Chapter 22 #2
Paige glances at me, her eyes soft and shining. "He makes me happy too. More than I ever thought possible."
I swallow hard, emotion clogging my throat. I lean down, pressing a kiss to my mom's cheek. "I love you, Mom. So much."
She smiles, her eyes drifting closed. "I love you too, baby. Never forget that."
We stay with her until she falls asleep, her breathing even and peaceful. Then we slip out of the room, both of us wiping tears from our cheeks.
"Thank you," I murmur, pulling Paige into my arms. "For being here. For being so amazing with her."
She hugs me tight, her face pressed into my chest. "Of course, Alex. I wouldn't be anywhere else."
We stand there for a long moment, just holding each other. Then Paige pulls back, her expression determined.
"Let's go home. We have a lot to talk about."
I raise an eyebrow, letting her tug me down the hall. "Oh yeah? Like what?"
She grins, a mischievous glint in her eye. "Like how we're going to decorate your apartment. Because honey, that place is a bachelor pad nightmare."
I laugh, warmth spreading through my chest. "Is that so? Well then, lead the way, boss. Let's go make my place a home."
She grins, lacing her fingers with mine. And as we walk out into the night, I feel a sense of peace wash over me. Because no matter what happens, no matter what challenges we face, I know we can handle it.
Together.
"A little to the left. No, my left. Yes, there!"
I step back, wiping sweat from my brow as I survey our handiwork. Paige's apartment looks like a different place, the walls now adorned with colorful art prints and the shelves filled with plants and knick-knacks.
It's been a week since that night at the hospice, a week of long talks and hard truths and more laughter than I knew I was capable of. We've been spending every spare moment together, learning each other in a way we never had the chance to before.
And god, it's been amazing. Challenging, sure, and sometimes downright frustrating. We're both stubborn as hell, and old habits die hard. But every fight, every miscommunication, has only brought us closer in the end.
Take right now, for instance. I'd made an offhand comment about Paige's sparse decorating, and instead of getting defensive, she'd simply raised an eyebrow and said, "Okay. So help me fix it."
And here we are, three hours and one trip to Target later, surrounded by the fruits of our combined efforts.
"It looks great, Paige," I say, draping an arm around her shoulders. "Very homey."
She grins, leaning into me. "It does, doesn't it? I never realized how sterile this place was before. It's nice to have some life in here."
I hum in agreement, pressing a kiss to her temple. "Speaking of life...where's Byte? I haven't heard any demonic yowling in at least twenty minutes."
Paige laughs, tilting her head back to look at me. "He's probably sulking in the bedroom. He doesn't like change."
I grin, my hand sliding down to her hip. "Mmm. Bedroom, you say?"
She shivers, her eyes darkening. "Why, Mr. Spencer. Are you trying to seduce me?"
I dip my head, brushing my lips over the shell of her ear. "Depends. Is it working?"
She turns in my arms, her hands sliding up my chest. "What do you think?"
And then she's kissing me. I groan into her mouth, my hands gripping her hips as I walk her backwards towards the bedroom.
We tumble onto the bed in a tangle of limbs, both of us laughing and fumbling with clothes. But then she's naked beneath me, all smooth skin and soft curves, and laughter is the last thing on my mind.
"God, Paige," I breathe, trailing kisses down her throat. "You're so fucking beautiful."
She arches into me, her nails digging into my shoulders. "Alex, please..."
I grin against her skin, nipping at her collarbone. "Please what, baby? Tell me what you want."
She whimpers, her hips rocking up to meet mine. "You. I want you."
I capture her lips in a hungry kiss, my tongue delving into the sweet warmth of her mouth. She moans, the sound vibrating through me and igniting my blood. My hands roam her body desperately, mapping every curve and hollow, trying to touch her everywhere at once.
I trail soft kisses down the elegant column of her neck, pausing to suck at her pulse point. She writhes beneath me, whimpering, her fingers raking through my hair. The scent of her arousal fills my nostrils, making me dizzy with need.
"Alex, please," she pants, her eyes wild and glazed with lust.
My lips move across the pale landscape of her chest, finding a pebbled pink nipple and drawing it into my mouth. She cries out, her back arching off the bed as I suck on it. Her skin is soft as silk under my calloused hands, warm wherever I touch.
"Tell me what you need, baby," I murmur against her breast. "I'll give you anything."
"I need you inside me. Now," she demands breathlessly, rolling her hips against mine. I groan at the feel of her wet heat grinding against my aching cock, separated only by the thin fabric of my boxers.
I shed them quickly and settle between her parted thighs, the head of my erection nudging her slick entrance. We both moan at the contact, our bodies trembling with anticipation.
"You feel so good," I groan, sliding into her tight channel inch by excruciating inch. "So hot and wet and perfect."
"Oh god," she whimpers when I'm fully seated inside her, her sheath fluttering around my hardness. "You're so big, you feel huge."
I still for a moment, savoring the exquisite sensation of being fully encompassed by her silky walls. She wraps her legs around my waist, urging me deeper. Slowly, I withdraw until just the tip remains inside her, then slam my hips forward, burying myself to the hilt.
"Yes, Alex! Just like that," she cries, her nails scoring my back.
I set a hard, driving rhythm, the obscene slap of skin against skin echoing through the room. She meets me thrust for thrust, her hips rising to take me deeper. The ancient dance of our joining bodies is raw and primal, both new and familiar at once.
"You take me so well," I praise hoarsely, punctuating my words with sharp snaps of my hips that make her keen. "Like you were made to be fucked by my cock."
"Only yours," she agrees breathlessly. "I'm yours, Alex. All yours."
Her words inflame me, my blood roaring in my ears as I pound into her hot, willing body. I'm getting close, my rhythm growing erratic as I chase our pleasure. Determined to bring her with me, I reach between us, my fingers finding the swollen pearl at the apex of her thighs.
She shouts when I rub tight circles over the sensitive nub, her pussy clenching rhythmically around my plunging length. "That's it baby, come on my cock," I grit out, my abdomen tightening with impending release. "Let me feel you."
"Alex!" she sobs, convulsing under me as her orgasm crashes over her. Her core spasms almost violently, rippling up and down my shaft and milking my own climax from me.
With a guttural groan, I bury myself as deep as I can go and erupt inside her, wave after wave of ecstasy crashing over me. Sparks dance behind my closed eyelids and I swear the earth moves. I collapse on top of her, both of us gasping for air, our sweat-slicked bodies heaving together.
"That was incredible," she mumbles dazedly, running her fingers through my damp hair. "I think I actually blacked out for a second."
I nuzzle her neck, placing a tender kiss over her thundering pulse. "You're incredible," I state emphatically, my softening cock still twitching inside her. "I've never felt anything like that before."
"Me neither," she says with a contented sigh. "I love you so much, Alex. I never knew it could be like this."
"I love you too, baby. More than anything in this world." My heart feels like it might burst with the strength of my feelings for her.
Reluctantly, I slip out of her and roll to my side, immediately gathering her into my arms. She settles her head on my chest and hooks a leg over my hip.
I run my fingers up and down the damp skin of her back, marveling at the way our bodies fit together so perfectly, like two puzzle pieces destined to interlock.
We drift off wrapped around each other, sated and at peace, ready to face whatever the future holds. Together.