Page 9 of Habibi: Always and Forever
My hand — the same one used for soldering circuit boards, for grip strength, for breaking locks — rose to Jerry’s jaw. Not rough. But firm. “You want this,” I murmured, “but you don’t even know what ‘this’ is.”
Jerry leaned in like he wanted to learn.
Then Verity’s chair squealed as she stood and muttered, “Okay, wow, I’m totally juiced right now. I’m definitely not used to this level of sexual tension. We’ll leave you two alone.”
“Jer, are we all good?” Ryan’s face looked flushed, his posture tense and ready to bolt for the exit.
Jerry studied my expression, then a quick glance at the monitor before giving Ryan a up nod.
“Oh, thank God.” Ryan muttered; his voice strained and more than a little relieved.
I heard wires sparking before the door slammed closed behind them. I didn’t dare move, let alone blink. My hand shook as my thumb brushed along Jerry’s cheekbone, slow enough to leave an impression. “I warned you,” I whispered. “I don’t play games.”
Jerry whispered back, “Then teach me something real.”
* * *
4. INFERNO: JERRY
I wasn’t sure when kissing turned into this .
One second, I was flirting — laughing at Verity and Ryan’s retreat, savoring the tone of Eric’s voice as if it called to the very heart of me. The next? It was like a firestorm engulfed me. No charm. No swagger. Just burning need.
Eric had me braced against the workstation table, with his hands on either side of my hips as he leaned in closer. His eyes were calm, calculated. But his breath was fast and ragged. Like something primal was clawing beneath the surface, waiting for a chance to get out.
Then it happened.
A pulse. Sharp. Electric. It shot through my spine and landed somewhere behind my heart.
My wolf howled — not with hunger, but with recognition .
Bonds weren’t supposed to happen accidentally.
Not with a troll. Not in a lab. Not when half the team was probably watching the security feed and taking notes.
I couldn’t breathe; my lungs screamed, and my head felt light and floaty. I gasped. Stumbled. Eric caught me in his big muscular arms, of course he did, and held me like he’d known me forever.
“It’s not glamor,” Eric crooned. “Not anymore.”
Leaning forward, I pressed my forehead to Eric’s. “Tell me this isn’t…”
“A bond?” Eric said, his voice more of a rumble. “It’s real. You didn’t fake this. Neither did I.”
Pressure built up inside me, ready to burst like a shaken bottle of soda. I couldn’t hold it in. I laughed — or maybe choked. “I was just supposed to flirt. Maybe flirt hard . Not to catch feelings. Definitely not soul-link.”
Eric’s grin slowly spread across his lips. “Guess your animal magnetism finally met its match.”
This time I groaned. “The succubus is going to kill us.”
Eric kissed me again, slow and certain. “She’ll forgive us. Eventually.”
I felt a flutter in my chest where my heart thumped erratically, already syncing to someone else’s rhythm. One I hadn’t expected. One I hadn’t looked for. And, gods help me — one I never wanted to lose.
* * *
5. COMPLICATED: ERIC
As I sat at my desk several months later, I found myself staring at a coffee stain, my mind drifting to the unforeseen changes I’d encountered since I’d become part of the company.
In one-way things had become simpler, but also much more complicated.
My work after Curtis was arrested was—different.
Not just because the Newton Mafia had lost its leaders, or that Giles Merriweather, the founder of NI, was now back at the helm as both CEO and Chairman.
It was because of my need for redemption and to be around Jerry.
I’d started scheduling in-person updates to the security network, the one that Jerry had access to.
I’ve lost count of the number of times I’ve had to run an install, defrag and reboot on his machine, any excuse to be close to him.
In return, Jerry claims that the maintenance ducts need “random inspections” — which always lead to Lab 3.
Where I happened to be resetting the biometric security.
The guy was pure temptation, dressed in black and sexy as sin.
Keeping away wasn’t an option. Ever since that first time, the day he bit me, our connection, our bond, only grew stronger.
We’d met up repeatedly since then. There’s not a storeroom, boiler, or plant room that we haven’t explored each other’s bodies in.
We kept it secret, stayed after hours, stealing moments together while I was working hard to redeem myself, to show that I was one of the good guys.
* * *
Cyber-attacks were a real risk, and after a late-night firewall breach, my hands had shaken from the adrenaline rush of running system-wide scans. Jerry found me sitting at my desk in the tech lab. Wordlessly, he wrapped a blanket around me. “You can’t keep doing this alone.”
“I didn’t think I had a choice.”
Jerry reached out and touched a hand to my cheek. “You do now.”
I was more appreciative of his support than words could say.
Other suvians are wary of my kind, and humans are fearful of a guy my size, yet Jerry couldn’t care less.
All I saw in his eyes whenever he looked at me was desire.
It didn’t surprise me when I received an email saying that the building would shut down for some heavy maintenance and that only a few people would be on site.
Walking into the empty building the following morning felt strange.
Like there was too much space in the deserted walkways.
I went in search of Jerry, not that he was hard to find.
Our bond led me straight to the tech lab, where I found him sitting at my workstation, scrolling through video snippets.
The security cameras had captured our quiet moments together without us realizing it.
A look, a touch, a pause — it was all there, playing out on the screen.
Jerry paused the footage of the two of us kissing.
Where I had him backed up against the wall, my hands on his hips, as our tongues battled for domination.
“We’ve spent eight months hiding something no algorithm could explain. I don’t want a firewall between us anymore. Will you marry me? Public settings optional. Emotional connection mandatory.”
My mind was spinning, overwhelmed with too many feelings and too many words.
What was that saying about actions meaning more?
Grabbing hold of Jerry’s collar, I pulled him to me, our lips joining in a kiss so hot that it threatened to set my pants alight.
I threw my head back on a gasp as I felt his mouth place butterfly-soft kisses along my jaw.
Before his teeth gently nipped at my earlobe, scrambling my brain.
Moans slipped from my mouth, my voice rough.
In between ragged breaths I whispered, “You’re my favorite glitch. ”
“Is that a, yes?” His eyes bore into mine as if he were trying to read my mind.
“Yes, it’s a yes.”
* * *
6. BEAUTIFUL DAY: JERRY
The flurry of activity and preparations of the last few weeks faded away.
Soft music carried on the gentle breeze.
The weather was perfect; not a cloud marred the sky, as the midday sun shone down on the rose garden.
Their mixed scent filled the air, making my nose itch.
It was a small price to pay for such a beautiful setting.
Of all the places that we could have chosen for our wedding, Eric wanted the National Arboretum.
We exchanged vows beneath a floral arch dressed in matching suits. I’d never seen Eric look so handsome as he stood there wearing a black tux, with a turquoise tie that matched the color of my vest perfectly.
I don’t think any of my friends thought this day would happen; me getting married, especially not to a man. The look on their faces when I told them I had been seeing someone, then introduced them to Eric. Priceless.
The moment the celebrant said the words “you may kiss your husband,” Eric swept me off my feet into his arms. Crushed his mouth to mine.
His lips, usually soft, were now demanding.
The cheers of the crowd faded, replaced by the sound of my hammering heartbeat.
Rose petals filled the air while I clung to him, lost in the sensation, until he finally pulled back, a wicked gleam in his eyes.
“How about we get out of here, and find somewhere quiet, and if you’re good, then I’ll let you play with my floppy disk,” I said once I’d caught my breath.
“Floppy disk? Is that the best you can come up with?” Eric said, quirking an eyebrow.
“You got something better?” I challenged back. Not willing to concede.
My husband’s smirk suggested he did. “Oh yeah, how about I show you how to power up my hard drive?”
Now there was an offer I couldn’t refuse, I took his hand in mine and led him towards the privacy of the bushes. Who knew what the future would bring or what challenges we’d face? What we knew was that we’d face them—together.
* * *
Thanks for reading Jerry and Eric’s HEA story.