Page 8 of How the Other Half Lives

Six Months Later

“See, it’s just a fifteen-minute drive.”

I grinned but didn’t quite let Vance see it. “Yes, I see that it is a very short drive to your apartment.”

“Well, it won’t be my apartment anymore. It’ll be your work, and that’s it.”

“Yes, I know.”

We hadn’t ended up moving in together. Our leases were coming to an end around the same time, and the idea of moving in together changed from moving into his apartment to “What if we got a house?” and two months ago, Vance had accepted the position as judge, and his commute would be very different as soon as he was sworn in.

This house and its location was good for him and me.

Sometimes it was as if he still felt he had to convince me, though. We’d talked about buying a house together, I had readily agreed. We filled out the paperwork together, we had signed the documents together at the closing. Yet, it was as if Vance was afraid I might change my mind and he’d wake up in his bed alone.

Quite all right, that just meant I had to work extra hard to convince him.

I had been incredibly proud of him, and while I wasn’t always comfortable with all the lawyers and fancy dinners that we attended on occasion, I was fitting in better and better. His dad had sat me down and taught me how to use the different silverware. We’d had to search the internet and watch videos, but at least I had him there to answer questions. I still wasn’t the best at it, but at least I didn’t look like a jackass.

I pulled into the driveway of the house we signed paperwork on last week. We had occupancy starting today. The movers weren’t bringing our things over until tomorrow, but both Vance and I couldn’t wait any longer. It was a cute one-story house with a porch big enough to set out a few chairs, and it had landscaping that was pretty basic. There was a yard, and in the back, a fenced-in area with a small deck. A lot of opportunities for improvement.

“I really like it,” he said.

“I do too, dear. That’s why we bought it.”

His cheeks pinked.

“It could have major problems that we don’t know about yet. The inspection came back good, but you never know with some of these older houses.” I’d been surprised when Vance had gravitated toward smaller, more basic houses as opposed to the subdivision mini-mansions. Above all else he’d wanted a quiet neighborhood. One that would be safe for children.

“Lucky for me, I have a handyman.” He sent me a wink.

“My skillset does have some limitations.” He wasn’t wrong, though. I’d always wanted a place that I could fix up as I had time. A place that was all my own. Or rather, a place that was shared with my partner. I couldn’t ask for a better one than Vance.

We held hands as we walked up the front step. Vance pushed open the door, and we stepped inside.

The place was clean, empty, just waiting for tomorrow when all of our things would arrive and we would unpack.

“Elain said they’d be over in the morning whenever we need them,” Vance said. “The movers should be here around ten, so we’ll have to be back here by then.”

“What if we don’t leave?” I asked.

He pursed his lips, his brow furrowed in concentration. One of his many looks that I loved. “We don’t have a bed.”

“I might have brought our bed over on my lunch break today. I had some help. And I stocked some basic groceries so we won’t go hungry.”

“Think we’ll work up an appetite?”

I pulled him closer to me so that our bodies were flush against one another. His cock was already hard, and mine was ready to join the game.

“Well, we don’t have a television, or our chest set, or any of the five million books that you own.”

“Shelf trophies,” he said.

“Yes, your collection of shelf trophies. You’ll have space for a ton more once I build that bookshelf for your office.”

Vance wrapped his arms around my middle and laid his head on my shoulder. “You’re the perfect man, you know that?”

I snorted. “Hardly. But I’ll take the compliment.”

I pushed him against the wall and captured his lips with mine. The kiss began slow but picked up speed soon enough. His lips locked on mine and his tongue met mine. He took control of the kiss and flipped us around so that it was my back against the wall.

Then he was tugging at my shirt, letting up from the kiss only so long for the two of use to remove our shirts.

“Bedroom,” I said.

“Can’t wait that long,” he said. His voice was husky, and my cock hardened at the sound. He unbuckled my jeans and removed them. His followed soon after. He didn’t bother to step out of his, though. “I need you.”

I let out a low laugh. It rumbled through my chest. “I thought you might feel that way. Before I picked you up, I took the liberty of getting prepared.”

Vance stilled. His eyes met mine. He reached behind me, his fingers trailing down my back and between my ass cheeks until he felt the base of the plug. His eyes widened and his nostrils flared. He gripped it and slowly removed it from my body. He removed it one inch, then two, then slowly put it back in.

I groaned at the sensation as the toy fucked me, and I locked my gaze with Vance’s.

Finally, he pulled it out completely and hoisted me up and lined up his cock to my hole.

“You feel so much better than that toy,” I said as he entered me.

“Damn straight I do. Hold tight,” he said, and then he was fucking me in earnest. He held me against the wall as he slammed into me again and again. My cock was hard between us, but I couldn’t let go of his neck to stroke myself.

“More,” I cried.

He thrust into me as hard as he dared. My back hit the wall, thudding loudly. Thank fuck we no longer had neighbors.

He kissed my neck, nipping at the skin. It was sure to leave a mark, but that was what collars were for.

“Fuck yes!” I shouted as I came. My cum splashing between us.

Vance followed soon after, filling me completely. We had ditched condoms months ago after we were tested, and I was so thankful we had.

Our breathing evened out, and his arms shook where he held me. Slowly he slipped out of me, and I was returned to my own two feet. He held me so that I didn’t fall, my own legs not steady enough to hold me upright.

“Well, that’s one way to christen the house,” he said.

“For sure. Only six more rooms to go.”

“We didn’t need the bed here after all.”

I chuckled. “Well, my back nor yours can take sleeping on the floor, so you’ll thank me that the bed is here.”

Vance kissed my cheek. “I love you,” he said.

I met his gaze, my smile spreading across my face as it always did when I took in the sight of him. “I love you,” I said. “Welcome home.”