WHAT DO YOU DO WHEN YOU FIND OUT the woman you love killed her husband?
Run?
Stay?
Call the cops?
Each can be the right choice, depending on the situation. Only one fits my situation.
Thalia and I spent the rest of the day on the couch, talking and watching “Ozark”. Well, she was watching while I replayed what she told me earlier, waiting for fear or doubt to creep in. Waiting for the sane response to arrive. After all, I’m holding a woman who killed. I’m holding a woman who slit a man’s wrists. A woman who successfully blackmailed the former president of Greece into getting out of jail time and succeeded.
And at the same time, I’m holding a woman who helped a friend when she was too drunk to see reason. A woman who saved a stranger from being raped by confronting Asher. A woman who made sure my dog was safe and secure before she faced Kai. A woman who brought out the best in me and jolted me into feeling alive and happier than I’ve ever been.
Fear and doubt fail to arrive. I’m peaceful of all things, proud and grateful that she stumbled into my life.
Thalia nodded off a while ago, but the show keeps playing as a background to my internal monologue. She’s so beautiful, cuddling into me as if I’m all she needs. As if I’m all she has.
Jesus fucking Christ.
I am all she has.
There are friends and my family, but I might just be the only person who loves her, and that thought constricts my throat. I pull a blanket higher, tucking her in, careful not to hurt her shoulder. My fingers sweep up and down her arm in a monotonous, steady rhythm.
I drift back to when I thought she was pregnant, recalling the inordinate sense of warmth and excitement running through me at that moment. Deep down, I always knew settling down would be a breeze once the right woman came along. It might not be the best moment for this decision, but I’m sure I’ll never come to regret it.
Me: Boys, I’ll need that ring.
Shawn: No. Fucking. Way! You really gonna propose?!
Logan: I see you two worked shit out. Good. You waste no time, huh?
Me: Yeah, unless… is there some timeline for this I’m unaware of? A sign from up above I’m supposed to wait for.
Nico: {gif}
I watch a gif of a guy walking down the street, holding a piece of cardboard far above his head that reads, “This is a sign.” I swallow my laughter. A huge weight lifts off my shoulders and dissipates like smoke in the evening air.
My brothers and I have always been careless. I guess I missed the moment we matured and grew up because their approval and encouragement comes as a surprise and means the world. Relief fills me like hot air fills an air balloon, and I gently kiss the crown of Thalia’s head, careful not to wake her.
Shawn: Jack says he knows a jeweler who’ll make whatever the fuck you want.
Nico: Should I free some cash? Did she explain the murder mystery?
Me: Jeweler sounds good. No cash, Nico. And yeah, she explained. It’s all good. We’ll talk tomorrow. Got my girl asleep here. She’ll make me pay if I wake her up.
Logan: Shit. I need to get me some of that domestication. Sounds fun. Anyone got a girl I could marry?
Nico: Depends on how desperate you are.
I dim the screen and set the phone aside. It vibrates a few times, hinting that their discussion is still going, but I’m not interested. I press my lips to the crown of Thalia’s head, ready for whatever is to come.
◆◆◆
A week.
That’s how long Thalia had to wear the sling.
A whole week of strictly no sex.
As soon as the doctor took the sling off and I triple-checked that she was no longer in pain, we marched out of the hospital and sped across the city, heading home.
And as soon as we step inside the condo, I’m all over her.
“Too long. A week is too fucking long, omorfiá.” I tear the t-shirt off my back and work on Thalia’s summer dress so fast that the seams give out when I yank the zipper. “I’ll buy you a new one.” I twirl her around, ripping the rest of the fabric off her body until it falls to the floor in a heap of white and blue.
She spins on her heel and, without a moment’s hesitation, drops to her knees, yanking my jeans down and freeing my cock in one swift movement. That’s not what I had in mind. She took care of me with her mouth all week. It’s her pussy I need, but words catch in my throat when she cuffs the base of my cock with one hand and wraps those silky lips around the swollen head, licking the first drop of pre-cum as if she hadn’t tasted me in months.
“Fuck,” I rasp, but instead of helping her to her feet like I intended to, I hold her in place when she takes me in deeper.
I’m rendered speechless when she sucks, her cheeks hollow, hooded eyes looking up to me. How the hell did I get so lucky? I can see she loves the control she has while her hand pumps in sync with her lips, and I’m at her mercy.
“Fuck,” I mutter again when my cock hits the back of her throat. “You’re so good at this. So good…”
I wrap her locks around my wrist, but once the orgasm builds at the base of my spine, I pull on her hair, silently asking her to stop.
But she’s not done.
She claws at my thigh, twisting her hand as she strokes my length, twirling her tongue over the tip before sliding her lips as far down as she can.
“Thalia,” I warn, but my resistance dies down the closer to the edge I get. She doesn’t stop and doesn’t let me pull her up. “Shit,” I growl, spilling into that perfect hot mouth, holding her head to keep her in place for a few intense moments.
She releases my cock with a pop, and I bend down, lift her up and carry her to bed. I don’t throw her as I usually do. Her shoulder will take longer to heal than a week, and I still need to be careful with how I handle her for a while.
I cover her body with mine, capturing her lips in a long, deep kiss. “You’ll pay for making me come before I had a chance to feel you come on my cock.”
She bites the inside of her cheek, weaving her hands through my hair. “Don’t pretend you’re upset.”
“Oh, I’m not upset,” I whisper, grazing my teeth on her neck, “but you might be unable to walk once I’m done with you tonight. I need half an hour of recoup time. Let’s check how many orgasms you can have in thirty minutes.”
“Is that supposed to be a punishment?” she chuckles, but not even ten seconds later, she gasps softly when I circle my thumb on the bundle of nerves at the apex of her thighs.
“Treat it as you wish.” I move lower to twirl my tongue over her pebbled nipple.
It doesn’t take long for the first orgasm to come. Two, maybe three minutes before she stills, biting my lower lip when I try to swallow those erotic moans.
“One. Now, I need a taste,” I say, pushing her further up the bed. The first lick of my tongue has her fisting the sheets with a soft moan. Her hips buckle within minutes, and I slip a finger inside when she’s just about to come. “Two,” I utter, licking her dry. “There’s nothing I like more than seeing you come.”
We get to five before I’m ready, and the first deep, urgent thrust scoots Thalia up the bed. “I missed you so fucking much.” I hover above her, resting my weight on one elbow while the other hand holds onto her neck.
“I missed you too,” she whispers, the words like a breathless staccato when my thrusts gain pace, and her legs wrap around my waist. “Oh, God… punishment,” she mumbles a moment later. “Definitely punishment. It’s too much, I—”
“It’s not too much. Let go.”
I close my mouth on her breast, tipping her over the edge again. She’s oversensitive, every orgasm easier to trigger, and I wonder if it’s possible to get her to ten.
“I love you,” she says, sinking into my lips when another orgasm vibrates through her body.
I’ll never get bored of hearing that. “Say it again.”
“I love you.”
I close her lips with a desperate, deep kiss. “I love you more.” I drive back into her faster and hide my face in the crook of her neck, kissing the tender flesh. “So. Fucking. Much. I want you on top, little one.” I flip us over, leaning my back against the headboard, one hand draped across Thalia’s lower back, the other higher, holding her hair in a tight fist. “Slowly.”
She tries to keep her moves steady, despite her weak, exhausted body that almost melts into me as if she wants to soak in my closeness. Her small hands roam my shoulders, tracing the muscles. She pulls on my hair and touches my face over and over. Our breathing hastens, and kisses turn urgent, hot and affectionate all at once.
“Easy,” I coo, stopping her while I’m buried deep inside. “Don’t rush. Not tonight.” I steer her hips, adjusting the tempo to my preference, and hold her close while she rides me, clinging to my chest.
And it’s right there and then that I know she’s all I’ll ever need. Mine. Now and forever.
