“You’re a goddess,” I tell her, cupping her chin again. She nuzzles into my hand with affection and my heart throbs as hard as my cock.

  “I need you, Alex. I can’t wait.” Her voice shakes with need.

  I hastily shove down my boxers before kicking them to the side.

  Her eyes widen with shock as she stares at me. “What is that?” Awe is evident in her tone.

  “This?” I ask, flicking the barbell piercing at the head of my cock. “I’m not the only one with some bodily additions. It’s a piercing, baby. Do you like it?”

  “When did you…” She takes a step closer, her hand reaching out.

  “While I was in Glasgow. Not long after I arrived.”

  “Can I touch it?”

  “Of course, it’s for you, Melody.” Her mouth rounds in an O as her hand tentatively wraps around my shaft and she touches the barbell with her thumb.

  “Oh, my.” Her whisper stokes the fire already burning in my belly.

  Precum drips from the tip of my cock as she explores me. I might have to try counting backwards from a million to stave off the release that already wants to appear. No. Fucking. Way. I am not coming until she has. I draw in a deep breath. I need to be inside her. Thank fuck, I had the foresight to bring protection with me. I reach for my jacket to grab a condom from the pocket.

  “Turn round, Melody. Hands on the counter.” Satisfaction settles over me when she turns and puts her hands on the worktop, her back facing me.

  I stride back towards her, running my palm over her backside in adoration. She hums. I tear open the condom packet and make short work of sliding it down my length. Finally. I draw in a deep breath, running a palm up and down her spine while I line myself up with her wet cunt.

  “How do you want this?” I have the foresight to ask before I plunge inside her.

  “However you want to give it to me. But now,” she urges.

  I push forward slowly, burying my cock in her sweet, honeyed cunt. My eyes close and my head falling back at the warm, tight sensation of being inside her.

  Heaven. Exactly as I remembered.

  “Oh fuck, Alex. I can feel it. Your piercing.” She moans, loud enough for the neighbours to hear.

  I blow out a breath. I can’t look. If I do, I know I’ll embarrass myself and blow my damn load. I can do nothing to hold in the low growl that escapes my lips at how fucking incredible it feels to be inside her after so long.

  This is where I am supposed to be; buried inside this woman, pouring my soul into hers. Loving her. I just have to convince her to keep me this time.

  Once I’m buried to the hilt, I pause only a moment before pulling back out. We both groan as I thrust back in, hard and fast.

  “Fuck, yes,” she gasps from her position bent over the countertop.

  I grip her hips as I work mine to grind in and out of her. I lose all sense of space and time. There’s only Mel and I, revelling in this moment together, reunited after too long. One of her hands reaches back, grasping for something. I put my hand in hers and she grips me tight. Please don’t ever let go. I’m dying to say it out loud, but not now. I need to bide my time; get over this initial rush of desire. She shifts her hips, meeting each one of my thrusts, driving me out of my damn mind.

  “I need you to come, Mel. I’m not coming until you do.” Her low moan makes my balls throb.

  I grip her hips and set a punishing pace until we are both covered in a thin sheen of sweat.

  “Alex, oh, Alex. Oh fuck,” she gasps as she convulses around me. It’s like being caught in a vice. One I don’t ever want to leave. Her slickness grows with the orgasm and drives me further into my own pleasure. I plunge in and out of her until I can’t do anything but give in to the release. As my cum paints the inside of the condom, I desperately wish I was naked inside her, filling her up with my seed.

  “Fuck,” she says with a throaty laugh. “I really fucking needed that.” Her voice is gravelly, so unlike her usual sweet tone as she looks over her shoulder at me, and I can’t hold back my grin.

  It takes us both a good while to come down from that experience. We’ve moved through to the lounge and I’m lying on the couch with Mel sprawled half on top of me. Her hand draws soft circles all over my chest and abs as contentment washes over me. If this is the only thing I had, I’d be more than happy.

  “Thank you,” I say softly.

  She blows her hair out of her face as she tilts her head to look at me with a smile. “What for?”

  “For letting me try to convince you. For not sending me away. For the best damn sex I’ve ever had.”

  She narrows her eyes. “I’m not sure you did convince me, but I’m willing to let you try again,” she says with a serious expression painted on her face. “I definitely need to get better acquainted with your piercing.”

  I reach down and smack her arse hard, which brings out the laugh she’s clearly been holding back. My contentment swells again. She’s happy; I’m happy.

  “Mel…” Is now the right time? Hopefully it’s as good as any. “Please, can we make a go of this?” I ask her.. “Take my age out of the equation. It’s just a number, baby. If age didn’t come into it, do I make you happy?”

  Her eyes close and I wait, staring at her face, hope burning in my gut.

  Chapter thirty-five

  Mel

  He looks so earnest. I have to close my eyes for a moment. I try to tune in with my gut, my intuition, but she’s salty from the last six months of yearning, I guess. Seeing him here tonight felt right. Asking him to stay felt right. And laying here, in a post-orgasmic glow, is so fucking right I don’t want it to be wrong. His eyes are as wide as saucers as he stares at me, awaiting my response. I reach up and brush my fingers lightly across his cheek. He chases them, peppering each one with tiny kisses, and my heart swells.

  “Yes, you make me happy. I’ve been so damn miserable this whole time you’ve been gone.” I sigh.

  “But…” he asks.

  “Are you sure this is what you want?”

  He frowns. “Do you think, for one second, I’d be here now if it wasn’t what I wanted?”

  I shake my head. He’s gone above and beyond to prove his affection. And I’ve come to the realisation that I would be stupid to throw that away.

  Emotion threatens to overwhelm me. It swells from my belly, all the way through my chest, and tears well in my eyes. I move out of his hold to sit up so I can properly look at him, holding his hand tight.

  “I’m not going to fight it anymore, Alex. I don’t want to. I need you in my life. If you’re willing to have me, then have me. We can figure out the rest as we go along,” I tell him, convinced the smile painting my face is a soppy one.

  He sits up too and we face each other on the couch, our hands linked. We’re naked, the blanket having fallen away. It’s intimate. It’s real. “I really fucking love you,” I tell him with a sigh.

  He drops his head back and lets out a laugh. My jaw drops. He recovers quickly, looking back at me with a grin. “Thank fuck for that. I wasn’t above kidnapping you until you fell in love with me.” I chuckle and abruptly stop when I see the intense look take over his gaze. “Mel, you’re everything. Love doesn’t even cover it. I can’t imagine my future without you in it. I had no fucking clue what I was going to do if you said no. But I’m so fucking delighted you said yes. I love you, Melody.” I love that he uses my full name. It sounds wonderful on his lips.

  We lean close, our lips meeting in a gentle kiss. The tears that have been threatening to drop, do, painting his legs with their salty kisses.

  “Why are you crying?” he asks. “What can I do?”

  “It’s okay, they’re happy tears,” I tell him with a laugh. He holds my face in his hands, using his thumbs to wipe them away and my heart has never felt so full.

  The next morning, I leave Alex to sleep. He’d ridden the whole way from Scotland yesterday and we spent most of the night making love and talking. It was wonderful, but he was exhausted when dawn arrived. I convinced him to sleep after he fucked me lazily on our sides.

  As much as I want to stay curled around him, close after our time apart, there’s something I need to do.

  I creep out of the room, closing the door softly behind me, and make my way downstairs. I check the message I sent when I first woke up, happy to see the usual thumbs up reply, and make myself a coffee while I wait.

  It’s not long after I’ve savoured my first cup that I hear the front door open and closing.

  “Hey, Mum,” Zack calls as he lets himself in.

  “Through here, Zack,” I shout back.

  “What’s wrong? You said you needed me to come as early as possible.” He usually appears on a Saturday for a fry-up breakfast, whether he’s staying with his father or here at home. After the fallout last year, I’d been so grateful when he’d accepted my first invite and it’s now a regular part of my week—catching up with him over a home-cooked brunch—but I wanted to make sure I got to speak to him today while Alex is still asleep.

  “I’m sorry. I didn’t want you to panic, but I really needed to speak with you.”

  “What’s up?” he asks as he throws himself down on the stool next to me.

  “Alex is back. He got back last night. I wanted to tell you before you found out from anyone else.” I keep a close watch on his expression, but it’s hard to tell what he’s thinking.

  “What do you mean by back? Back for good? Or for a visit?”

  “He’s back for good. And I want him to be a part of my life. We’ve decided to make a go of it.” I hold my breath, unsure how much more to say.

  “Oh,” comes his mumbled response. I’m on tenterhooks waiting for his reaction and the words he says next take me utterly by surprise. “You really love him, don’t you?”

  “I do. I think it’s important that he went to Scotland for his career and for some freedom, but I’m really glad he’s back.”

  “I could see you were missing him, Mum. I could tell something wasn’t right. I don’t pretend to get this thing between you, but you deserve to be happy.” He pauses to draw in a breath before continuing, “I know you put me and Dad first for a really long time and you struggled when Dad left. You’ve changed since you met Alex, but then you just seemed so sad when he left. Sadder than when Dad went.” He gives me a tentative smile and relief swells inside me. I reach across and squeeze him tightly.

  “Thank you for understanding. I don’t know where this thing with Alex is going, but I’m serious about him and he wants to make a go of it. I need to try, Zack. I need to do more of the things that make me happy. You’re right. I’ve been sad since he went to Scotland. It helped me realise how important it is to lean into happiness and the things that bring us joy.” I pause, drawing in a breath, and ease back to look him in the eye. “For such a long time, it was you, Zack, that was my first and only priority. And I don’t regret that for a second. You’ve grown into a man before my eyes and I’m so proud to be your mother.” Tears well in my eyes as I continue, “But you don’t need me as much anymore. I don’t want to smother you. I know you need to go and do your thing. I’ll always be here to support you however you need it, but I also need to do my thing, too, now. Is that okay?” I ask breathlessly.

  “Of course it is. You deserve the best, Mum. Just don’t do sappy stuff around me, okay?”

  “We won’t, I promise.” I chuckle and let the relief wash over me. We’ve a way to go to figure out how we all fit together, but this feels like a good start.

  I wake Alex around midday and tell him to get dressed. “You need to get up,” I tell him. He reaches out to grab me, but I learnt my lesson last time and sidestep his hold.

  He frowns at me. “Get over here for a cuddle.”

  “I can’t. People are coming.”

  “Yes, we are people and if you get over here, I’ll have us both coming in no time.”

  It’s a wrench having to say no, but there’s no time to waste.

  “I mean it. You need to be showered, dressed and downstairs in twenty minutes, boyo.”

  “What’s my reward?”

  “How about brunch from the deli?” I ask with a quirked brow.

  “I’ll take it, as long as you add in a taste of that delicious pussy of yours afterwards.”

  “It’ll be later, but yes, that’s an acceptable deal,” I say with a chuckle. I leave him as he climbs out of the bed before I lose my will and decide to stay and get distracted.

  I make my way downstairs and check everything in the kitchen. I really hope this is the right thing to do. I’ve been busy since my heart-to-heart with Zack. I popped to the local deli for the spread of food on the breakfast bar: pastries, fruit, muffins, cold meats, and cheeses. Hopefully, enough to feed everyone.

  I potter around, getting glasses out for the orange juice and, at the last moment, grab a bottle of prosecco from the fridge. Fuck it, we’ll have mimosas.

  “Alex,” I call up the stairs as I pass towards the door.

  “I’m coming,” he shouts as he comes down the stairs wearing faded jeans, a light grey t-shirt and bare feet. He looks yummy and I take it all in with a dreamy smile. “Who’s that?” he asks, nodding his head towards the door.

  “You’ll see,” I say as I open it. Even I’m overwhelmed by the crowd standing on the doorstep and I invited them. I just wasn’t expecting them all to arrive en masse.

  “What have we got here, then? Whose is that bike? Laura says it looks just like Alex’s.” Cassidy is a whirlwind of questions as she steps across the threshold to pull me into one of her signature hugs. “Oh,” she gasps as she must see the man waiting near the bottom of the steps. “It is Alex.”

  “Hey,” Alex says. I look over when Cassidy releases me to gauge his reaction. Is he wondering why they’re all here?

  “Let me through,” Laura says, and I laugh as she elbows her way between Jack and Tom. She gives me a finger wave before dashing past and grabbing Alex in a hug. “You’re home,” she declares.

  His eyes stay locked on mine over her shoulder as he replies, “I am.”

  A short while later, everyone is in the kitchen with plates of food. There’s Cassidy, Jack and Tom. Laura. Abby. And Zack popped back, too.

  Alex draws me back from the crowd with a gentle pull on my arm. He bends low to whisper in my ear, “What’s going on? Why did you invite them all?”

  “I wanted them all to know we’re together. Is that okay?” Anxiety rears its head as I wait for his response. Did I get it wrong?

  He grins. “Of course it is.” And lifts me up in a hug, spinning me around.

  Epilogue - Part 1

  Alex

  One Year Later

  Ilook around the light, airy gallery space in wonder. It’s so professional. So fancy. And it’s my work placed on the plinths and shelves. My pottery pieces that people are coming to see tonight. It’s a sell-out, apparently. How the hell did I manage that?

  I grin as the main reason I managed that walks toward me. She never fails to steal my breath away. She’s in what I consider her signature look: a tight pencil skirt that hugs her curves and makes me want to get on my knees and ease it up over her hips. A silky blouse that I know covers a delicately lacy bra cupping her beautiful tits. Stockings that she wears every day now that she knows I go feral when I run my hand up her thighs and find their lacy tops, snapping them against her skin at every opportunity just to hear that little squeal she makes every time. Her high stilettos complete her look.

  She’s just as professional and fancy as the space she’s organised for this event tonight. She belongs here, schmoozing with rich people who want to own beautiful things. And she’s mine. I still have to pinch myself every day that I belong to her and she belongs to me.

  “Hey, feeling okay?” She brushes a hand over my shirt-covered bicep as she steps close. Her chin tips up so she can meet my gaze. Contentment washes over me. Her touch and proximity always make everything right.

  “This looks amazing, Mel,” I tell her. “Thank you.” I enjoy the blush on her cheeks as well as her soft smile.

  “I wanted it all to be perfect for your first solo showing. You deserve the best, Alex.” She glances around the room, the furrow appearing on her brow as she checks every detail, making sure it’s just as she planned it.

  “I’m just glad you agreed to organise the whole thing for me, even though I’m not a spicy romance author.” My tongue pokes into my cheek in jest and her light smack on my arm brings a chuckle from my lips.

  “I’ve really enjoyed putting this together for you. I’m so fucking proud of you. I wouldn’t have missed doing this for anything. Thank you for asking.” Her stare meets mine as we share a moment of silence. I lean my forehead down to hers, breathing the same air for a moment before I know the evening will get crazy busy and we’ll be separated while she does her job and I do mine.

  “I’m proud of you, too. You know that, right?” I ask her. “You’re living your best life, giving no fucks about what other people think about you, and that’s so hot, baby. And you’re really bloody good at every single thing you put your mind to. I’m so grateful to know you, to love you, to be with you.” I can’t stop the words spilling out. This day is momentous for my career. And this woman is momentous for my entire life.

  This last year, together, has been incredible. I’ve watched as Mel has built up her own business, to the point where her services are so sought after that she’s hired a team to help her.

  She’s thriving, and it’s a wonderful look on her. Her attention to detail and meticulousness is still evident in every single thing she does, but she’s also learnt to ease back every now and again. Seeing her laugh and joke with her friends, relax during our downtime and submit to me in the bedroom makes my chest swell with love for her. And when she decides to take charge in the bedroom, well fuck, it drives me wild. And that reminds me…