Page 31 of The Last Person (Baker Girls #5)

Brian

“I’m sorry, Greta. I know moving always makes you mad, but I promise I won’t bother you again for another few months.”

She always gives me the cold shoulder when I move her. But I can’t stand the thought of leaving any of my babies behind for half the year.

We intend to primarily spend the offseason in Ida since we bought the house here last year, and during the season, we’re happy in our penthouse in the city, which means twice a year, I put the kids through the big move.

But they’re resilient, and once they get used to the quiet here, they thrive—at least if last year was any indication.

Though we had some work done throughout the house and lots of landscaping work done outside, the conservatory was in perfect condition, so I was able to move the plants in, and I spent a lot of time in here over the spring and summer, writing and relaxing—when I wasn’t out in the gardens.

My gaze drifts to the French doors that lead out to the patio. It’s only March, and too early in upstate New York to do much of anything outside—especially gardening—but I’m excited to get back out there again.

We cut things back, landscaped, and added more to the garden last year, including rows of fruit trees and a vegetable garden. By we, I mostly mean me, though Ryan went with me to the local plant nursery many times and let me browse and ask a thousand questions, all with a smile on his face.

Every day I feel luckier to have found someone who understands me on such a deep level and loves me for all of it.

I finish settling Greta in, then move on to the newer additions, a line of smaller crassula variants. “Tommy, Luna, Regina… you all look perfect. A few of you need some water, though.” I add a little to each of their pots from the small brass watering can Ryan got me for my birthday.

I check and water the rest of the plants, turning their pots or switching their placements around as I go.

When everything is how I want it, I turn around and almost jump when I see Ryan standing in the doorway.

“How long have you been standing there?”

His soft smile grows into a fuller, brighter one. “A few minutes.”

“You could’ve said something.”

He strolls into the room, hands tucked in the pockets of his gray sweats. “I like watching you in your element.” He nods toward the windows. “How are the kids?”

“Mostly good.”

“Greta?”

“Yep.”

“Always my spicy girl.”

I break into a laugh. “I love you.”

Wrapping his arms around my waist, he brushes his lips over mine. “I love you too.”

Then one hand slides up my back as he slants his mouth over mine. Our tongues twist, and that calm, settled feeling washes over me. Physically and emotionally, I’m home.

I curl my fingers into his hair, dipping him back slightly as I deepen our kiss.

More than a year together, and I’m just as desperate for him as the night it all started.

My life has been richer and warmer since it twined with his. Not that it’s a surprise. His brightness lights up every dark space in my life.

“I need you,” he rasps.

Then we’re fumbling across the house toward the master, shedding clothes as we go.

“What do you want?” I rumble, dragging my lips down his neck.

“I need you to fuck me.”

“Are you—”

My words die as he turns and shows me the plug in his ass.

I groan, then lift him into my arms and set him on our Wyoming king bed—a little longer and wider than a typical king, so we have more space.

Climbing over the top of him, I grab lube from the drawer and get myself ready, then slowly remove the plug, savoring his whimpers as I do.

As fun as it is to tease him, this is one of the times where I’m too needy and desperate to even consider that.

As I press my tip to his entrance, he bears down, and when I add more lube, my cock easily slips inside.

“Fuck, baby. I’ll never get enough of this.” He throws his head back and fists the sheets, his legs pulled up to his stomach as he waits for me to fuck him.

“Neither will I,” I mutter. The head of my cock is oversensitive with how horny I am, and my balls are already tight.

The only bad thing about our sex life is how easily we both come the first time around. It’s hard to go slow.

“I need to come,” he whines, stroking his cock.

“Then come. Let your perfect ass squeeze my cock until I fill you. Or do you need to feel the warmth of cum first? Need me to mark you as mine?”

“Yes,” he gasps, stroking himself faster.

I’ve barely made it all the way inside him, and he’s ready to blow. But I am too, so I have nothing to say.

Grabbing his waist, I pull him tight to me, and he cries out.

“More?” I ask.

“Fuck me.”

Heat rushes through me at his words, and I don’t hold back. I learned a long time ago that when he wants me to take his ass, he wants to be fucked hard.

“Yes, yes…” he cries as I swiftly thrust in and out.

His ass clenches tighter around my cock, and I can barely breathe. “Fuck, you feel so good. How do you do this to me every time? You turn me inside out.”

High-pitched moans slip out of him, and his body goes taut. Then he’s crying out and shaking beneath me as his ass strangles my cock.

“Ryan,” I cry, spilling inside him.

I lean down to kiss him, and his tongue instantly meets mine. It’s messy and rough, but I love it.

Wrapping my arms around him, I shift onto my side, knowing exactly what he needs now. With me still buried in his ass, he curls against me, resting his head on my shoulder.

I hold him tightly, gently kissing his shoulder and neck.

This is the difference between sex and intimacy. As good as sex feels, nothing compares to this. To the achy, intense feeling of being this deeply emotionally connected to someone.

I curl my fingers into his braids, and he lets out the softest whimper as he holds me tighter. Like his soul is crying out for mine.

“I love you,” I whisper in his ear, then kiss the side of his head and close my eyes.

The sound of my alarm going off wakes me up to find Ryan still pressed against me, and my cock still inside him. Normally, it would lead to another round, but as my hazy brain makes sense of things, I remember my alarm went off because I’m going to spend the afternoon with Hallie, Sophia, and Hope.

“Baby,” I murmur, kissing Ryan’s neck.

“Mm.”

“We have to get up. I need to get to Hallie’s.”

He leans back and looks at me, eyes still heavy from sleep. Then he wraps a hand around the side of my neck and kisses me hard. “I’ll miss you.”

“Are you okay?” I ask, only because he seems almost pained at the idea of letting me go.

He chuckles. “I’m good. Just feeling extra needy today. I want even more of your touch.”

I give him a gentle kiss. “I’ll hold you all night, I promise.”

“I can’t wait.” With one last kiss, he eases off me, and we both get up.

Thankfully, we always keep one of the extra blankets over the top of the bed so we’re ready to go at any time. It makes cleanup much simpler.

I take a quick shower and get dressed, then find Ryan still lying in bed.

“I’m going to bask in your scent while you’re gone.”

Leaning down, I graze my lips over his. “Do you want me to bring dinner home?”

“No. I’ll handle it.”

“Okay. Love you.”

“Love you too, baby.”

He runs his hand over mine, letting it go slowly as I pull away.

I make my way through the house, and as I pass the conservatory again, I smile.

This is every dream I didn’t truly believe I could have, and sharing it with Ryan is more than I ever dared to hope for.

I’ll spend the rest of my life being grateful that fate twined us together in a beautiful way and gave us a love so profound I know nothing else in this life could ever compare.

Hardy

The second the garage door is closed behind Brian, I leap off the bed, throw the dirty blanket in the laundry, put on a fresh one, and run to the shower.

I’ve probably only got ten minutes before Wilson, Justin, and Jade will be here to help me set things up.

I wasn’t intending to fall asleep, but then again, I wasn’t planning to do more than kiss Brian or maybe give him a blowjob before he left.

But watching him so delicately care for those plants made me too horny to function.

Everything about Brian does it for me, but his gentleness and vulnerability are always the things that give me a mega boner. They also draw me to him in a deeper way, which is why I needed that extra touch and connection with him.

Of course that might have something to do with the fact that I’m proposing to him tonight.

Over the last year, I’ve come up with a ton of different proposal ideas for him, but I kept coming back to this. Our home. Our future. The peace he craves and the garden he loves.

Once spring and summer get underway, things will be busy. He’ll be focused on the garden or we’ll be traveling. This is the calmest part of our year.

We would’ve moved up here a little sooner this year, but we decided to wait until after Mark and Frannie’s wedding at the end of February.

We spent some time down in Anais Bay with them before and after the wedding, and they’re still there on an extended honeymoon.

We went straight to the city from South Carolina, then packed up and came here yesterday. I couldn’t wait another day to do this.

I’m just pulling a shirt on when I hear car doors in the front circle of the driveway, and I hurry out to meet Wilson, Justin, and Jade—and a fourth person climbs out of the car too.

The minute I see her strawberry blonde hair, I know who it is.

Jade’s friend Amanda, who is an incredibly talented event planner. She ran an event for Wendell and Alannah’s charity to support trans kids, and she did a fantastic job. And she’s a friend to the Baker Girls group since Mark’s cousin is one of her besties.

“I thought I’d bring some professional help,” Jade says.

“I appreciate everything I can get.” I look at Amanda. “Thank you.”