Page 36 of Off-Limits

"Yes," I hiss, encouraging her on despite the slight pain. "Fuck yes, Mia. Ride me harder."

She does as I say, her hips moving faster and more erratically now as she gets closer to orgasm. I can feel it building inside me too, a familiar tension that's threatening to snap at any moment.

I reach down between us again, finding her clit with my fingers and rubbing circles around the sensitive bud while I thrust up into her from below. The added stimulation is enough to send Mia over the edge, and she comes with a loud cry, her pussy clamping down around me as wave after wave of pleasure washes through her.

Feeling her climax sets off mine too, and I come hard inside her, my cock pulsing as I fill her completely while she rides out her orgasm on top of me.

As we both come back down to earth, Mia leans forward again, resting her forehead against mine as we catch our breath together. Her lips curve up into a soft smile as she looks at me,and I know that this—us like this, together after everything—is what I've been fighting for all along.

"I love you," I whisper, reaching up to cup her cheek gently in my hand. I could say that an infinite number of times and it would feel different every time.

She leans into the touch, her eyes welling up with tears. "I love you too," she whispers back before pressing a soft kiss to my lips.

We sit like that for a while longer, just enjoying each other's company and basking in the afterglow. Eventually, though, reality comes crashing back in, and we know that it's time to get moving again.

But for now, all I can think about is how fucking lucky I am to have Mia in my life—and how determined I am to keep her there forever.

Mia's Epilogue

6 months later…

My stomach churns as I stand before the full-length mirror in my childhood bedroom—now transformed into a temporary bridal suite for the day, with the home gym equipment at the other end. The reflection staring back at me is unrecognizable. I'm a stranger with wide, terrified eyes, clutching her wedding dress like a lifeline, and I'm not even wearing it yet.

"Oh God, Emma," I whisper, turning to face my best friend who's been by my side since a very long time. "What if this is a huge mistake? What if Jake and I are moving too fast?"

Emma smiles reassuringly, setting down the makeup brush she was using on me. "Hey, none of that," she says gently, taking both of my hands in hers. "This isn't you, Mia. You're the most confident woman I know."

I shake my head, tears welling up in my eyes. "Not today," I admit, feeling the weight of the day crashing down on me. "Today, I'm just a nervous wreck who can't believe she's finally getting married."

Emma laughs softly, giving my hands a squeeze before letting go and picking up the hem of my dress to help me step into it. "Well, first things first—let's get this gorgeous gown on you so you can see just how amazing you look," she says, deftly maneuvering the fabric over my curves until I'm fully encased in white satin and lace.

As she begins to fasten the delicate buttons up my back, I take a deep breath and try to center myself. Emma's right; this isn't like me at all. But then again, nothing about my journey with Jake has been typical.

"You know," I say as memories of our past six months together flood through my mind, "it feels like just yesterday that you and I were sneaking out to meet boys behind Ryan's back."

We did that sometimes and it used to be so much fun. Even now, those memories bring a smile to my face.

Emma chuckles, pausing her task for a moment. "And now look at us. You're about to marry one of those 'boys,' and I'm happily married myself with a baby on the way." She smiles warmly at me through the mirror before continuing to fasten my dress.

I'm happy she found someone too after what her ex did to her. We all deserve good partners and people that make us happy.

I can't help but grin back at her too, my nerves momentarily forgotten as I think about how far we've both come. "Do you remember that time Ryan found out about our little 'dates' and grounded us for a month?" I ask, laughter bubbling up in my throat at the memory.

Even back then, he was too controlling. I'm glad he's finally started to ease up on that.

"Oh God," Emma groans, rolling her eyes. "Yes! He made us promise to never go near any of those 'bad influences' again." She uses air quotes around the last part, mimicking my overprotective older brother's stern lecture from so many years ago.

It's funny that he was even able to ground her, even though she's just my friend. He doesn't have as much common sense as he thinks.

My laughter fades as I remember how much that grounding sucked at the time, but now I realize it was just another way Ryan was trying to keep me safe, especially after what happened with Mom and Dad…

"Hey," Emma says softly, noticing my sudden change in mood. "Where'd you go just now?"

I shake my head, pushing away thoughts of my parents' accident that still haunts us all. They didn't die back then, but the memory is still a nightmare. "Nowhere," I say, offering her a small smile. "Just… remembering."

She nods understandingly, continuing to work on the buttons until she reaches the top. Once she's finished, she spins me around to face her again and cups my cheeks in her hands. "Today is about you and Jake," she says firmly. "The past doesn't get to intrude on your happiness—not today."

I take a deep breath, letting Emma's words sink in as I look into her kind eyes. She's right. Today is supposed to be one of the happiest days of my life, and I won't let anything mar that.

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