’s three in the morning. She’s probably asleep.”
“But she’s been my person through everything. She needs to know we’re engaged.”
Ethan reaches for my hand, bringing it to his lips. “She does need to know. But maybe let’s wait until morning? Give her a proper call when we can both think straight and she’s not wondering if someone died when her phone rings at this hour.”
I pause, realizing he’s right. “The last thing she needs is a 3 AM emotional phone call.”
“Exactly. Besides,” he says, pulling me closer, “this gives us a few more hours to ourselves before we have to share our news with the world.”
I snuggle back into his arms. My body is still wrapped around his thick cock, and it’s swelling with every beat of his heart.
The physical connection between us is too precious to break just yet; this reconnection after years apart is too meaningful to rush. I lift my hips until only his tip remains inside me, then sink back down.
He groans before his fingers dig into my skin. I repeat the motion, savoring the friction. There’s no rush, just the slow, deep glide of him inside me.
“Fuck, Cass.”
His mouth crashes back to mine, his tongue tangling with mine as our bodies move together. His hips lift to meet mine, driving himself deeper.
“You feel so good,” he growls, gripping my hips to guide me. “Just like that, baby. Take what you need.”
I do.