Chapter Eleven

 

 

When a Man Cleaves to His Wife

Once Tonya stepped outside, she instructed Wisdom to get in the car then stood, staring at me, a question in her eyes that I could read plainly.

“I’ll follow you,” was all I offered, and that seemed to be enough for her.

With a nod, she followed her son, climbing into her car and leading me, not even ten minutes away, to a home deeper into the same neighborhood that her parents lived in. It was a two-story, red brick house with a two-car garage that sat on an elevated foundation with a long concrete porch that was bookended by round pillars. A short flight of five wide steps led up to the porch furnished with a wooden bench swing, two wicker chairs, and a wicker table topped with a vase of colorful flowers.

Tonya pulled onto the driveway, parking next to a neon orange sports car whose hood was still warm. I parked on the street in front of the red brick mailbox and made my way up the cobbled path to open Tonya’s door before she could. She thanked me with a smile and led the way for me and Wisdom to follow her to the front door where she unlocked it quickly and pushed it open but didn’t step inside. I watched as she bent down to slip off her ballet flats and pick them up before stepping over the threshold. Wisdom did the same, toeing off his sneakers and scooping them into his otherwise empty arms then walking side.

My own shoes weren’t so easily removed, so I sat in one of the wicker chairs—which I now thought might have been there for this specific purpose—and bent to unlace and remove my boots so I could join the others in the house.

“You can put your shoes there.”

Wisdom stood, just in front of me, pointing at a short, three-shelf, wire rack just inside the door.

“Thanks.”

Closing a narrow door to my right, Tonya turned to her son.

“Go take a bath then come see me before going to bed.”

“Yes, ma'am,” he chirped before dashing across the living room and up the stairs, leaving me and his mother alone in the foyer.

“The bottoms of our shoes are disgusting, so we don’t wear them in the house.”

I nodded. “Not a problem.”

“Good.”

With nothing else said, we just stood there, looking at each other, wondering what to do next. Well, she was probably wondering what to do next, but I had a pretty good idea of what I would’ve liked my next move to be. I wanted to pull her into my arms and inhale the sweet scent of her skin as she bounced on my lap, preferably while we were both naked, but this was her domain, and I felt the need to tread carefully. I wanted her to be comfortable having me in her space, to not have the awkwardness that danced between us now linger. And that meant being as patient as possible.

Grabbing her hand, I led her over to the L-shaped sectional sofa and sat down, gently pulling her down onto the cushion next to me. “Do you work in the morning?”

She nodded, eyes on our linked hands. “Yes but thankfully, I’m not opening the store. I go in at six o’clock.”

My brows rose. “Six o’clock in the morning?” She nodded. “You have to be at work at six in the morning and that's not opening the store?”

Apparently, my incredulity was funny because she laughed. It was a throaty sound, full-bodied, just like her and it brought a smile to my face. “Well, we open at four, so six is kind of like a late start.”

“Damn. I guess I underestimated how badly people have to have their caffeine in the morning. I can admit I’ve never been much of a coffee person.”

“Oh, yeah? People get crazy behind their coffee, and it doesn’t hurt that Tasha bakes some incredible pastries to go along with them. The medical center is not far from us, and we get a lot of doctors and nurses coming in and buying drinks and breakfast treats for their entire station or office staff. We get regular orders like those around four-thirty and five in the morning. If we were to wait until six to open, we would lose a lot of that business.”

I stared down at her, contemplating how what she’d just told me affected my flaring impulses. “Since you have to be to work for six, you probably should be getting in bed soon, huh?”

She nodded. “Yeah, probably.” Straight white teeth took a hold of her bottom lip and nibbled as she observed me with what looked to be a similar contemplation. “Are you... staying here tonight?”

I wanted to tell her that she'd have to throw me out with the garbage if she thought I intended to be anywhere other than under her tonight, but instead, I lifted her chin until we were eye-to-eye and said, “Do you want me to stay here tonight?”

Those captivating mud-browns peered up at me from beneath thick black lashes, and I watched as those teeth released their captive and a pink tongue darted out and licked those full lips before retreating back to its cave. “Yeah,” she said. “I think you should stay here tonight.”

“Then I'm staying here tonight.”

“Good.”

“Great.”

We fell into silence once more, staring at one another, nothing but the distant sound of water rushing through pipes and our even breaths between us. I didn’t realize until she sat back that I still held her chin in my hand.

“Well, since you're going to be here, let me give you a tour of the place really quick.”

She walked me through the lower level of what appeared to be a twenty-five hundred square foot home, pointing in the direction of her bedroom as we passed through the open-concept kitchen and detached dining room living room combo. There was a second bedroom adjacent to the laundry room, which was near the door leading to the backyard, along with a half bathroom. I then followed her upstairs where I learned there were four more bedrooms—one of which was a second master—three more bathrooms, and a game room that boasted a large, sixty-inch, flat-screen television mounted on the wall above a shelf of gaming systems, a pool table, and a cocktail bar. I did a double-take at the sight of the pool table, genuinely surprised to see it in a home full of women.

As Tonya gave me the tour, she explained to me how she had purchased this home almost eight years ago after living with her parents until Wisdom was four. Her parents had helped her with the down payment under the condition that she take her two sisters with her when she moved, which she did, inviting them to move in with her and her son. Splitting the already affordable mortgage amongst the three of them made each of their payments minuscule for a home of this size.

I was impressed. Group economics was something that I believed more people should consider and was glad to see that Tonya was someone who lived it.

Just as we hit the last stair to return to the first floor of the house, Wisdom came bounding down behind us, clad in a pair of boxer shorts and an a-line t-shirt.

“That was quick,” Tonya mentioned with a quirk of her brow.

“It doesn’t take long, Mama. I’m still little, you know; I don’t have a lot of parts.”

I snickered at his cheekiness, but Tonya pursed her lips and rubbed a hand over his head, lips still twisted when she pulled away.

“Your hair isn’t wet.”

“I didn’t wash it.”

“It’s not even wet in the back, Wisdom.”

“Mama…”

“Did you even wash your neck? You couldn’t have if your hair isn’t wet back there.”

“Mama, I did.”

“Lift up your arm.”

The boy groaned but did as she said, lifting his arm and exposing his armpits, which had a light sprinkling of dark hair. To my surprise, Tonya brought her face close to his pit and sniffed. When she straightened, her eyes were narrowed suspiciously in contrast to the triumphant grin on Wisdom’s face.

“Did you smell that soap?”

“Don’t you get sassy with me, lil’ boy!”

He giggled and she rolled her eyes as she pulled him into a hug. After placing a kiss on both of his cheeks, his nose, and in the center of his forehead, she swatted him on the butt and bid him goodnight.

“’Night, Mama. ‘Night Jereth Hawkins.”

I waved at his retreating back. “Goodnight, Wisdom Cyrus Black.”

Once Tonya heard the sound of her son’s bedroom door close, we continued on to the back of the house where she flipped on the light above the stove before leading me into her bedroom, which was one of the two master suites in the home. Her bedroom was decorated in shades of pale gray and lavender, with a large, heavy, oak four-poster bed as the focal point of the room. Walking over to the functional piece of art, I took a closer look to see intricate detailing on each of the pillars. There were vines, different trees, and flowers in full bloom on all four of them. I knocked on one of the pillars, and the dull sound let me know that it was solid all the way through. It was certainly heavy. A glance down at the bottom confirmed this with the way it sank into the plush carpet that covered the floor in the entire room. I turned to Tonya who was still near the door, leaning against a matching chest of drawers with her eyes on me.

“This thing is magnificent!” I exclaimed. I haven't seen one like this—this…larger than life—in real life—probably ever, or at least not here in the states. There was something similar in one of the villas that Hawk owned down in Cabo, but I didn't even have to guess to know it was similar in style but not quality. This piece she had here was legit.

Tonya smiled. “I'm glad you like it. It was a custom piece made for me by my uncle Odell, Giselle and Danielle's father. He's a carpenter with a furniture business in the same strip as my parent’s coffee shop, and I asked him to build me a bedroom set just after I closed on this place. He also built the furniture in Wisdom's bedroom and the set that’s on the back patio. He's immensely talented.”

Reaching up, I rubbed my hands along the top piece of the bed that connected the four pillars. “Talented is an understatement.”

“Even better, not only does the bed look good, but it's pretty functional, too.”

The huskiness in her voice pulled my eyes away from the bed and over to her, and although I could see her lids had lowered, there is an unmistakable intention in her eyes.

“When you say functional…” I trailed off, hoping she got my drift. Hearing her be direct was an act I realized I enjoyed. It wasn’t simply about gaining clarity; something told me that although she had the capacity to talk on and on, being frank—speaking her wants and desires—wasn’t something she often did.

That was going to change with me.

She propped a hand on her hip. “All I'm saying is that it can handle some shit.”

I rubbed at my chin thoughtfully. “Oh, really? And you put it to the test?”

Her shoulders lifted and fell. “I tried a few things, but, um… Well, I have a feeling that the kinds of things you can do are things this bed has never seen before.”

Tugging my t-shirt out of my pants, I started towards her. “Well, I guess we'll just have to change that. When I reached her, I grabbed her waist with both hands before sliding my hands up her torso, over her shoulders, and up to her neck to keep her head in my hands and tilted backwards as I lowered my mouth to hers. She tasted delicious, like the sweet dessert wine Cynthia had served after dinner to go along with the turtle cheesecake Tasha had made. Immediately her lips parted and her tongue darted out to meet mine in an erotic dance. Her nails dug into the wings of my back before deftly sliding underneath my shirt and dragging up and down my skin once, twice, a third time before coming around to my front and working at my belt.

Breaking our connection, she gasped, “Can you get naked, like, right now?”

“Hell yeah,” I responded as I released her head and shrugged out of my vest before I reached back to pull my t-shirt over my head. My hips jerked forward as she yanked my belt out of my pants and tossed it on the floor behind me. Damn. Her assertiveness had me harder than a motherfucker. I bent at the knee, ready to lift her up in my arms and carry her over to the bed, but she pushed at my chest.

“Wait, wait.”

I froze and she pulled from my grasp, darting to the side of the bed and opening the top drawer of the nightstand and rifling in a drawer until she pulled out a pair of fur-lined handcuffs, turning to me with a triumphant grin on her face as she dangled them in the air. My eyes widened at the sight of the restraints.

“Handcuffs?”

She nodded eagerly and her lack of embarrassment was even more endearing than I could have imagined. “I don't have any bathrobes. I mean, I have a robe but the sash isn't nearly as long as those ones from the hotel in Vegas. Besides, I would only have one of them, even if it was long enough, so I figured why not? I have these, might as well use them.

Even though she was rambling, I didn’t get the sense that she was nervous. I grabbed the restraints from her and examined them. They were actually pretty good quality, made of some sort of heavy metal underneath the fur and not the flimsy plastic that I was expecting.

“Did you just buy these?”

“Naw! Giselle gave these to me as a gag gift for my thirtieth birthday. They just look new because I’ve never used them.”

Looking up from the object in my hand, I met her gaze. “You want me to restrain you. With these.” I wasn't asking questions. I’d witnessed her pull them out of her drawer, so obviously, she wanted me to use them. I was just confirming.

She bit her lip and nodded.

Gripping the end of one of the cuffs, I lightly dragged it from just below her ear down the column of her neck, until I reached the puckered neckline of her shirt, lightly teasing her with the furry material. I was enthralled by her shudder, her responsiveness.

“I need to hear you say it, Mrs. Hawkins.”

Her eyes flashed brightly and she gripped the waistband of my pants, jerking me towards her.

“Jereth Hawkins, I want you to restrain me with these handcuffs and eat my pussy until I pass out; then I want you to fuck me until I wake up coming, and then I want you to come on my titties.”

She stared at me expectantly, beaded nipples protruding underneath the t-shirt and obvious thin bra she wore. I felt like Wesley in The Princess Bride—her wish was my command, every single part of that could be arranged. With a groan, I tossed the cuffs onto the bed before hooking my arms below her ass and lifting her up onto the bed, depositing her at the edge. I easily slipped her t-shirt off of her, her arms lifting up to help me without hesitation. After tossing the fabric aside, I reached behind her to unfasten the hooks of her bra, finally releasing her heavy breasts, which I gathered into my palms greedily.

I took one into my hand, gently kneading the soft flesh, rolling the nipple between my fingers while I latched my mouth onto the other one, laving the nipple with my tongue and sucking it into my mouth. Her head fell back and her fingers gripped the quilt on the bed as she released moans of pleasure. Switching to the other breast, I gave it the same attention before kissing my way down the valley in between them to make my way down and over her soft stomach until I reached the waistband of her leggings. Digging my fingers beneath them, I deftly rolled the thin, elastic material down her body, taking her panties with them as I dropped the ball of fabric on the floor. As soon as her legs were free, her thighs fell open as if they knew I was supposed to be in between them, and the musky scent of her arousal smacked me in the face and curled around my nostrils, beckoning me.

Quickly dropping my own pants after retrieving a condom from my wallet, I climbed onto the bed near the footboard and patted one of the pillars.

“Come down here.”

She rolled onto her hands and knees and scrambled toward me, resting on her haunches and waiting for her next command once she reached me.

“Lie diagonally across the bed, on your back, head toward me, and grab this pillar with both hands.” Once she did as I instructed, I snapped one of the cuffs around her wrist before looping the other behind the pillar and attempting to secure it on her second wrist, but the chain between the cuffs was too short. I tugged at her until her head almost touched the wood and only then was I able to snap the second cuff around her wrist. Her breath hitched the moment the final restraint was in place, and she threaded her fingers together as she rested them against the pillar.

“How does that feel? Are they too tight?”

When she shook her head, I raised a brow. Catching my meaning, she grinned.

“They feel fine. Not too tight and the fur is really soft. They’re almost comfortable.”

“Good. Tell me if it’s too much, and I’ll try and readjust them.”

“Okay, I will.”

I leaned forward, gripping her chin and rewarding her with a passionate kiss, licking the insides of her mouth and tasting more of the sweetness that was he own, unique flavor. She moaned into my mouth, lifting her head toward me to deepen the kiss but I pulled back, ending our connection and peppering gentle kisses and soft licks across her chin, down her neck, and zeroing in on the hollow at the juncture of her collarbones. I dragged my lips down her sternum, lifting each of her breasts to access the tender, oft-ignored bit of skin underneath them both before trailing down one side of her torso and up the other, crossing to reach her belly button and dipping my tongue inside. With every touch of my lips and swipe of my tongue, her whimpers grew more fervent until I almost told her to be quiet out of habit.

Silence was something I usually worked well in. Nothing but the whirring of the air conditioner or the creaking of the house around me was all that was ever needed, and anything similar to the high-pitched screaming that too many women mimicked from porn actresses they claimed they never watched was a headache. But...there was something about this woman who lay vulnerable beneath me. Something about her that whispered what was good for her would be good for me, and if being vocal about the pleasure I gave her was what she needed then I would reap the benefits of that.

So, I said nothing, instead, pressing my nose to the fragrant triangle of wild curls covering the mound above my destination. I spread her legs and kissed the crease in between her thighs, licking at the wetness that had accumulated during my journey. Her legs shook with anticipation as I skipped right over her glistening lips to shower attention on her other thigh, squeezing the soft flesh in my hand as I trailed kisses from her pelvis to her knee.

“Jereth.”

Her soft whine captured my attention.

“Hmm?”

“Please.”

There was no way to contain the smirk that curled at my lips. Begging already? I hadn’t even started yet.

“Please, what?”

She lifted her head and glared at me, eyes flashing in the reflection from the overhead light.

“You already know what I want.”

“You didn't say anything other than ‘please’, so how could I know?”

Her head dropped back down onto the mattress. “I already told you,” she whined.

I slapped her pussy with my open palm, relishing her reflexive moan. “Tell me again.”

“Eat me out. Make me come so hard I pass out.” She was whining non-stop now, good and frustrated. Perfect.

I lay flat on my stomach and spread her legs even further open than they already were, staring at the treasure in front of me.

“Tell me again,” I commanded.

“Eat. This. Pussy. Now.”

As you wish. Spreading her open with my thumbs I dove in, lapping at her pink folds with fervor. She squeaked but otherwise said nothing as I devoured her, flicking my tongue against her clit and slurping at her opening, sucking her fat lips into my mouth as if they were a bowl of noodles from my favorite Ramen spot. I wanted them engorged, puffy, and swollen. Using my index finger, I pulled back the hood of her clit and sucked it into my mouth while slowly sliding two fingers inside of her and curling them upward.

“Oh god! Jereth. Wait. It’s too much!”

Lifting my head, I looked at her. “It’s too much?”

She nodded.

I waited.

“I…Yes. I—I can’t take it.”

Face soaked with her juices, I asked, “Do you want me to stop?”

We stared at each other for a moment and when she didn’t say anything else, I started to sit up, pulling my hand free from her.

“Wait!” she cried in a sudden panic. “No. Don’t stop, please.”

Just the tips of my fingers were inside of her, and I looked down to find the rest of my digits were coated in thick, white cream. Removing them fully from inside of her, I brought them to my mouth.

“Are you sure you don’t want me to stop?” Eyes on hers, I licked every bit of her essence—the proof of her enjoyment—from my hand. “We don’t have to do anything you don’t want to do.”

Her thighs flexed and I could see the inside of her pussy contracting from the gape my fingers had left. “I want it. I swear I do.”

Sitting up fully, I used my knees to spread her legs enough for me to move in between them.

“I don’t think you know what you want.”

“I do!” she cried, once again whining.

“Maybe you did, but now you don’t.”

She shook her head violently, eyes pleading with me. “Just ignore me. Do what I said at first.”

Plucking the condom from where I’d tossed it on the bed, I deftly sheathed myself before licking the palm of my hand, coating it with a thick layer of saliva. “I can’t ignore you, Tonya. I enjoy the sound of your voice too much.” I paused, contemplating. “Maybe I need to gag you.” When she bit her lip and stared at me with wide, heated eyes, instead of decrying my suggestion, I laughed.

“You are full of surprises, woman.” In a second, I had lifted her discarded t-shirt off the floor and shoved a handful of the material into her mouth. Then, gripping my dick, I ran my wet hand up and down its length until it was shiny and lubricated.

“Open up for me.”

Without hesitation, her knees straightened and legs lifted, allowing me a bird’s eye view of her still wet, still contracting hole. Lining up my dick, I pushed forward, eliciting a moan from the both of us, although hers was muffled. She was everything I remembered and yet, somehow, more.

I fucked into her slowly, giving her my length, inch-by-inch, until I was fully seated inside of her. Incoherent mumbling reverberated from Tonya’s gag, and I could only assume she was echoing my thoughts of how fucking amazing she felt cradling me. Resting one of her thick thighs on my waist, I leaned forward and scooped her left breast toward me, capturing the turgid nipple into my mouth with my teeth as I rocked into her at a snail’s pace. My movements were unpredictable—even to myself—as I ground into her on one thrust and snapped my hips against her on the next. It was as much for her benefit as it was for mine; if I didn’t switch it up then I would have nutted shortly after sliding inside.

Unfortunately, I could only delay the inevitable for so long, and soon I felt a familiar tingling in my balls. Leaning back, I lifted her hips into the air as I sped up my thrusts, angling my dick at the general area where she would receive the most pleasure. Dragging my thumb through her wetness, I rubbed tight, short strokes against her clit until she was screaming into the makeshift gag and seizing in my arms. As soon as I felt her detonate around me, I jackhammered into her for a handful of pumps before pulling out, snatching off the condom, and shooting thick globs of cum across her sweat-slicked titties—just as she’d instructed.

Dick still dripping, I snatched the tiny metal key off the nightstand and released her from the cuffs, taking a second to pull the t-shirt out of her mouth and trying and failing not to moan at the sight of her rubbing my cum into her skin and bringing some of it to her mouth to lick off her fingers.

“Next time,” she said, eyes on me as she swirled the still warm spend around her nipples. “I want it in my mouth.”

“As you wish,” I murmured as I climbed back onto the bed and settled in between her thighs with the intention of making her pass out—again, as she’d instructed.

♥♥♥♥

When Everybody Is On The Same Page...Maybe

When Tonya’s alarm—a tinkling harp that ascended in volume until it was blaring—went off, she scooted from underneath my arm and rolled out of bed, shuffling to the bathroom without saying a word. Despite only getting four hours of sleep, I felt well-rested and content. I took a moment to stretch before sliding out of the platform bed and stepping into my pants and t-shirt from the day before. The trip out to my car to retrieve my duffel only took a couple of minutes and when I returned, I heard the tell-tale sounds of the shower running from behind the bathroom door.

Giving a firm knock, I waited for Tonya’s voice, but when no words came, I slid back the pocket door and stepped inside. The spacious room was slowly filling with steam, and I could see Tonya standing under the showerhead through the glass wall. After dropping my toiletry bag on the counter by the sink, I relieved myself in the secluded cubbyhole where the toilet was located and had begun brushing my teeth when I heard my name. Smiling, I finished my task and rested the rinsed brush on the counter before turning around and leaning against the counter. Tonya stood gloriously naked with a loofah in one hand and the other hand on her hip.

“I think you need a shower.”

“Do I?”

She nodded and beckoned me with a crooked finger. “Come here; let me clean you up.”

Not needing to be told twice, I quickly grabbed my body wash and a condom from my toiletry bag before stepping into the glass enclosure. She cleaned me up but not before I got her good and dirty. We had to make it quick since she needed to be at work soon, so I wasted no time bending her over and sliding inside of her. With one hand on the wall in front of her and the other working her clit, Tonya came fast, choking on gasps as she climaxed around me and fell forward like a limp pretzel. I sped up my thrusts and soon chased her orgasm with my own, grunting through my release.

Stepping backward, I removed the condom and tied it into a knot before I pulled her up and kissed her.

“Oh my god,” she whispered against my mouth. “You’re turning me into a fiend.

I chuckled. “You say that like it’s a bad thing.”

Pulling away from me, she bent to pick up my abandoned body wash and squirted some gel onto a washcloth. “It is! Daily sex isn’t sustainable.”

“Says who?”

“Says my pussy! I don’t know if she can handle this much excitement.”

“I guess we’ll just have to work on building up your stamina.”

She bit her lip, blinking up at me owlishly, and I couldn’t help but lean forward and sip from her mouth once more.

“Okay,” she said, pushing at my chest. “Okay.” She was breathless, voice husky and chest heaving as she backed against the opposite wall of the shower. “I can’t stay in here all day with you. I have to go to work. You’re gonna have to bathe yourself.”

She tossed the washcloth at me and I caught it, laughing as she turned her back to me and bathed quickly. I followed suit and once we were both clean and dressed, I snatched up my duffel and walked out with her. When I inquired about Wisdom, she informed me that he rode the bus to school since she often worked mornings at the café. We agreed to meet for lunch at a restaurant not far from the coffee shop and parted ways as she headed to work and I headed to Hawk’s house. Hours later, I greeted her with a hug in front of a tiny panini shop around the corner from Black Coffee. We ordered our sandwiches and took them outside to a table on the patio. As I bit into my food, Tonya unwrapped her sandwich halfway and stopped.

She took a deep breath and blew it out before raising her eyes to meet mine. “We need to discuss living arrangements.”

My brows raised but I nodded. “Okay.”

“Well, I own my house. I mean, I pay a mortgage, so I don’t own it outright but I’m buying it. It’s not a rental.”

I nodded again. “You told me that yesterday.”

“Right. You’re right, I did. I’m tripping. I don’t know why I’m nervous about this.”

Placing my sandwich into the little red basket it came in, I wiped my fingers on a napkin and reached for her hands. “Stop for a moment. Close your eyes and take a deep breath. Hold in for a few seconds then release. That’s it. One more time. Good girl. Now, just say it.”

Her eyes fluttered open and she smiled at me. “Thank you. That really helped.”

“I’m glad.”

“Alright. What I’m trying to say is that I don’t want to move anytime soon. I bought my house less than ten years ago, and it’s perfect for me and my family’s needs.”

“Okay.” I sensed there was more.

“And—ugh, this is such a weird situation. We’re married but we don’t know each other.” She sighed. “Look, I don’t want you to take this the wrong way but…for all intents and purposes, you’re a stranger. I don’t feel comfortable allowing you to move in me. I have my two sisters and my son to think about, and I can’t just bring you into our home until everyone is okay with it.”

“I understand.”

“I’m sorry, but I have to think about how I would feel if one of my sisters moved a man in that I had only met once.”

Leaning forward, I squeezed her hands, which I still held in my own. “Tonya, I said I understand and I meant that. We still need to get to know each other, and by extension, your family needs to get to know me as well. It’s important to me that everyone you love and care about is comfortable with me and my presence because I don’t plan on going anywhere. It would be counterproductive of me to try to force my way into your and their lives. It’s not going to be a problem as long as I can still spend as much time with you as possible. I travel often for work, but when I’m here, I want to be with you. I want lunches and dinners and breakfasts when you’re off. I know you have a life—I knew that when I asked you to marry me—but I want whatever time you can spare me.”

Her chest heaved and I could see her nipples bud beneath the logo t-shirt she wore. “Yeah, that sounds good. And we can have sleepovers every now and then, too. I think if we give it a few months and see how things are going at that point, it should be okay.”

“A few months? That’s doable.” I leveled her with a pointed stare. “I hope you don’t think that I’m going to forget about your conditioning just because I’m not moving in.”

She licked her lips. “I didn’t think any such thing.”