“Fuck that feels good,” Beck groans on a deeper-than-deep thrust, and that’s all she wrote for me.

My orgasm tears free, and in that moment of superior bliss, I can’t care that I left Beck behind because it’s the most intense, wonderful feeling in the world.

So intense that I barely notice that Beck goes still within me and then grinds his pelvis hard against mine as he mutters, “I’m coming, baby. Deep in that pussy of mine. Coming so hard.”

Those words…the fact I can feel him jerking inside of me…knocks a mini orgasm loose and I cry out with a relief I didn’t know I needed following that super orgasm he just handed to me.

My head falls forward until it’s resting on Beck’s shoulder and he nuzzles the side of his face against my wet hair.

“Good, Sela?” he asks me, and I can hear the smug confidence in his voice.

We haven’t had much to smile about lately, but that causes one to break free. “So good, Beck. So very good.”

“And that’s the way it’s always going to be,” he says softly, and all I can do is hope and pray that he’s right and that our days together aren’t numbered.

I wanted to do something normal after having the most bizarre and nerve-racking morning of my life. It’s not every day a man hides evidence of a crime to protect his woman.

Feeling mellow after that amazing shower sex, and a bit calmer than I was this morning after discovering the truth about Caroline and JT, I suggested we walk down to the market and pick up something to cook for dinner. It’s not something Sela and I do often, preferring to dine out because we’re both so busy, and neither one of us is that great in the kitchen on a regular basis. She agreed and we returned with some chicken breasts marinated in pesto sauce, along with some tomatoes, mozzarella, and basil for a simple salad. On impulse, I bought a can of whipped cream and figured we could have dessert in bed later that night.

Working companionably side by side, I prepared the salad while she got the chicken ready to bake. We both sipped on a nondescript Cab we also picked up, both of us okay with the silence. We’d been talking about so much heavy stuff lately that the quiet was actually a bit soothing.

But she broke it all too soon.

“So…where did you—”

“Don’t ask, Sela,” I warn her, and then lean over and swat her on the ass. “You don’t ever need to know.”

Because no way in hell she needs to know about my trek into the deep forest to conceal what she did. I don’t want her ever being put in a position of having to make a choice to reveal that information or not in the future if she was pressed to give it.

I expect her to push at me, but she merely gives an acquiescing sigh and says, “Fine.”

“But I am going to be all nosy and ask about what you and Caroline talked about at lunch today,” I tell her without an ounce of shame.

She turns that lovely face to me, her lips quirking in amusement. “Don’t ask.”

“Tell me,” I demand. “Or I shall be forced to put you over my knee.”

She snorts, picks up the pan of chicken, and places it on the top rack of the oven. After closing the door, she turns to me and says, “If that’s the consequences for holding my tongue, I’m not telling you a damn thing.”

I jerk my chin upward in acknowledgment of her right to stay silent before placing the knife on the counter. I pick up a dish towel, casually wipe my hands, and then lay it back down. I do this all while Sela watches me with anticipation of my next move.

Which comes lightning fast.

I lunge at her and she squeals, so shocked at my move that she practically runs in place. I bend down, put my shoulder to her stomach, and lift her up over my shoulder. She squirms and I slap her lightly on the ass. “That’s just a taste of what you’ll get.”

I’m not sure, but I think I hear her sigh an, “Oh yes” as I carry her into the living room.

Falling onto the couch, I manage to twist her on the descent so she comes to rest lying across my lap, and before she can even think to struggle, I bring my hand down hard on her ass. She yelps from the sting and then says in the sexiest voice ever, “God…you better do that to me tonight in bed. And repetitively.”

I laugh and pull her up into a sitting position, turn her so she straddles me, then hold her by the hips. “Tell me what you two talked about.”

Sela gets a redolent smile on her face, which is indicative of the fondness she holds in her heart for Caroline. I’m not sure if it’s solely because they share in a horrific experience or because they both love me, but I know without a doubt that these two will become extremely close one day.

If we can get past all this shit.

Bringing her hands to my shoulders, Sela leans in and kisses me quickly on my lips. When she pulls back she says, “I tried to get Caroline on my side to gang up on you so you’d agree to let me go to the police and tell them what happened.”

I stiffen and my amused smile turns into a glare.

Before I can chastise her though, she says, “Relax, stud. She talked me off the ledge.”

My body instantly deflates, and while I’ve been in protective mode of Sela since she showed up bloody in my office yesterday, I don’t think I realized how strong she still felt about this issue. I thought it was a dead horse, but apparently it needs more beating.

“There’s no reason to go to them,” I tell her with what I hope is my most reasonable voice. “Do I need to go over how I came to this conclusion again?”

“One more time,” she says, her eyes somber and searching for me to say something that will make it okay in her heart to not step up to the plate and take responsibility.

I sigh with slight agitation but I give it to her one more time again. “Sela…you and I both know that you had no choice. It was clearly self-defense. But there are no unbiased witnesses to the event, and the police are going to focus on your motive. You have a good one and you know it since you were in fact planning on killing him at some point. And let’s not forget that you went into his home with a gun.”

“When you say it like that,” she says softly, eyes lowering, “you make it sound like I’m totally guilty.”

“No,” I say urgently, bending my head and getting into her space so she’ll look at me. “I make it sound like we have a fucked-up legal system and you got caught in a really shitty situation that doesn’t have a good resolution. So we’re making the best of it, and right now, if we’re lucky, there’s going to be nothing that ties you to JT’s death.”