“Then what do you want?”

“What do you mean?”

“You keep running away from me every time we have a problem. I’m not… going… to hurt you,” I gritted.

“Maybe not.” She looked away, and I didn’t like that shit. “But I’m starting to think we can’t trust each other.”

My heart skipped a beat and then began a pounding rhythm that created an ache in my chest.

“You don’t trust me?”

“I—” She started to answer, but then her shoulders slumped. “I don’t know.”

I couldn’t rely on my legs to hold me up anymore, so I shed my jeans and positioned myself against the headboard beside her. “You’ve been lying to me for almost a year.”

“You lied to me for five,” she defended before I could finish.

“My point is, I still trust you more than anyone.”

She replied, “I don’t know what I feel, Keiran. I’m pissed at you for manipulating me and causing my best friend to leave, but I can’t deny this last month has been hell. I don’t think I can be without you.”

“I know I couldn’t let you. You may see it as controlling and maybe it is, but it’s what you do to me.” She shook her head and turned her body to face me, giving me a full view of how serious she was about her next words.

“You make me feel things I’m not always proud of either, but it doesn’t excuse the decisions we make. I don’t want you to ever manipulate my life like that. We have to do what’s right for each other. Together,” she added.

“As you wish,” I answered and grinned when she flinched with surprise.

“You’ve been watching Princess Bride,” she accused.

“I’ve been living with a four-year-old for the last month so I could be close to you. Kennedy convinced me to do a lot of things I’m not proud of.”

“You know she practically owns your ass, right?”

I snorted. “Keenan’s got it worse. He let her put Sheldon’s lip gloss on him.”

“No way!” She doubled over and clenched her stomach as she laughed. “She has totally turned you into pussies!”

My eyes narrowed which she caught just as I lunged. I flipped her over and flattened her on the mattress before bringing my fingers to her ribs and tickling her.

“Wait,” she gasped and screamed.

“I couldn’t quite hear you before. I’m a what?”

“A pussy,” she blurted and wiggled to get away.

“I see you think you’re too tough. I’ll have to show no mercy.”

“No mercy! No mercy!” she mocked and screeched.

“As you wish.” Her t-shirt had risen to reveal her lace panties. My mouth salivated when I lowered my face and kissed her through the material. Her breath caught and back bowed as I kissed her again, using my lips and tongue to coax her arousal to a fever pitch.

“Mercy, please! Mercy!” she begged but then lifted her hips for more. I used my teeth to nudge aside her panties and flicked her hot pussy with my tongue.

Fuck yeah.

I stood to push my boxer shorts down, slid her own panties down her amazingly long legs, and climbed on top of her. Her legs spread to accommodate me as I settled between them.

“You want relief, baby?” I pushed inside her before she could answer, but it didn’t matter because she gripped me tight and pleaded with her gaze for me to fuck her.

For too long, I’ve waited to get close to her like this. The initial withdrawal drove me crazy, and lonely, cold nights I spent with my dick in my hand pissed me off.

When I thrust deeper at the reminder, her hands flew above her head to grip the sheets. My attention fixated on her hard nipples poking through her t-shirt. With a groan, I tore her shirt from her body, leaned down to suck her right nipple in my mouth, and slammed inside her. Her body slid up the bed from the force, and I followed, pounding out my past frustration on her body.

She came shortly after. The aftershock of her orgasm caused her pussy to spasm around me. I didn’t want to come yet. I wanted this to last. Her top half rose from the bed so she could dig her nails into my throat and kiss my lips softly. I groaned in response.

So. Fucking. Good.

It was the last cognizant thought I had before I forced myself from her hot pussy and came on her belly. She stared up at me with confusion marring her beautiful face.

“Mine.” It was all the answer I had given before I rubbed my come into her skin, marking her.