I never realized fear could feel so cold. Like frozen creek water coating my insides, from the top of my skull to the soles of my feet. I stayed motionless, my stare fixed on the gun Rick held.
August slowly lifted his hands. When he spoke, it was with a calm voice. “We’re just trying to make sure Tanya’s alright. Her friend here hasn’t received word from her in weeks.”
Rick looked past August to regard me. “You sure have been a pest,” he said. “Day and night, you send message after message. You just can’t take a hint, can you, sweetheart?”
“Where’s Tanya?” I blurted out. The words held a quaver, for I’d begun trembling. “What have you done to her, Rick?”
His dark eyes narrowed. “Why, she’s perfectly fine. In fact, I’ll let you see for yourself.” His smile only served to chill me more. “We’ve rented a room here, so you can come inside and do all your catching up.”
I was ready. Even with a gun on me, I remained desperate to see my friend.
But before I could move, August spoke again.
“How about you bring Tanya out to the truck?” He sounded like he was making a suggestion to an old friend, someone who would be willing to compromise. “Let the girls say hello, and then we’ll all head inside.”
Rick’s lip lifted in another sneer. “I’m afraid that’s out of the question. So here’s what’s going to happen. You two are going to get out of the truck. You’re going to leave everything inside it. Keys, phones, everything. And you’re going to walk ahead of me to the room at the very end of the building.”
At a painstaking pace, August rested his hands on top of the steering wheel, making sure Rick could see them. “Why don’t we leave Dove out of this, Rick? I’ll be happy to go with you. You can take my keys, and our phones. Dove will stay right here, and once I let her know Tanya’s fine, she and I will get out of your hair. We’ll leave Fairview tonight.”
Rick’s face twisted with fury. “Goddamn it, we’re done talking. Now get out of the truck, both of you!”
August turned his head a little, giving me a sidelong look. My own stare traveled to the glove box, where his gun was tucked away.
He made a sound from low in his throat, one only I could hear. I knew he meant to warn me off of whatever reckless move I was tempted to make. Of course, he was right. By the time I got hold of August’s gun, Rick would have plenty of opportunity to shoot us both.
“Just do as he says,” August told me.
As we got out of the truck, leaving our belongings behind, I looked around in search of help. But there was no one outside at this time of night, and the motel’s office window faced away from us.
August and I walked side by side, with Rick closely following. The adrenaline pumping through my body was of no use: I couldn’t fight, and I couldn’t run. I dared a glance at August, and he looked over at me.
“It’s gonna be okay,” he said quietly.
“As long as you don’t do anything foolish,” Rick chimed in.
We soon reached the motel room door. The curtains were drawn, with only a sliver of light between them.
“Go on and knock,” Rick said. I gasped when he used the revolver’s muzzle to nudge me forward. “Tanya’s expecting you.”
As I raised my hand, I felt a rush of dizziness. It was as if my lungs were half-full, and I couldn’t draw in a complete breath.
My knock was faint at first, then louder. In seconds, the door was thrown open. Tanya stood before me, the room’s lamplight casting her in silhouette. While Rick wore a nice shirt and chinos, Tanya was dressed in a crop top and skimpy shorts.
“Dove!” she cried, bouncing on the balls of her feet. “Oh my God, I can’t believe you’re here!” She threw her arms around me, her hug so tight that I couldn’t inhale or exhale. Tears burned my eyes as I embraced her.
“Why the hell haven’t you answered any of my calls or texts?” My voice sounded like it was being filtered through gravel.
Rick didn’t give Tanya a chance to respond. “Alright, everybody inside,” he ordered.
Tanya was apparently used to obeying him, for she released me and stepped aside so I could enter. I noticed her eyes widen in surprise when she saw August.
“Nice to finally meet you,” he told her, but his expression made a lie of the words. It terrified me, how grim he appeared in that moment.
“I’m so sorry…” Tanya began, but as Rick herded me and August farther into the room, she let out a shriek. “Rick, for God’s sake, what are you doing? Put the gun away!”
My friend didn’t seem afraid. No, she acted like Rick pulled a gun on people every day. If anything, her tone was one of exasperation.
“I’m just keeping them honest,” Rick replied while kicking the door shut behind him. Studying him, I realized his dark hair had more gray than I remembered. With his lined face and tired eyes, he looked every bit of his forty-one years.
“You always take things too far.” Tanya scowled at him, but her gaze softened when it returned to me. “I’m so sorry, Dove. I feel horrible that I worried you, and that you went to all this trouble to find me, but Rick said I shouldn’t let anyone know our whereabouts. His wife—soon to be ex-wife—she’s making things really difficult for him.”
I stared at Tanya as if she’d morphed into a stranger right before my eyes. Examining her features, I tried to make sense of how she’d changed. Her gaze was a little less bright, her smile a bit more guarded. That man who’d recently seen her at the bar was right: she was subdued.
And that was all because of Rick. I was sure of it. He was the reason she sounded brainwashed, repeating his words like a trained parrot.
“You didn’t trust me?” My question came out as a pitiful croak.
Tanya grabbed my hand. “Of course I did. I do! But…”
“But I don’t,” Rick finished. “She kept insisting I should, so I finally took her phone away. And that’s why you haven’t heard a peep out of her for the last couple of weeks.”
Though he’d lowered the gun, it was still firmly in his grasp. That didn’t stop me from unleashing my pent-up rage. Whirling on him, I shouted, “You fucking asshole!”
When I took a step forward, August grabbed my arm.
“That’s right,” Rick said, “keep your girl from doing something she’ll regret.”
Up to that point, Rick had made every effort to hide his accent, the same accent August, Tanya, and I had. But now, it crept into his threat.
“How dare you keep her from contacting me?” I was practically screaming at him. “I’ve been worried sick!” My anger spilled over onto Tanya. “And you!” I pointed a finger at my friend. “How could you let him control you like that?”
Tanya clasped her hands together, twisting her fingers like she’d pull them out of joint. “Dove, I’m sorry.” Her face suddenly crumpled beneath the weight of unshed tears. “I didn’t know what to do. I didn’t want to keep fighting with him.”
“That’s enough.” Rick’s eyes flashed a warning.
Watching the man now, I wondered how Tanya could have fallen in love with him. His charm was superficial in a way that reminded me of my mom’s boyfriend; I’d seen through that oozing charisma the moment we first met.
But he’d wowed Tanya with his supposed sophistication; after all, he’d escaped our fate and made something of himself. He dangled the keys to a new life in front of my friend’s face. He promised her a way out.
And now? She was practically his prisoner.
Just as August and I were.
I looked at August, trying to read his face, but he was focused on Rick, tracking the man’s every move. Though he’d released his hold on my arm, he stayed right by my side.
I remembered August telling me he’d do everything in his power to keep this situation from escalating. And I knew he could manage that only if I maintained my composure.
Finally, I succeeded in taking a full breath. I tried to ignore Rick hovering at my left, near the door. August stood between me and Tanya’s boyfriend, and I took comfort in his closeness.
Facing Tanya again, I held out my hands but didn’t touch her. “If you’re happy here…” My voice wobbled, threatening tears. Clearing my throat, I tried again. “If this is where you belong, then I’ll accept that. It’ll be hell going back home without you, but I’ll understand, if this is where you feel you should be.”
Tanya silently wept. Angrily, she wiped at her damp cheeks. All the while, Rick inched toward her.
“Dove, you’re upsetting Tanya,” he said. “You’ve seen and heard from her directly. She told you she’s fine, and now it’s time for you to go.” He put his arm around Tanya’s waist. When he kissed the top of her head, she let out a whimper.
“She never said that,” I whispered to August. “He’s talking for her.”
At my side, August looked ready to spring. I could almost feel the tension emanating from his body. When he met my pleading stare, I expected him to tell me Rick was right. We’d gotten what we came for, hadn’t we?
Instead, he gave the slightest nod. He agreed with me. More than that, he understood I’d never forgive myself if I left Tanya like this.
Focusing all my attention on her again, I said, “I want you to promise me you’re okay. I want you to tell me it’s fine for me and August to go.”
Tanya turned her head, refusing to look at me. The way she hid behind her hair, it was as if she was trying to shut me out. Maybe she did want me gone. Maybe my best friend thought I was pathetic for chasing her all over the state simply because she didn’t return my calls.
Though Tanya kept her eyes averted, she took a step away from Rick, shaking off his embrace. He frowned, seemingly bewildered.
I seized my chance to reason with her. “Tanya, he’s married. You’re moving from place to place, week after week, when he doesn’t even have a job!”
“You shut your mouth!” Rick bellowed, making me jump.
But I refused to stop. “What happens when the money runs out, Tanya? What happens when his wife takes him to the cleaners and you both have nothing? Ask him why he’s dragging you into the mountains instead of looking for work. He has no plan at all!”
Tanya whipped her head around, as if she’d been slapped. I saw the anguish on her face, just as I saw the hatred on Rick’s.
“You bitch,” he snarled at me. “You’re just jealous because you’ve had to settle for a fucking lowlife.” He cast a contemptuous look at August.
“Stop it!” Tanya snapped. “Don’t you talk to her like that!”
When she gave Rick a shove, I wondered if she’d forgotten about the weapon he held.
He shoved her back with one hand, hard enough to send her stumbling. “You ungrateful little cunt! I have sacrificed everything for you.” Spittle flew from his mouth as he berated Tanya.
“Yeah? Well, I don’t want any of it!” she screamed. Her face was red with fury. “I’m tired of you controlling my every move. I can’t even take a piss without you barging in on me!”
Rick’s shoulders moved up and down, like he was laughing, but he made no sound.
My mouth went so dry that my tongue stuck to the roof of my mouth. What I saw in Rick’s eyes made the icy terror return. It flooded me like mountain snowmelt poured into the streams back home. While my senses sharpened, my mind fumbled for a path to safety.
It was then that I noticed Rick’s lips draw back from his teeth. He reminded me of the dog that charged at August earlier that day. He was an animal tugging at his chain. An animal desperate to inflict damage.
In an instant, the chain snapped.
With a strangely graceful movement, Rick lifted the revolver and pointed it at Tanya. I recognized each emotion flickering over her face: astonishment, then betrayal, followed by panic.
“Rick?” She made his name a question. “Rick, what are you—”
She was still speaking when August lunged for the gun.
For several seconds, I could only stand there, frozen in horror as the two men crashed to the floor. They violently grappled for the gun until it became a dark blur between their hands. Petrified with dread, I waited to hear a deafening shot.
“Stop it!” Tanya screamed, as if she had any control over the nightmare playing out before us. “Rick, stop!”
Though August had Rick pinned beneath him, Rick still held onto the revolver. At some point, August had been struck in the face; his nose gushed blood, which fell in thick droplets to stain Rick’s shirt.
The sight of him, wounded and fiercely struggling to protect me and Tanya, released me from my terror-induced paralysis. I knew I risked getting shot, but I looked for a weapon of my own, something heavy I could use to bash in Rick’s skull.
Rick suddenly howled in pain, trying to throw August off of him. I was sure I heard a bone crack just before he dropped the gun. It landed on the carpet with a deceptively gentle thud.
I didn’t give myself time to be afraid. I didn’t even give myself time to think. Instead, I lunged forward, just as August had. On my knees beside the men, I scrambled to grab the revolver, which remained mere inches beyond Rick’s reach.
He and August were fighting viciously now, rolling around and throwing punches. Rising to my feet, I held the gun in both hands. Tanya was still screaming, and I wanted to shout at her to shut up. Panic was a continual thrum inside my head.
My finger hovered just beyond the trigger, with millimeters separating my skin from the metal. I didn’t have a clear shot; I could very well hit August if I decided to take it.
Tanya stopped screaming long enough to throw herself into the fray. She did little more than scratch at Rick’s face and pummel his head with ineffective blows, but the distraction gave August a temporary advantage. All the while, I struggled to hold the gun steady. More than anything, I wanted August to take it from me.
Tanya’s attack seemed to give Rick renewed energy. He was like a wild creature, trying to wound her in turn. In the process, he threw back an elbow and caught August in the jaw.
I cried out, as if I were the one who’d been hit. August’s grip loosened just enough for Rick to wrench free.
With unfathomable speed, Rick got to his feet. His left eye was almost swollen shut, and I noticed blood staining his front teeth.
Yet he smiled.
Tanya scurried out of his reach, her face contorted by fear. But Rick wasn’t interested in her just then. Instead, he started toward me.
I backed away, keeping the gun pointed at him. In my peripheral vision, I saw August pull himself into a standing position. The motel room was small, yet it seemed the distance between me and my protector had grown by miles. I feared he wouldn’t have time to pounce on Rick before the man was practically on top of me. I moved my finger to the trigger.
“Stay back!” I screamed as Rick advanced. “I’ll shoot you, Rick. I swear to God I will!” I sounded hysterical, not at all like a woman who would follow through on her threat.
Rick didn’t so much as pause, not even for a second. He extended his hand, as if to grab the gun. August and Tanya were behind him, to his left, and I sensed more than saw August drawing nearer.
It would take Rick just a moment to seize the gun from my hand and shoot us all. The man, unyielding as a mountain, was now bearing down on me.
I pulled the trigger.
*****
The police reached the motel before the ambulance did. Standing in the parking lot, I huddled against August while answering a slew of questions.
I’d shot Rick below his right shoulder. Luckily for him, I’d missed any major organs or arteries.
It was lucky for me, too. As much as I hated the man, I didn’t want to be responsible for his death. It was enough that I’d wounded him, for he’d staggered as soon as the bullet entered his body. Before he could slump to the floor, August restrained him.
All the fight had drained from Rick then. Moaning through the pain of a gunshot, a broken ring finger, and a cracked rib, along with the bruises and scratches August and Tanya had given him, the man peered up at me.
“I wouldn’t have hurt you,” he said between labored breaths. “I just wanted… to scare you off.”
Tanya started sobbing and couldn’t stop even when the police arrived and began to question her. Part of me wanted to hug my friend, to comfort her and say how sorry I was.
But that night, I refused to leave August’s side. He had some bruises of his own, along with a broken nose, for which he received minor treatment on the scene. Though his clothes were stained with blood, he gave me a smile.
“Are you okay?” I kept asking, and he kept reassuring me he was just fine. I was so careful while slipping my arms around him, but he gave me a fierce hug.
“I’m proud of you,” he whispered. “It took guts to get that gun, and to do what you did.”
“He left me no choice.” Fresh tears spilled down my cheeks. “I didn’t want to, but he just wouldn’t stop…”
“I know.” August kissed the top of my head, his hand soothing while he rubbed my back.
Days later, after Rick had been charged, and August, Tanya, and I had returned home, more of the truth surfaced about Tanya’s former boyfriend. Rick had told Tanya he quit his job because his opportunities for advancement were limited. The reality was, he got fired due to “inappropriate conduct” with a colleague. In other words, he’d had an affair with an assistant, and she was only one of many. Rick’s cheating was the reason his wife filed for divorce.
After learning of the danger Tanya faced at Rick’s hands, her parents welcomed her back home. Her mother called to thank me for being such a good friend.
“I don’t know what would have happened to Tanya if you hadn’t found her,” the woman said through tears.
Of course, Tanya thanked me many times as well, and she apologized even more. But while I forgave her, I felt the once-strong bond between us disintegrating. I couldn’t stop thinking about the fact that August had been right, after all: infatuated with Rick, Tanya was willing to do whatever he said, even if that meant cutting off contact with me. Yes, he took her phone, but rather than see that as a huge warning sign, she went along with his insistence that they hide out from his wife.
During those weeks Tanya was gone, when I agonized over her well-being and ached to hear from her, she valued her new relationship far more than her friendship with me.
And that was something I couldn’t forgive.
I moved in with August just days after we returned from Fairview. When I let Mom know I was leaving, she tried to talk me out of it.
“You hardly know this man, Dove!” She grew distraught, close to tears. “You’re making a mistake.”
I shook my head before quietly insisting, “It’s time, Mom. I need to live my own life, just as you live yours. For a good while now, I’ve felt like a third wheel in this house. You’re so focused on making your boyfriend happy that you barely notice me. I’m practically invisible to you.”
“That’s not true!” Mom said, then broke down sobbing.
Though it hurt me to witness her anguish, I couldn’t be persuaded to stay. The day I left, I gave her a long hug. I let her rock me back and forth, the way she used to when I was a girl.
“That man is no good for you,” I whispered.
I expected Mom to turn cold, the way she always did whenever I criticized one of the losers she dated.
But this time, she didn’t release her hold on me as she whispered back, “I know.”
It took several more months for Mom to break up with her boyfriend. She quickly moved on to a new relationship, just as I expected she would. Still, I had to admit the new man in her life seemed honest and kind. He doted on Mom and always struck up a friendly conversation with me when I stopped by.
By that point, I was settled in at August’s house. Though he’d invited me to take the extra bedroom, I shared his.
That summer, I learned how it felt to be the first priority in a person’s life. I discovered what it meant to be loved unconditionally.
On a Thursday afternoon in late summer, with classes at the community college soon to begin, and Rick’s trial still months away, I waited for August to return home. He’d recently been putting in more hours at his cousin’s auto shop, while I did the cooking and cleaning. August dreaded grocery shopping, so I took care of that as well. My recent search for part-time work turned up nothing, and while I hated not being able to contribute financially, August claimed I was doing him a favor by looking after the house.
“I can’t cook worth a damn,” he’d said, “and I’m kinda lousy at keeping up with the chores, too.”
I still had five hundred dollars to my name, since August had insisted I take back the money I’d originally paid him.
Shocked, I’d stared at the wad of cash in his hand. “You didn’t spend any of it?”
“Nope. When I heard you talking to your boss, and I realized you were gonna lose your job, I set the money aside. It’s yours.”
When I tried to convince him to use the money for household expenses, he refused.
“It’s important that you have something of your own,” he said in that low, persuasive voice I’d heard many times before. “If you ever get tired of living here and want to start over elsewhere, you’ll feel better leaving with that cash.”
“Or you might get tired of me living here and decide to give me the boot,” I said.
August shook his head and smiled. “Not gonna happen.”
Now, he stepped into the house, wearing his usual jeans and T-shirt. I had a pot of chili cooking on the stove, and cornbread baking in the oven.
“Something smells good,” August said on his way to me.
I darted out of the kitchen long enough to give him a kiss. He smelled like fresh-cut grass. I figured he’d stopped by our elderly neighbor’s house earlier in order to mow her yard.
Though our kiss remained fairly innocent, August’s hands wandered. I was in a summer dress, not as revealing as the one I’d worn when I first showed up at his house. But from the way his hand inched upward to the side of my breast, I could tell he liked the outfit.
“Do I have time for a quick shower?” he asked.
“Yep. Dinner will be ready in another thirty minutes or so.”
Later that evening, after we’d finished our meal and washed up the dishes, August helped me put clean sheets on our bed.
“Lucille called me today,” I told him while tucking in a sheet corner.
August raised his eyebrows. “Your old boss at the store? What did she want?”
“Seems she’s having a difficult time keeping help. Ain’t a surprise, since she can be a real hard-ass.” Straightening up again, I added, “She offered me my job back.”
“Is that right?” August rubbed his chin. “What’d you tell her?”
“I said I’d call her later tonight with my answer.” Circling around the bed, I stood before August. He was bare-chested, wearing just a pair of lightweight sweatpants following his shower. I snaked my fingers along his warm skin. “It makes sense for me to take her up on it. I didn’t mind the work, and I was able to earn a little money.”
“Mmm.” August sounded noncommittal. Lifting a hand, he brushed a curl back from my face. “I don’t want you working more than part-time right now, Dove. You’re about to start classes, and that’s where your focus needs to be.”
I’d recently decided to pursue a two-year degree in a health care field. My financial aid was already lined up.
And I’d be doing it alone. When I suggested to Tanya that we could attend college together, she said she’d still rather wait tables.
“Maybe in a couple more years, I’ll be ready,” she told me. “But I’m glad you’re going, Dove.”
She and I hadn’t spoken much since that conversation. I sensed her eagerness to move on from the past, and I realized I made that difficult for her. How could she look at me, or hear my voice, and fail to think about what had happened in that motel room in Fairview?
“Maybe I could rearrange my course schedule,” I now said to August, “so I could attend classes on a part-time basis while I work full time.”
August started shaking his head before I finished speaking. “It needs to be the other way around. School full time, work part time.”
I stepped closer so I could press my face against his chest. “But you know I feel bad, not being able to help out more with the expenses.”
“Everything’s always about money with you,” he teased. I closed my eyes when he slipped his arms around me. “I’ve told you not to worry about that, but if it bothers you so much, I’m sure we can work something out.”
When I lifted my head to meet his eyes, he gave me a playful wink.
“I owe you an awful lot,” I told him, just as playful. “So I guess I’d better get busy repaying my debt.”
August let me push him back onto the bed. Once he lay before me, I moved to straddle him, my dress riding up my thighs.
“I do like this payment plan,” he said while fondling my tits.
In seconds, I’d scooted downward, lowering his pants and briefs in the process. His cock was half-hard, rising in anticipation of my touch. Taking him in my hand, I gave his length a slow lick. My tongue lingered at his tip, drawing a moan from his lips.
I sat back up long enough to lower the straps of my dress. The bodice was stretchy, allowing me to tug it downward. As I reached behind me to unhook my bra, August lifted his head from the pillow. I loved that eager look in his eyes, as if he was greedy for yet another glimpse of my tits.
And I offered him way more than a glimpse. Free of the bra, I gathered my breasts in my hands. The sight of me sucking my nipples caused his erection to bob in time with his heartbeat.
“You’re so fucking gorgeous,” he breathed.
Though we’d been together for a couple months now, his compliments could still make me blush. Kneeling between his spread legs, I allowed my tits to brush over his dick. The sensation of his hot flesh against my nipples made my pussy even wetter.
Unable to control myself any longer, I circled my lips around August’s cock. Experience, along with his gentle guidance, had increased my confidence when giving head. Using both hands, I stroked his shaft while suckling his tip.
“Ah, that’s good!” He propped himself up to get a better view, and I felt his dick pulse between my lips.
Wild with my desire to please him, I turned my attention to his smooth balls. Nuzzling his sac, I inhaled deeply, trying to catch his scent. After his shower, it was faint, but I thought I could detect it. Hungry for more, I kissed and suckled him. I cradled each of his balls on my tongue, enjoying their weight.
By that point, a fat bead of precum had formed on his cockhead. As I licked it up, August reached to stroke my hair. Our eyes locked, and I flashed a wicked grin. I knew he’d grown desperate for my mouth.
So I again took him between my lips. My enthusiasm for the act made me disregard my gag reflex. When his tip pushed into my throat, I choked around the intrusion, and my mouth flooded with saliva.
Pulling off, I sat up a little so I could let that spit trickle from my lips to fall between my breasts. Since I’d left August’s dick plenty wet, I had an easy time wrapping my tits around his erection and jerking him off that way.
“Holy shit!” He stared, seemingly hypnotized by the sight. The muscles in his flat stomach rippled as he released a shuddering breath.
When my saliva began to dry and create too much friction, I went back to sucking him off. My head bobbed up and down while I moaned all around his dick. Cupping his balls, I felt them tighten.
“Baby, I’m getting too close,” he warned. “My God, what you did with your tits…”
I allowed his dick to escape my lips. Looking up, I saw he wore a sheepish grin.
“I’ll be sure to do that more often,” I promised.
As I moved to line up my pussy with August’s cock, he lifted my dress out of the way. I wasn’t wearing panties, and when I slid his tip along my wet labia, his groan betrayed the need building within him. I was now on the pill, so there was no need for us to retrieve a condom.
“Feel how ready I am?” I said. “Sucking your dick gets me soaking wet.”
I placed his tip right at my opening, but I didn’t sink down until he looked up at me and whispered, “Please.”
The moment I settled all the way upon him, with his thick cock buried in my pussy, I leaned forward and planted my palms on his chest. Immediately, he reached for my tits, his mouth seeking my nipple. When he started fiercely suckling, I rocked my hips to heighten my pleasure.
“Smother me with those titties,” he begged.
August lifted his head so I could drape my breasts over his face. He nestled between them, encompassed by warm flesh. I felt his lips and tongue on my skin, and his arms slipped around me.
As much as I loved this position, it made it difficult for me to ride his cock. Locked in his embrace, I cried out when he began pumping his hips.
“Fuuuck!” I squeezed my eyes shut, willing myself to surrender. Each thrust of his dick drove me closer to orgasm.
He fucked me harder, faster. The sensation of his teeth at my nipple, a mere hint of pain, sent me into spasms. August held me while I quaked on top of him.
“Come inside me!” I managed to say. Now I was the one pleading, with my voice and my eyes. August stared up at me; he looked completely at my mercy in those seconds before his climax.
He gave a final thrust, impaling me on his dick. A garbled sound emerged from his throat as his grip on my buttocks tightened. I knew my tits and ass would be mottled with red marks for a good while.
After his hips dropped back down on the bed, and his still-hard cock slipped from my pussy, I felt his cum oozing out of me. We were both panting, our skin damp with sweat.
August guided my mouth to his. Our kiss was surprisingly tender following that intense fuck.
“Sorry about the sheets,” he said, smoothing my hair back from my face.
“I’m not,” I told him with a smile. “I knew when I promised to fuck your brains out every day that I’d be doing lots of laundry.”
That made him laugh. Reluctantly, he let me ease out of his arms, but when I tried to leave the bed, he grabbed my hand.
“Stay a few minutes longer.” As he spoke, his eyelids grew heavy, and I knew he’d soon be dozing.
I lay back down, returning to his embrace. Breathing in, I recognized the scent that was distinctly ours; it always briefly lingered after our lovemaking.
With my arm resting on August’s chest, I watched as a drowsy, contented smile formed on his face. Quietly, I said his name.
“Hmm?” His eyes were now closed, and he slid his palm over my skin.
Lifting my head, I planted a kiss at the edge of his mouth. His smile widened.
Then I brought my lips to his ear and whispered, “I’ve finally ended up where I belong.”
