Page 21 of A One Woman Job

“Ihave clothes at home,” Meg says in between bites of her omelet, her angelic hazel eyes sparkling back at me across the kitchen island.My beautiful, beautiful girl.“I don’t need new ones.”

Every time I think I’ve reached peak madness when it comes to this girl, it goes up another notch. I can almost feel a crank turning inside me, tautening the bow strings of my sanity at the mere suggestion that she has somewhere else to reside beside my bed. Under my roof. In my possession. “Meg, there is a major problem with the clothes you have at home,” I say, attempting to sound calm. Reasonable. Which I am not.

Her brows pull together. “What is the problem?”

“You’d have to go home togetthem. And that’s not happening.”

Slowly, her fork lowers and my stomach ties itself in a knot. I swear to Christ, if she tries to leave, I will go fucking mental. “My siblings are at home, Koen. I take care of them.”

Stay calm. Stay calm. “I told you, they can come here.”

“You’re so ready to have this peacefulness shattered, are you?” she laughs.

“You’ve shattered my peace and given it to me at the same time.” Unable to stay away from her, I finish pouring my cup of coffee, then move around the island to stand in front of her, wanting to beat my chest like a brute over the fact that she’s wearing my T-shirt as a nightshirt. “I don’t know left from right anymore. I just know you’re not going home.Thisis your home now.”

She strokes the sides of my face with her fingertips, coaxing happiness through the panic. More happiness than I’ve felt in my entire life. With one tiny little touch, she wields magic. “If I left, I would only come back.”

“No.”

“I told you, Koen. I’m yours.”

“Then act like it,” I grunt, playfully nudging her forehead with mine.

Her face tilts up to mine, her tongue making the barest contact with the seam of my mouth. Ever so slightly, her thighs inch apart on the stool. “I thought I did a good job showing you earlier how completely I’m yours.”

Good fucking lord, she has my dick on a string. It stirs every time she breathes, let alone reminds me of our explosive chemistry in bed. The way she looked up at me with a mixture of realized power, encouragement, trust and obedience is addictive in itself, but there’s such an overflow of good fortune beyond that, I could never list everything that makes me want to fuck her repeatedly for eternity and beyond. Her flexible body, her instincts when it comes to my needs, myhunger. Her husky cries.Her pussy. I’m not joking when I say I’d pay a million dollars just to look at it while I beat off, let alone have the honorof fucking it. I’m sweating right now just picturing how my dick is going to look sliding into that little wet hole from the back.

FUCK.

Her body is a drug, yes, but even I am not emotionally blind enough to miss what happens to my heart and soul when she’s letting me make love to her.

I didn’t know it was possible to connect with another human being like that. It’snotpossible for me. Not with anyone but Meg. My Meg. A collision of wild happiness and blistering lust I don’t think men experience often, if ever. Somehow, she is giving that experience to me. “What we did together, baby…” I have to pause, thanks to the emotion in my throat. “There are no adequate words.”

“Not even fucktastic?” she deadpans.

I laugh through the choked feeling. I laugh in my own kitchen for the very first time.

Does she know she’s a one in a million? Does the world know? I struggle between wanting everyone to witness her majesty and hide her away, so no one can ever see her. How is it that I’m the one who gets to keep this person? “Fucktastic. Let’s trademark it.”

Her nose wrinkles when she laughs, but it dissolves into a sigh. “I don’t want you to buy me new clothes. I’m not…accustomed to someone supporting me. I’ve always done the supporting.”

“And now you’ll be rewarded for your selflessness. It’s as simple as that.”

“It’s not. I like to earn my keep.” I’m ready to start shouting about my nine-figure bank account and multiple investment properties, but she gasps, bringing me up short. “I have an idea,” she says. “We should take your violin down to the bus station and perform for cash. I could dance for my cut. It’ll be fun.”

“You think I’d let you dance in front of people for money?” I recoil at the thought. “That’s sounds more nightmarish than fun.”

“You won’t let anyone bother me.” She hops off the stool, throwing her arms around my neck. “Come on, let’s go. You’ve been hiding in this house too long, reliving the darkness. Dwelling on it. But there’s a light side to this world, too, Koen.” She sways in my arms, her expression cajoling. “Let me show you.”

I don’t think I’m capable to denying Meg anything, especially when she speaks about it with so much passion. I want to understand what she’s feeling. The truth of what she’s telling me. And perhaps she’s right. I’d been closed up in this house with my unbearable thoughts right up until the minute she showed up on my beach. If I’m going to prevent that darkness from touching her, maybe I need to shed it. If such a thing is possible, she’s the only one who can help me succeed.

“Fine. Just this once.”

My lips move unbidden into a smile when she cheers and proceeds to demonstrate the dance moves she’s going to use while we busk. I don’t know what’s happening to my life, but I’m scared to imagine what would have become of me if she didn’t come crashing in to save me.

Meg

In the dayssince meeting Koen, my life has been a dream.

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