Page 88 of Rent: Paid in Full

Miller stands behind me, curling one arm around my waist and dropping a soft kiss on my neck. He raises the flashlight and washes the gnarled branches of an old tree in artificial light. “A lemon,” he whispers, moving the beam to a neighboring tree. “A lime.” He moves it again, this time to a young tree, supple, espaliered, and so recently planted the ground beneath it still shows signs of disturbance. “And a peach tree for you.”

My heart lurches, flying up from my chest and landing in my throat. I tighten my grip on the hand Miller has around me and take two breaths to steady myself.

“Sandy isn’t coming tonight, is she?”

“No, baby, she’s not. I’ve already bought it.”

“And it isn’t a development, is it?” I turn in his arms and look up to face him. “It’s…” Emotion rises. More emotion than I have space to store. It rises so high it has no choice but to leak out of my eyes. “It’s Annabel, isn’t it?”

Miller leans down, closing his eyes and parting his lips before they touch mine. He searches for my tongue and finds it, licking my wounds and making them better, like always.

“Yes, baby.” He strokes the side of my face and leans his forehead against mine. “We’re home.”

I look around, taking in the faded wallpaper and the cracked panes of glass, the hole in the floorboards and the musty smell. It changes before my eyes. I see new plumbing and wiring. I see discarded rot, but most of all, I see good things repaired. Old things taken care of, handled sensitively, and fully restored.

“It’s going to be beautiful,” I murmur. “My God, it’s going to be so beautiful.”

“D’you like it? ‘Cause you know if you don’t, we don’t have to keep it. We can keep looking if you want something else. I don’t mind. I want you to be happy.”

“No,” I say with force. “I love it. It’s perfect.” I let my hands roam his chest, smoothing his shirt and fixing his collar. “Just one thing.” I let my voice trail off and try my best not to smile. “I’m not sure if you're aware, but I work for the Department of Education, and, and they aren’t known for paying well. I’m just a lowly government employee, and this is a dream house. It’s going to cost a fortune, and I-I…” I bat my lashes innocently. “I just don’t think I can afford to live in an area like this.”

His eyes spark, metal against metal, and he tilts his head back. “Aw, don’t worry, baby, we’ll work it out. I’m sure we can findsomethingyou have that I want. Something I’ll pay for.” Hesnaps at my jaw, scraping his teeth over my skin. “Something I’ll buy. Orrent.”

Heat quivers down my spine.

I love the fuck out of this game. It doesn’t matter how many times we play it, I love it more every time. I know that Miller will make me pay to live here. He’ll make me pay over and over. He’ll make me pay in every room of this house—on, or bent over every flat surface. He’ll make me pay more than once.

He’ll buy pieces of me, and I’ll happily let him.

He’ll buy them and keep them forever because that’s how buying things works.

He’ll smile and say,I bought it, so it’s mine.

I widen my eyes and raise a hand to my throat, clutching an invisible string of pearls. “I hope you don’t mean to suggest…”

“Yes, I do. That’s exactly what I mean. I mean it will cost you. It’ll cost you a lot. I’m going to take something from you, baby. Something I want. Something that’s mine. Something I wanted the first time I saw you.” He grinds his hard cock against mine. “Something I’ve wanted every day since.”

I slap his hands away from me, watching as the heat running through me slowly infects him.

He pulls me toward him, eyes warm and hard and soft. He tilts his head to the side and cups my face gently in his hands before leaning down.

“Rent,” he says, brushing his lips against mine, stealing a kiss so sweet and so chaste that my head spins and my mouth drops open for more, “paid in full.”

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