“I’m waiting.”

“Do it again.” She says louder.

“Do what?”

I hear an annoyed huff, but she calls out, “Spank me!” loudly and clearly this time.

My reply? “Good girl,” with a sharp slap of my hand once, twice, three times on her ass. The cries are all I need to lose control. Grabbing her hips, I impale her with my cock. We both groan from the intensity.

“Oh, fuck, Farrah. It gets better every fucking time.” I work her hips, pulling and pushing her to take me harder and faster. I feel her pulsing, her pussy gripping me tight, and I know she’s close. I slow my rhythm, falling over her back, my hands propped at her sides on the bed, my hips working in and out of her. “Push back on me, mouse.”

“Don’t stop, Tommy.”

“I’ll never stop.”

I work us into a frenzy all over again, her hands gripping the sheets and I wait until she’s begging me to come. Reaching around to play with her clit is all it takes to make her break. Her body spasms and she sucks me in tight. The low moan that spills from her has me following right behind her.

Breathing hard and collapsing together on the bed, she whispers out, “you were right.”

“About what?”

“I can’t think. I don’t want to think. I just want to do that again.”

Murmuring my appreciation, I wrap her in my arms, pulling her close as we lay together. “We can do it for life, if you want.”

She sits up so fast she almost elbows me in the face. I dodge her quickly, laughing. “Damn, you move quickly, little mouse.”

“Tommy.”

“Yes, dear?”

Her look is incredulous. “Who are you?”

I laugh and pull her close. She fights me for a moment, but I keep tugging. “Don’t fight me, come here.” She curls into my chest. “Farrah, I’m serious about us. I was always serious about us. I just didn’t know how to voice it. Being happy is not something I’ve allowed myself to feel in a long while.”

“That’s why I’m here. To remind you.”

“I know, sweetheart. And you’re doing it. I promise you are.”

She studies me carefully. “I’m worried though. This is extreme for you, and I don’t mean that in a bad way. But I don’t want you forcing these emotions because you think it’s what I want. It has to be what you want first.”

I take a breath. She’s right. Even if the words felt strange and I couldn’t recognize my own voice, this is what I want in life. It’s always been Farrah. It’s always going to be Farrah. She’s been my number one choice and right now, I know what I need to do. Tomorrow I will put in my retirement paperwork.

“It’s going to be us, mouse. You’ll see.”

It’s time I come home.

To stay.

CHAPTER 36

TOM

Watching the days creep closer,I know the phone call is coming. Jamie, JT’s fiance, always calls around this time of year. We used to keep in touch more often, but it was hard for me. Her and JT’s parents enjoy talking about him all the time, and they loved calling me up to talk, too. To them, it’s a comfort to remember. But for me? It’s just a remembrance of how I fucked up and lost someone.

Since I know this call is coming, I’ve been avoiding Farrah for the last few days. I still stopped by the bakery before my shift, and she brought me dinner to the station when I worked the overnight. But I haven’t made an effort to spend the night with her.

And It’s killing me.