Page 33

MYRA

“Give it to me, Myra. Give me what I want.” Simon’s voice is harsh. Demanding.

And more than enough to have my head falling back and my body shuddering. I come so hard my vision blurs and my ears ring.

Both things I didn’t even know were possible a few weeks ago. Now I get to experience them every day.

Sometimes twice.

Simon pulls me closer, bringing my bare ass to the edge of the counter as he pounds into me, the dick I was once worried wouldn’t fit hitting every nerve ending in a way that drags out my orgasm and pulls the most unholy sounds through my lips.

I can feel when he comes. The heat of it as he fills me to the brim, his continuing thrusts sounding wetter and wetter as he plunges into me over and over. Simon doesn’t stop until he physically can’t go anymore. Only then does his cock slide free, leaving me feeling empty but so, so satisfied.

And messy.

“I’m scared to move.” I press my lips together as I look down. “I’m afraid I’m going to get stuff everywhere.”

“Here.” Simon grabs the shirt he discarded two seconds after I got home from work and tucks it between my thighs, his wide palm positioning the worn cotton right where it will catch anything that jumps ship.

“We should probably try to keep our activities on the second floor to avoid this.” I slide off the island in my kitchen, legs a little wobbly as I find my footing.

“Or I can start putting in the half-bath you said I could install.” Simon walks with me, holding his T-shirt in place during the weirdest trip I’ve ever taken up my stairs. “I finished up the trim in the family room and front room today, so I can get that project rolling tomorrow.”

“Let’s make a deal.” I waddle my way to the second floor, naked lower half on full display.

“You can start working on the bathroom if you promise that we never do whatever it is we’re doing right now again.

” It feels ridiculous, so I can only imagine how it looks.

When I do picture myself scaling the stairs with Simon’s T-shirt turned cum catcher wedged between my legs, I start to laugh.

It’s only half a heartbeat before Simon is laughing with me, the hand that’s not holding his T-shirt coming to grip the back of my neck, pulling me in for a kiss as we reach the top of the stairs. He leans back, shaking his head. “God, I love you.”

I was already having a tough enough time putting one foot in front of the other, and his unexpected words have my brain tripping over itself, causing the rest of me to do the same.

Simon easily catches me, oblivious to the way he’s just rocked my world. Not just with what he said, but with how he said it. The way it was so natural to him it hasn’t even registered the words passed through his lips.

He didn’t think them through or plan them out or try to strategize how best to use them. They were simply stated. Like a fun fact he wanted to share with me.

I’m still turning those three words over in my head when we reach my bathroom.

I go inside, closing the door on him. I might be okay letting him serve as the jizz juggler, but I’m not quite prepared for him to listen to me pee or watch me wipe.

Once I’m closed in, I drop to the toilet, staring at the wall in front of me.

Simon loves me.

It’s not the revelation it should be.

And that has me laughing again. At how freaking ridiculous I was to think I could avoid wanting to make Simon mine. That I thought I’d be able to have a baby with him and not want more.

I’m an idiot.

Finishing up, I flush the toilet and wash my hands, peeling away the remainder of my work clothes before wrapping on the robe hooked at the back of the door.

When I step out, Simon is standing on the other side, looking confused. Maybe a little worried. “What were you laughing about?”

“Me being dumb.” I go to my dresser and pull out the comfy garments I spend my evenings in.

After slipping on a fresh pair of panties since I’m not sure where the pair I had on is now, I layer over leggings and a tunic style sweatshirt.

Once everything’s in place, I turn to Simon and find him still frowning at me.

“You’re not dumb.”

I roll my eyes because he’s so freaking cute. He’s also freaking wrong.

I walk over to where he stands, looking grumpy that I would ever consider myself anything but perfect.

Lacing my arms around his neck, I pull him down and press a kiss to his lips.

“Maybe I’m not dumb anymore, but I definitely was.

” I kiss him again. “Dumb enough to think I wouldn’t fall in love with you the second I stopped pretending it couldn’t happen. ”

Simon’s expression shifts, turning serious. “You love me?”

“Of course I love you.” I lift one shoulder in a shrug. “There was never really any other option if I’m being honest.”

Simon’s arms wrap around me, pulling me closer. “I love you too.”

Yeah. He definitely doesn’t realize he already said it, which is my favorite part of the whole thing. “I know.”

It’s there in everything he does. The way he treats me. The way he speaks to me. The way he tries to make my life easier and listens when I talk. The man is so freaking in love with me it’s not even funny.

Actually, it’s a little funny. Funny that I didn’t see it until just now. Just like so many other things.

“We should get—” Simon’s words are cut short by my doorbell.

A doorbell he put in because he wants me to feel safe. One more way I should have known he loves me.

He backs us up out of our room, keeping his hold on me as he leans to peer down into the entryway. “Fucking Butch.”

“Ugh.” My head falls back. “I kinda hate that guy.” I don’t really hate him. He just has the worst timing in the world.

I guess not the worst. Technically he could have rung the doorbell ten minutes ago. That would have been the worst.

Simon sighs, the sound long and loud as he turns. His arms drop from my body, but he immediately catches one of my hands in his. We go downstairs together, standing side-by-side as he opens the door.

That’s when I see it’s not just Butch on my porch.

Becca gives me a cautious smile, lifting one hand in a little wave. “Hi.”

After talking with Felicity, I feel kind of bad for trying to snatch Becca bald the other night.

It didn’t realize she wasn’t a stranger.

That many of the people in town already knew her.

Not only had she once worked with Felicity, but she’d also lived with Shawn’s wife Shelly for a period of time years ago.

It’s still super strange that she and Butch ended up crossing paths in a completely unrelated way, but I guess everything happens for a reason.

That whole six-degrees of separation must only apply to Kevin Bacon.

“Hey.” I step back making room for them to pass. “You guys want to come in?”

“Just me.” Becca offers another tentative smile. “I’m the one who wants to come in.” She shoots Butch a glare. “But someone didn’t think I was capable of crossing the street on my own.”

Butch’s head drops back, like he’s dealt with this from Becca before. “I’m trying to make sure you stay safe.”

“I thought I was here because this place is safe.” She lifts her brows. “I bet Shelley and Felicity will just love to hear you’re worried someone’s going to come abduct me off the street where their kids play.”

I get where she’s coming from, but honestly, so does Butch. I know from personal experience. “It’s happened before.”

Becca scoffs. “So why am I even here?”

“That was a totally different situation.” Butch seems to know the details about my ex, brother, and father taking Lydia, Piper, and me off the sidewalk outside.

Piper was so amazing that day. She fought like crazy to survive. Even when she was broken and bloodied, the woman never gave up. Never stopped being a pain in the ass. She found ways to cause destruction and pain and handed it out like free samples at Costco.

I wish I’d been more like her. Then maybe it would have ended before they even got us out of the neighborhood.

“We’ve increased security here since then, but you never know what’s going to happen.

We can’t be too careful until we understand the full extent of what we’re dealing with.

” Butch’s dark eyes fix on Becca’s face.

“What they’re willing to do to shut you up.

” His voice gentles. “I know you hate this, but you’ve just got to deal with it a little longer. My sources?—”

“Your sources don’t seem to know shit about what’s happening.” Becca snaps at him, her voice a little raw and raspy. “And what I’m dealing with, is living in a building with no running water and a hole in the roof while my sister is out there suffering way worse than I am.”

Plenty of people offered up their spare bedrooms for Becca to stay in, but she refused every one of them. Claimed she was a person who enjoyed her personal space, and didn’t want to inconvenience anyone.

I think I just got a hint at the real reason she turned everyone down, and it’s kind of a revelation. I didn’t even know Becca had a sister, let alone that she was suffering somewhere.

Becca turns from Butch, obviously done with the conversation. She steps into my house, striding past me. “I’ll text you when I’m done.”

Simon looks at me, then at where Becca’s moving into the back portion of my house. “I think I’ll give you girls a little privacy.”

“That might be good.” I’m not sure what has brought Becca here, but it’s weird she didn’t take whatever it is to Felicity or Shelly since she’s known them for years. It has me curious.

And maybe a little worried.

Simon presses a quick kiss to my lips before turning to wrap an arm around Butch’s shoulders. “Come on. Let’s go check out the house situation you’re dealing with.”

I close the door behind them, flipping the lock into place before going to join Becca in the kitchen. When I get there, she’s perched on one of my barstools, head in her hands.

“Is everything okay?” I take in her appearance, looking a little closer than I did a few seconds ago.