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“I know it’s much smaller than your place, and now that I look at it, it’s a fucking mess.” Emma would have laughed at me if she was sitting here. She used to tell me that the only time my habit of shoving clothes into drawers without properly organizing them would come back to bite me was when my underwear drawer was left wide open. We kicked off our shoes at the door and walked into the apartment.

“Stassi came in here for my passport too—how fucking embarrassing she had to see it like this.”

Ledger dropped my bag over where my bed was. I felt ashamed of it. Here was this guy who paid for us to fly first class across the world on a whim, and I was excited about him seeing my place, which could fit inside his kitchen alone.

“This is…so bright and happy.” He walked around to the bright-yellow comforter I had gotten along with the boho lamps, thankful that I had done something to my bed before I left.

“Oh, yeah. Sometimes it can get so dreary in Chicago, so I figured it needed some color.”

Ledger walked around, his giant self taking up a lot of space as he ran his fingers along every single surface as if trying to imprint it to memory.

“It’s so you,” he murmured, and turned around, walking toward me.

“It’s messy,” I said, before he paused and came back over to where I was standing in the room.

“It’s yours,” he whispered, his lips pressing down onto mine. “I love you.”

Ever since we had said it to each other, he couldn’t stop saying it. He’d repeat it over and over again, and I let him, because I deserved to hear it.

“Ledger,” I moaned, letting his name roll off my tongue slowly.

“I want to fuck you on every surface of this place so that when I leave, all you can think about is me and how you’re mine, and all you can smell is me.”

Fuck. Me.

This man knew how to tell me what I wanted to hear. Every whispered promise, every soft look, stirred something deep inside me—a craving to be his, not just for a moment, but always. In his presence, time seemed to stand still, and I found myself lost in the depths of his gaze, willingly surrendering to the enchantment of his love.

“Yes, please,” I begged, dropping down to my knees and waiting as I heard him undo the belt from his loop.

“I’m going to fuck your pretty mouth first and then make you come. Do you understand?”

I nodded as his hands went to his zipper. “You look so pretty on your knees waiting for me, Sunshine.”

I could feel the heat warm my cheeks and wasn’t sure if it was from the sun or the fact this man was speaking all the words I wanted to hear.

“Open wide.” I nodded.

“Be a good girl and let me fill you up.” I couldn’t nod again because he impaled my throat with his thickness. I had no time to adjust or take him in as his hands went over to my hair to hold on as he pumped me, thrusting until he hit the back of my throat.

I was fully clothed, and Ledger’s pants pooled around his ankles as he fucked me thoroughly.

“Such a good girl. You’ve been an amazing student, Sunshine,” he praised repeatedly as he continued to fill me up.

Just when I thought he would come, he quickly pulled out and stepped out of his pants before grabbing my waist and hoisting me to the back of my little couch. He dropped me down so the edge of the couch was giving my ass some support, but I kept my legs wrapped around him.

“Arms up,” he demanded. I obliged, letting him take off my sweatshirt. I felt gross from traveling all day, but the need to have Ledger—to be close to him—superseded any desire to take a shower first.

His lips captured mine in a tender union, his tongue swirling in an intricate dance between us. “You’re like the air I breathe,” he confessed. “Since the day we met, all I’ve wanted is to be by your side, to bask in your presence. I feel blessed beyond measure to have you completely.”

I knew what he was talking about, and it wasn’t just the physical intimacy we shared, but it was that emotional peace, both of us baring our souls to each other this week. It was something I’d never given to anyone else, including my own mother. Our mouths met yet again when I swore I heard the faintest of clicks.

But between my own moans and the sloppiness of our kiss, I figured it was nothing.

“Yeah, Grandma, I think Mom’s at work. She’s been a little MIA this week, but then I got that phone call about needing her passport and figured I’d come by and check, so it’s a good thing you’re in town.”

I was watching everything unfurl in slow motion. I rushed to push Ledger away from me, his eyes flared up to mine when he heard the voice too.

“No,” I whispered, fumbling to grab my sweatshirt from the floor. “No,” I cried out. This could not happen. Why?

“Does he have a key?” Ledger whisper-yelled, and I nodded. I was on my hands and knees scrambling to find my top, and Ledger had one leg in his pants, but it was too late. My son and my mother had walked right into my apartment.