Chapter 5 — Tess #2
He grips my hips and starts moving, and this angle lets him go so deep I can feel him everywhere. His thrusts are harder now, more demanding, and every time he bottoms out I can feel the press of his hips against my ass.
"You look so good like this," he says, and I can hear the strain in his voice. "So fucking beautiful taking my cock."
One of his hands leaves my hip and slides up my spine, pressing between my shoulder blades until I arch deeper.
The new angle makes me cry out, and he groans.
"That's it. Let me hear you."
He's relentless now, driving into me with purpose, and I can feel another orgasm building. I don't know how, I've already come twice, but my body is responding to him like it's been waiting for this for fourteen years.
"Touch yourself," he says. "Want to feel you come on my cock."
I slide one hand between my legs and find my clit, and the first touch makes me gasp. I'm so sensitive it almost hurts, but I work myself anyway, circling in time with his thrusts.
"That's it," he encourages. "Make yourself come for me."
It doesn't take long. The combination of his cock inside me and my fingers on my clit sends me over the edge again, and this time I sob his name as I come.
He thrusts through it, chasing his own release, and I can feel him getting close. His grip on my hips tightens, his rhythm falters, and then he's pulling me back onto him hard and groaning my name as he comes.
I feel the pulse of him inside me, feel him filling me, and something about it makes me clench around him one more time.
We collapse together onto the bed, both of us breathing hard, my body still trembling with aftershocks.
For a long moment, neither of us moves.
Then James shifts, slowly pulling out, and I feel the slow slide of him leaving me.
I should probably feel self-conscious about the mess we just made, about the fact that I can feel him dripping out of me, but I don't.
I feel claimed. Wanted. His.
He pulls me against his chest and wraps his arms around me, and I can feel his heart pounding against my back.
"That was..." I start.
"Yeah."
We lie there in the dark, our breathing slowly returning to normal, and I feel something settle in my chest. Something that's been unsettled for fourteen years.
"I love you," I say, and the words come out easier than I expected. "I think I've loved you since I was twenty years old."
His arms tighten around me.
"I love you too," he says into my hair. "I should have told you fourteen years ago. Should have been brave enough to say it."
"You're saying it now. That's what matters."
He's quiet for a moment, and then: "Stay."
"I am staying."
"No, I mean—stay in Bloomfield. Not just tonight. Stay."
I turn in his arms so I can see his face. "James—"
"I know it's fast. I know we just figured this out. But I don't want to do long distance. I don't want to see you on weekends and count down the days until you visit. I want you here. With me."
"My job is county-based. I can't just—"
"You could. County investigators work remotely all the time. You could base yourself here, take assignments from Bloomfield. Or—" He stops, like he's not sure he should say what comes next.
"Or what?"
"Or you could take a position with the county fire marshal's office. They've been trying to fill that investigator position for six months. It's based in Bloomfield."
I stare at him. "How do you know that?"
"Because I pay attention to things that might matter to you."
The words make my throat tight.
"That's a big change," I say cautiously.
"I know. And if you need time to think about it, that's fine. But I'm putting it out there. Because I'm done pretending I don't want you in my life permanently. I'm done holding back."
I look at him in the dim light filtering through the hotel curtains, this man who's been living in my head for fourteen years, and I realize that the decision isn't actually hard.
"Okay," I say.
"Okay?"
"I'll look into the fire marshal position. I'll—" I take a breath. "I'll stay."
The smile that breaks across his face is the most beautiful thing I've ever seen.
He kisses me, slow and deep, and when we break apart he's still smiling.
"I'm going to make you so happy," he says.
"You already do."
We lie there together until we drift off, tangled up in each other, and for the first time in fourteen years I sleep without dreaming about what might have been.
Because what is, is finally enough.
Then morning comes, too early and too bright.
I wake to sunlight streaming through the hotel curtains and James's arm heavy across my waist. For a second I just lie there, processing the fact that he's actually here. That last night happened. That everything has changed.
He stirs beside me, and I feel him press a kiss to my shoulder.
"Morning," he murmurs, his voice rough with sleep.
"Morning."
He pulls me closer, and I can feel that he's hard again, pressed against my ass. The awareness sends heat through me.
"We should talk about the assessment," I say, even though that's the last thing I want to talk about.
"Do we have to?"
"I need to finish it this morning. Need to submit my report."
He's quiet for a moment. "Is our relationship going to be a problem? Professionally?"
"The assessment's almost done. And it's legitimate—your station is well-run, everything's in order. There's nothing in my report that isn't factual." I turn in his arms so I can see his face. "But we should probably disclose the relationship to my supervisor. Just to be transparent."
"Agreed."
"And I'm finishing this assessment before we leave this hotel room. Because I need to know that I did my job properly, regardless of what's happening between us."
The corner of his mouth lifts. "That's one of the things I love about you. You don't compromise on the work."
The words make my chest warm.
"Help me finish it," I say. "And then we can figure out everything else."
We shower together, which turns into touching, which turns into him pressing me against the tile and sliding inside me while the water runs over us. It's quick and intense and by the time we're done I'm shaking.
We get dressed, and I finish the last of my assessment documentation while James makes coffee with the terrible hotel room machine. By ten o'clock, I've submitted my preliminary report to the county with a note that I'll follow up on Monday with final documentation.
"Done?" James asks.
"Done."
"Good." He pulls me up from the desk and kisses me. "Because I want to take you to breakfast and introduce you to Carla at Harlo's and start getting you integrated into Bloomfield."
"Is that your plan? Integrate me?"
"That's exactly my plan."
I laugh, and it feels easy. Natural. Right.
We head to Harlo's, and Carla takes one look at us walking in together and raises her eyebrows.
"Well," she says, setting down two menus. "That's interesting."
James doesn't even try to hide his smile. "Carla, this is Tess. My girlfriend."
The word makes my stomach flip.
Carla looks between us, and then she smiles. "About time you found someone, Captain. You've been alone too long."
"I know."
We order breakfast, and James tells me about Bloomfield. About the town, about the people, about what it's like living here. I listen and ask questions and realize that I'm genuinely excited about the possibility of staying.
Of building a life here. With him.
After breakfast, we go back to the station so I can collect the rest of my things from his office. The crew is there, and when we walk in together, Declan grins.
"So," he says. "Are we pretending we don't know what's going on, or are we acknowledging it?"
James looks at me, and I nod.
"We're together," he says simply. "Tess is looking into relocating to Bloomfield."
Rhett, standing near the coffee maker, nods once. "Good."
Travis smiles. "Congratulations."
Even Garrett offers a small nod of approval.
I gather my things while James talks to his crew, and I realize that this is what the future looks like. This station, these people, this town.
And James.
Always James.
When I'm ready to leave, he walks me to my car.
"Call me when you get home?" he asks.
"I will. And I'll set up a call with the fire marshal's office on Monday. See what the position looks like."
"And if it doesn't work out, we'll figure something else out. We'll make it work."
I believe him.
He kisses me in the parking lot, in full view of anyone who might be watching, and I kiss him back without hesitation.
"I love you," I say against his mouth.
"I love you too."
I drive away from Bloomfield with the windows down and the June sunshine warm on my face, and for the first time in fourteen years, I'm not wondering what might have been.
Because what will be is finally, finally happening.