It’s late and much too quiet. The clock on the bedside table rolls over to 01:30 AM, but I’m nowhere close to sleep. My mind is too preoccupied with the memories of my afternoon with Anastasia.

She let me kiss her. More, she kissed me back. We kissed, and it was… perfect. It felt just the way I remembered it, just as good as it had always been. I’ve replayed that kiss in my mind over and over again throughout the day, and it’s awakened a need in me that I’ve forced to lay dormant for nearly two years. Now, I’m plagued with a ravenous, libidinous hunger that I can’t ignore.

That hunger fully occupies my mind far too late into the night, so I eventually give up on the idea of sleep and climb out of bed, retrieving a pair of pajama bottoms from my top drawer and throwing them on as I leave my room and head for the piano. I take a moment to pause and stare out at the lights of Seattle through the window. The whole city is twinkling, celebrating with me, and as I place my fingers against the keys of my piano, I fill my mind with Anastasia and begin to play. I have no music in front of me, nor any specific piece in mind, just broken bits of my favorite compositions that I manage to meld together with some creative flourishes and embellishments.

Suddenly, my attention is caught by an unexpected noise just a few feet away, and while the surprise of the sound has my body tensed, that immediately melts away when I turn and see Ana standing on the other side of the room with her shoes scattered haphazardly on the floor by her feet.

She’s dressed in a thin black dress the hugs her body tightly enough that even in the muted light I can see the perfect outlines of the curves of her breasts and hips. Her hair is full, tumbling down around her face and over her shoulders in a soft cloud. She’s wearing perhaps a little too much makeup, but that might simply be my perception because I’ve always preferred her more natural. Still, she looks absolutely stunning and the desire that forced me out of bed earlier is once again peaked.

“Ana?” I ask, turning away from the piano to face her.

“Hi,”She breathes back. “I’m um… I’m locked out of my apartment.”

“What do you mean?” I ask.

“I think I left my purse at the club,”She explains. “My phone and keys were in it.”

I frown. She’s barely mumbling her words but I can still hear the slur in her voice that tells me she’s intoxicated. I’d hoped that she’d come to tell me that she regretted her decision not to stay with me this afternoon and that she wanted to continue on from where our kiss was clearly headed, but she’s only here because she needs something, and I can’t try to push her into anything else because she’s drunk.

“I could have Taylor go down and look for it if you want,”I offer, but she shakes her head.

“No, it’s late. I don’t want you to wake him. I’m sure Kate will grab it, I just thought that maybe you’d have a key.”

“I do. I’ll get it for you,”I tell her, and then get up from the piano bench and make my way back through the kitchen to the utility room where Gail keeps the spare keys. Ana follows after me, watching me closely as I sort through the metal box, and when I find the right key and turn back to her, I notice she’s biting down on her bottom lip and the visual stirs my cock.

Fuck.

“Here,”I say, managing to keep my voice even as I hold out the key to her. Her eyes shift down to my hand for only a second and then she launches herself at me. Her arms fold around my neck and her fingers dig into my hair as she pulls my lips down to hers. There is an arousing, all consuming passion in the way she kisses me, and I want nothing more than to return that fervor, to lose control, push her back into the wall and fuck her mercilessly, but I don’t because, even though my tongue hasn’t crossed her lips, I can taste the alcohol on her breath. She isn’t consciously making this choice, and if and when she does let me take her to bed, I don’t want it to be something she regrets the next morning.

“Ana… You’re drunk. I can’t…” I say, fighting every instinctual urge in my body and pulling away from her.

“I’m fine, Christian. Really,” s  he says, trying to assure me, but because my name comes out “Chri-shian” and her eyes flutter a little as she speaks, I know she isn’t fine.

“No, you’re not,”I say firmly.

“Christian, I promise you. I want this. I’ve wanted this all day, since you kissed me in my apartment. This has nothing to do with the alcohol. I want you.”

I swallow as I look down at her and see the lust burning in her eyes. I want this, I fucking need this, but I… I can’t. Why does she have to be drunk?

She leans forward again, pushing her soft, warm body into my bare chest, and presses her lips to mine. I hesitate, but in the brief moment it takes me to gain control of myself to push her away again, she reaches up into my hair and tugs at my roots while her tongue begs permission to invade my mouth. Her body moves against mine, pushing into me, her hips grinding against my erection, and I suddenly find myself make excuses. She kissed me this afternoon, fully sober. Surely kissing her, just kissing her, isn’t taking advantage of her…

It’s a weak excuse and I’m fully aware of that, but I cling to it and then let out a low groan as I surrender to the desire, wrap her in my arms, and push her into the wall at her back. The fire ignites between us as I deepen the kiss and entangle my tongue with hers. Soon, all coherent thought is thrown out the window and I lose myself in her, tasting her, relishing in the feel of her body against mine until I realize she’s practically panting into my mouth and my fingers are clawing desperately at the thin chiffon of her dress.

“Take me to bed, Christian,” she whispers, her voice high and needy and it’s as though she’s speaking directly to my cock. I look down at her, trying to find any iota of hesitation in her eyes, any indication that this isn’t what she wants so I have something to stop myself from doing the only thing in this world that I want to do, which is take her to my bed and completely ravage her. I don’t see doubt in her eyes though and the raw, burning need reflected back at me makes it impossible for me to think rationally.

“Are you sure?” I ask, my voice fully strained now.

“Yes,”She says, nodding quickly. “Yes, I’m sure. I want you. I need you. Please…”

My jaw tenses as my dick twitches again, painfully this time, as it strains to break free from my pants to get to her. Fuck, maybe that in itself makes this a bad idea. I can’t imagine I’d be able to fuck her for more than a few seconds without exploding…

And suddenly, I have a horrible, gut wrenching realization that immediately quells all thoughts of even entertaining the idea of having her tonight…

“I don’t have any condoms,” I tell her.

“That’s okay,” she says, shaking off my concern. “I’m on the pill.”

I look down at her, surprised for a second. Why the fuck is she on birth control? She wasn’t on it when I met her, so I know there isn’t a medical reason for her to be taking it. Does that mean she really has been fucking someone else?

I have only a second to care about this though because once again, her teeth sink down into her bottom lip and I realize that she’s given me the green light. She’s protected and willing and, against my better judgement, I can’t refuse her any longer. As quickly as humanly possible, I sweep her up into my arms, carry her through the kitchen, and back towards my bedroom. My body is alive with anticipation as I move through the great room, and when she reaches up to pull my lips down to hers again, it’s as if a sixth sense takes over, allowing me to blindly navigate through the apartment to get her into my bed.

“You’re sure?” I check again once I’ve set her down. She nods and then curls her knees beneath her, raising herself up to reach her lips to mine again. I place my hands on either side of her face, cupping each of her cheeks tenderly as our mouths come together. She lets out a soft moan that eggs me on and slowly, I move my hand down her face, over her shoulders, and to the zipper on the back of her dress. As I pull the zipper down, slowly revealing each precious inch of her flawless skin, I feel her shiver and then move her tongue deeper into my mouth. I’m painfully hard, aching for her, so once I’ve pulled her dress off her shoulders, I break away from the kiss and move my lips down her body, removing her bra as I inch closer to her breasts.

Once her breasts are exposed, I take a moment to fully appreciate them. She’s just as beautiful as I remember and as I brush my thumb over her right nipple, watching it harden under my touch, I once again find myself in disbelief at how utterly perfect this woman is.

“Oh baby…” I whisper, no longer able to conceal my longing for her. Having her like this in front of me gives me countless ideas of things I’d like to do to her, ways I’d like to worship her, but more than anything right now, I need to feel her against me. I need to be inside of her.

I lean into her, kissing her again and easing her back onto the bed so that she’s flat on her back and I’m laying over the top of her. I take another moment to enjoy the feel of her lips and tongue while I pull the dress still hanging loosely at her waist off of her and discard it carelessly onto the floor. Once I have her in only her panties, I reach up for her breasts, gently rolling her nipple between my index and middle finger. She moans in response and thrusts her pelvis up to mine, grinding her panties against the obvious bulge in my pants. I shift my hand on her breast, pinching her nipple tightly between my thumb and the knuckle on my index finger and pulling gently on it until she gasps and I can capture her bottom lip with my teeth.

“Christian!” she cries. My name sounds so fucking sexy coming from her mouth that I groan my satisfaction against her lips.

“Tell me what you want, Anastasia,” I cajole her. “I want to hear you say it.”

“I want you. Please, Christian,” she begs, giving me everything I’ve wanted to hear for so long in just a few short words.

“Oh, Ana,” I moan, claiming her lips once more and then moving off of her so I can remove my pants and eliminate one of the last barriers between us. She watches me intently as I lower the thin cotton from my hips, and once I’ve stepped completely out of them, she scrambles back onto her knees and leans forward like she’s going to take my cock into her mouth. The muscles in my stomach clench as I see the libidinous hunger in her eyes, but I reach out to stop her. I don’t know if I’m going to last long as is, and I know that watching her gorgeous blue eyes staring up at me as she wraps her lips around my cock will be the end of me.

“No, Ana,” I chide her, gently. “I don’t want your mouth right now. I want to be inside of you, and I can’t wait any longer.”

She inhales sharply as I push her back onto the bed and then reach down, grip my cock, and brush the tip over her entrance. I can feel how wet she is and it drives me crazy knowing how ready she is, but this is it… the moment of no return, and I find myself hesitating again.

“Ask me again,” I beg her, needing her to say the words aloud just one more time before I do this.

“Fuck me, Christian,” she whispers, grinding against me as she tries to push herself down on me. “I want you to make me come.”

Fuck, that was sexy… “And you promise me that you’re not too drunk?” I check again.

“No,” she shakes her head. “No, I want this.” I swallow, thinking it through one last time, knowing there’s a possibility I could be about to make a mistake that has the potential to unravel everything I’ve done to get back into her good graces… but when her eyes meet mine and I hear her soft “please”, I know I’m not strong enough to stop now.

A deep, gravelly growl escapes my chest as I kiss her again, harder this time, and then thrust inside of her. She immediately clenches around me, letting out a loud, harsh cry, and I nearly blow my load. She feels fucking incredible.

When I look down at her though, her face is tight and her eyes are closed, and I worry that I’ve somehow hurt her.

“What’s wrong?” I ask, making sure I don’t move until she gives me an indication that she’s alright.

“Nothing,” she replies quickly, though there is definite strain in her voice. “Nothing, I’m fine. Just give me a second. I forgot how big you are.”

Oh fuck, Ana… Please don’t talk about my cock right now…

My jaw tightens as I do everything I can to hold back my orgasm, but she feels so hot, and wet, and tight around me, it’s impossible to think of anything else.

“Oh baby, that’s because I don’t think I’ve ever been this fucking hard,” I tell her, pushing forward a little but not pulling back enough for either of us to feel friction. She clenches around me again and I feel a sudden increase in urgency inside my balls… Fuck, I’m not going to last.

I hold as still as possible, trying to put her at ease while also trying to regain control of my body. When she reaches up to kiss me though, I unconsciously begin easing in and out of her and my orgasm begins to build again. She grinds down on me, moving against me in opposition to increase the friction between us, and it’s almost the breaking point. I have to reach down to hold her still.

“Don’t move,” I tell her, but she let’s out a defiant moan.

“I’m okay now,” she says, squirming against me again. My jaw clenches together as I tighten my hands around her hips.

“Please, Ana. Don’t move,” I repeat, the strain in my voice more evident this time, and she looks up at me with confusion.

“What’s wrong?”

“It’s been…. Awhile,” I tell her. “You’re going to make me come.”

She lets out a small, defiant sound and begins gyrating against me again, and I know that I’m fighting a losing battle. I need her to come first and if that’s going to happen, I need to get her off before I really start fucking her. Quickly, I pull out of her and move my lips down her body, between her breasts and over her belly, until I reach her clitoris.

“Oh god!” she gasps, falling back onto the mattress and tiling her pelvis up to my mouth. I oblige her silent direction eagerly, dragging the flat of my tongue over her opening and then swirling it purposefully around her clitoris before sucking on it again with my lips. Her body begins to shudder as I tease her with my tongue and even my teeth, and as her legs clamp around my ears, I reach down and ease a finger inside of her. Soon, she’s panting with pleasure.

“Anastasia,” I whisper, keeping my lips against her so that even speaking her name is pleasurable. “You taste so good.”

She whimpers and I close my mouth around her, tracing out the ABCs over her clitoris with my tongue, while I fuck her with my fingers. She responds well to the letter M.

“Oh, Christian,” she moans. “You’re going to make me come.”

I smile and then kiss her softly before dragging my tongue over her once more. “Come on, baby,” I encourage her. “Give it to me.”

As I increase the ferocity in which I move my fingers in and out of her, the quivering in her legs intensifies, and suddenly, she screams my name and begins to clenching around my fingers, coating them with her come. Fuck, yes.

I’m mesmerised watching her. Her breasts heaving up and down while her hips writhe against me. Her mouth is open as she lets out a litany of moans and strangled cries.

“So beautiful,” I whisper. She starts to come down, panting hard, and I remove my fingers and thrust my tongue inside of her, drawing out every last ounce of pleasure I can before I drag my mouth away. With one last kiss on her clitoris, I make my way up her body, tasting every inch of her skin until I reach her breasts and begin lavishing her nipples once more.

“Christian, I want you inside of me,” she begs. My skin heats and my cock twitches again, physical signs of the deep rooted satisfaction I take in those words, but I want her just on the edge before I take her again.

“All good things, Anastasia,” I tell her, continuing my work as I move to her other breast. She writhes beneath me, gasping and moaning, showing me what my touch is doing to her, until it becomes to much for me to refuse any longer and I move to take her lips again. Her tongue is relentless now as I reach down and brush the tip of my erection against her, lubricating myself with her arousal for a moment, and then pushing forward until my cock is once again fully buried inside of her.

She doesn’t cry out in pain this time, so I don’t wait. I begin diving in and out of her with a ferocity born from two years of starvation. She’s so wet and tight around me, and the high, incoherent sounds that escape her lips as I fuck her without mercy, egg me on.

“You feel so fucking good, Anastasia,” I whisper as I tighten my hands over her hips and pull her back against me with each thrust. There is a passing thought in the back of my mind that I might be holding her to tightly, that my fingertips might leave bruises in her flawless skin, but that thought only makes me want to hold her tighter. I want her marked. I want physical evidence that she is mine.

The idea of marking her reminds me of the way her ass used to look, pinked from my hand and slamming into me, so I flip her onto her side to get a good view. It’s worth it in the end both because her ass, firmer now than it was the last time I had her, looks fucking incredible from this angle, and because I can fuck her deeper this way. She’s fully enveloping my cock and her heat is magnificent. I’m having trouble pulling her fully back against me since her leg is wrapped around me, but as if in response to my silent disappointment, she reaches up for my headboard and pushes herself against me, working in opposition from me, and making every thrust so much more powerful. Soon, I feel the tightening sensation begin to build in my balls, and I know the end is near.

“Fuck, I’m getting close, baby,” I warn her.

“Me too,” she says. I groan slightly as I feel her getting wetter, getting tighter, and I know that feeling her grip tightly around me as she comes on my cock will be all it takes for me to let go.

“Then come for me,” I say, my voice harsh and demanding. “Come for me, Ana.”

My hand reaches up, twisting into the roots of her hair and then yanking her head back so that I can lean over and kiss her again. Her lips are tight against mine, her tongue erratic as she builds towards her orgasm, and when at last, she begins quivering and spasming around me, she screams into my mouth and I explode.

“Yes!” I hiss as the hot, white heat of pleasure courses through what feels like every cell of my body. I freeze, pouring myself into her, and as we both come down from the unbelievably high, I fall onto the bed next to her and pull her against me.

Our harsh and broken breathing sounds too loud in the silent room, but there’s almost a musical quality to it. I can feel her body relaxing in my arms, her breathing start to regulate, and as she melts back into me, I reach over and tilt her head back to me, reaching for her lips once more.

Now that my blinding lust is quenched, I can really take the time to enjoy her. Our mouths move together slowly, deeply, with a kind of synchronicity that I don’t think can be learned, but that is the result of a deep, true connection. The way I feel about her, the sheer force of the love I have for this woman, it’s not something you find everyday. I know that what we have is rare and that’s why I fought so hard for it. It’s why, if this goes badly when she sobers up and she runs from me again, it will destroy me. I was able to trick myself into thinking I could let go before, but I won’t be able to do it again. Like an addict going through relapse, the need and the urge is so much stronger this time, and suddenly I’m filled with fear. I don’t know what I’ll do if she wakes up thinking this was a mistake… I can’t fathom the pain that will leave me in. But there isn’t anything I can do about that now. The deed is done, and right now, kissing her as I hold her in my arms, I can once again feel the enormity of our bond. It stirs me again.

“Again?” I ask her, pushing my erection against her.

“Yes,” she whispers in response. I smile as I reach down, part her legs, and then guide my erection inside of her again. This time though, I don’t attack her like a ravenous animal. I ease into her, stretching her and filling her slowly as I re-memorize every inch of her. She gasps once when I reach the point where I can’t move forward anymore, then moans as I pull back and move my lips down her shoulder.

Her skin is slightly salty from the thin sheen of sweat remaining from the hard, vigorous way I’d had her only moments ago, and it’s intoxicating. My tongue traces up the curve of her neck while my hands move around to her breast, and while I feel the heat increasing between us, an almost desperate sense of longing fills my chest.

Please don’t let this be the end.

“Oh, Ana,” I groan. “I’ve missed this so much.”

“Me too. Oh god, Christian. You’re so good,” she moans. My body feels electrified by her words. I want her to enjoy this, I want to remind her how good we are together. I want her to feel the euphoric sense of pleasure that can only come from this connection between us, so I reach down and begin to gently massage her clitoris, determined to make her come once more. It works, because after only a minute or so, she’s grinding against me, and panting heavily again.

“Come with me, Christian,” she says, and I feel the corner of my mouth tick upwards into a smirk.

“Already?”

She nods and I move my hand back to her hip to hold her in place so that I can take her harder. Still, the angle is awkward, so I roll her onto her stomach, my chest pressing into her back while I support my weight on my elbows, and then really begin to move.

“Christian!” she screams, my name sounding like poetry as it rolls off her tongue. I growl and thrust harder, wanting to hear her scream more, but as she does, she turns her head into the pillow to muffle the sound. My jaw tightens as I take her arm and move her onto her back again so that she can scream into the open air and I can hear it echo around me.

“Look at me, Ana,” I command. “I want to see you when I make you come.”

Her eyes lock on mine, but her bottom lip begins to tremble as she struggles to hold back the cries of ecstasy desperate to break free from her lips. I stare down into her eyes, feeling the intensity of the connection, until suddenly, she can’t hold back her screams any longer and she lets go as she comes around my cock.

“Fuck!” I hiss as the force of her orgasm clamps her vaginal walls tightly around my cock. My arms start to shake and my mind goes completely blank so that the only thing in my realm of reality, is her heat and the pleasure building deep inside of me. I grunt as I once again pour my release into her, but once we both come down and I roll off of her again, I can tell the exhaustion from the night and from our lovemaking is catching up to her, and she’s fighting off sleep.

“That was…” I pant, wrapping her in my arms and leaning over her to breathe in the fragrant scent of her hair.

“Incredible,” she whispers.

“More than that. It was everything.”

“Mmm,” she moans and then shifts her body so that she’s pressing herself fully into me. As I realize that I’m losing her to sleep, my earlier concerns over what is going to happen when she wakes up, return.

“You’re okay, right?” I check. “You’re not going to regret this in the morning?”

“No,” she mumbles, but her half-conscious promise isn’t very reassuring. I can feel her breathing even out and see her eyelids fluttering, and just as I think she’s drifted off, I whisper a final plea.

“Please don’t leave me, Ana.”

To my surprise, her eyes open and she turns around to face me, looking more alert than I’ve seen her all night.

“I’m not going anywhere, Christian,” she says, finally with enough determination that I can almost feel pacified by her words. Still, I need to be careful.

“Do you want to go back to your own apartment?” I ask. Her teeth sink down into her bottom lip and she looks away from me, thinking it over, and while I wait for her answer, I’m not even sure what I want it to be.

Fuck, I shouldn’t have done this. I should have waited. I should have taken her back to her apartment myself and put her into bed. I want her to know that she always had the option to say no, that I wasn’t trying to take advantage of her and that if she wants to leave, she absolutely can… but I’m also scared of what tomorrow will mean if I let her leave. What if this does go wrong and I never see her again?

“No,” she says, at last. “No, I don’t want to go back to my apartment. I want to sleep in your arms tonight. I want you to hold me, Christian.”

I take a deep breath and stare down into the crystal blue depths of her eyes and decide that from this point forward, the only thing I can do is be open with her and honest about what I want and how I feel. It’s the only way to stop the games between us and the fragile deals that seem to be all that’s holding us together right now. I don’t want it to be like that anymore, I want it to be like it was a few minutes ago, raw and passionate and just… right. I want her with me, and that includes tonight.

“I want that too,” I tell her. “Sleep, baby.”

Her eyes flutter closed again and I lean down to softly kiss her before I lie back down and wrap myself around her. She lets out a small, comforted sound, and then is completely silent except for her slow, even breathing.

“I love you, Anastasia,” I admit, but when she doesn’t say anything back, I take a deep breath and close my eyes. I’m not quite sure how long I lie there, an hour, maybe two, but no matter how hard I try, I can’t sleep. Part of it is the uncertainty, not knowing if this is the end again, and so, I don’t want to miss a single second of having her here in my arms. But then, I can’t seem to shake the nagging thought that staying here with her is a bad idea. She’s been so adamant about these boundaries between us the past few days, and while I’ve more than just crossed that line tonight, I’m not doing myself any favors by continuing to fight them.

After a few more minutes of debate, I climb out of bed and begin to pace the bedroom floor, my mind racing through the dozens of different scenarios I might be faced with the next morning, and how my decisions right now could affect each outcome. There are so many way this could go, so many ways that I could still fuck this up, and trying to work around each and every possibility is driving me mad.

Eventually, the pale gray light of dawn begins to seep in through my windows and as I take a moment to look down at Ana, still sleeping peacefully in my bed, I take a breath and force myself to admit that I might have to prepare myself to lose her again. The truth is, no matter which way this goes, I’m at fault. I was the one in control last night and I chose the path that led us here.  I was selfish and greedy, and now I have to face the consequences of those choices, even though it may kill me.

I pull the chair sitting by the door next to the bed and slump down into it, feeling completely exhausted, but not allowing myself to sleep. I simply stare down at her, watching the slow and steady rise of her shoulders beneath the blankets. Each second that passes is agonizing but I cling to them, savoring them, until eventually, Ana begins to stir.

She turns over, reaching into the empty space behind her and then sits up to look at me, obviously confused.

“Hey,” she says, her voice a little hoarse. “What are you doing over there?”

I swallow the lump that’s grown in my throat over the last few hours, but it isn’t enough to keep the gravel out of my voice when I finally speak.

“Are you going to leave?” I ask her.

“What?” she says, the confusion in her expression intensifying.

“Are you going to leave?” I repeat. “I just– I just need to be prepared if you’re going to leave.”

Her mouth pops open slightly as she glances back at me and the confusion shifts into something close to pain. I can see her eyes darting back and forth and the fear in my gut intensifies as I wonder if the realization of what has happened is hitting her and the panic is about to set in.

“Ana, I’m sorry,” I blurt out, though my voice is still raw and muted. “You said you needed boundaries… You were drunk, I shouldn’t have… Jesus, what the fuck was I thinking?”

“No. Christian, stop. I’m fine,” she says, quickly. “I told you last night, I’m not going anywhere.”

What? She remembered that? Suddenly, hope begins to bloom within me and I feel my eyes widen with shock.

“Really?” I check.

“Yes, really,” she says, her voice lighter now, softer, and more reassuring. Still, I don’t move or speak. I stare back at her, waiting, just in case there’s some kind of catch… but, miraculously, there isn’t.

“Christian, I promise. I’m here to stay,” she reaffirms. The true sincerity in her voice finally wins me over and I feel relief crash over me with such force I nearly feel winded. Suddenly, the exhaustion is gone and my body is gripped with nervous energy that I release by running my hands through my hair, which is already a complete disaster from the night I’ve spent rummaging through it and tugging at it with distress. Ana sits up a little more in the bed, pulling my sheet around her and then holds her arms out for me.

“Come here,” she tells me, and immediately, I comply. I get out of my chair and slip beneath the comforter, and as she lies next to me and snuggles into my chest, I feel an overwhelming sense of home.

“I’m not going to run anymore, Christian,” she tells me. “When I left you two years ago, I wasn’t ready to deal with what had happened, not with the trial and not with you and Elena. I didn’t know what I was up against, but I do now and I’m here to fight for you. I want to be with you, Christian.”

My stomach drops… With me?

“You do?” I ask, astonished, and she nods.

“Yes, I do. I miss you. I miss what we had. I’m ready to try to get back.”

Again, it takes me a second to fully appreciate the gravity of her words, but once they truly hit me, I feel a rush of pure, uninhibited joy and a broad smile breaks across my face. She’s not only not going to run, she’s ready move forward. She’s ready to take me back. She’s ready to be mine again.

The next thing I know, my lips are on hers and I’m kissing her with a passion I haven’t felt about anything in years. The relief and the elation is nearly indescribable. Like the sun rising after years of living in the dark, like the first breath of spring after an interminable winter. She’s mine again, truly mine, and this time, I’m never going to let her go.

Next Chapter