Page 82 of Back for More

“Say ‘spadix’ again.”

“Spadix,” I whisper into her ear as I push into her, hard and fast to make her cry out my name and dig her nails into my back. Then she makes that delirious sound of satisfaction that only my cock gives her, and it is pure bliss. It all comes down to this. No space between us. Her naked breasts pressed up against my bare chest, the way she quivers and expands and opens up and surrenders for me. This is who we are together after everything else has been stripped away, and it’s so simple and so much more than I thought it would be.

Fuck it, I’m just going to say it.“I love you.” It comes out more breathless and less badass than I would have liked, but at least it’s out there. Definitively. In English. I didn’t want to say it for the first time when I’m coming.

She moves her head so she can look into my eyes, holds my face in her hands, and says, “Wes. I love you. I love you more than I love anything.” She kisses my cheek three times and then presses her cheek against mine and makes an entirely new sound that I’ve never heard before. I think it’s the happiest little noise I’ve ever heard from an adult, and I would do anything to hear it again.

Her arms are so tight around my neck now, but she’s lost in her jolts and shudders, squeezing and releasing around me. I pick up the pace, unaware of anything except the need to disappear into her. “I love you, I love you, I love you.” I say it over and over until I can’t say anything anymore, and there’s nothing left but that. I love her.

When I’m able to open my eyes again, I jerk my head back and find her smiling so sweetly, all pink and girly.

“Say it again,” she says.

“Spadix.”

She laughs. “The other thing.”

“I love you.”

“You love me.”

“God help me, I do.”

Her chin tilts up as she squeezes her eyes shut. “I love you! It feels so good to say it.” She looks back at me, her brown eyes so shiny. “It’s like I was holding my breath and drowning in it, and now the pressure has finally pushed it all out to the surface… Shit, what time is it?” She wriggles out from under me. “I need to get ready to go.” She kisses my forehead. “I love you.” She gets up to get dressed again. “Will I see you tonight?”

“I actually have a dinner with clients,” I say, heading for the en suite bathroom. “But I can meet up with you at the theater tomorrow.”

I can hear her pouting. “What about after dinner?”

“You’re welcome to come over, but your dad will be home, right?”

“Oh shit, I forgot.” I hear her running around, probably looking for her phone. “Shit! Wes!”

“What?”

“He texted me half an hour ago to say he’s at the airport and heading home.”

“Fuck.” I scramble to get my clothes back on.

“Just stay in here,” she says.

“I can’t stay in here. I have to finish staining the gazebo.”

“Lily? You home?” Jay Barnes calls up from downstairs.

“Shit!” Lily whispers as she runs for the bedroom door. She opens it a crack and yells out, “Hey! Hi! Be right down!”

I’m looking at that window, the one I used to stare up at. There were times I pictured myself climbing up the side of the house like Spider-Man when that window was cracked open at night. I never pictured myself jumping out of it, and it would have been a hell of a lot easier when I was seventeen, but here I go.