“But I also love when you go all bossy and controlling in the bedroom, and I can give that part of myself over to you and trust you to know what I need and what makes me feel good. It’s nice to have a place where I don’t have to worry.”

“Ah, baby.” He leans in and kisses my forehead tenderly. “You finally figured it out.”

“Yeah.” I nod and shrug and then bite my lip, afraid of the next question.

“What is it?”

“Can we try this again?”

“I never gave up in the first place,” he reminds me. “I have been waiting for you. And then I walk into that restaurant to pick up dinner, and I see you there with another man, and for the first time in my life, I had murderous thoughts.”

“Killing him wouldn’t have solved anything.”

“Who said I wanted to kill him?” he asks with a raised brow.

“Killing me wouldn’t solve it either.”

“I never want to feel that way again,” he whispers and hugs me closer. “I’m not typically a jealous man, Nicole, but when I saw him holding your hand, I almost lost my mind.”

“I get it,” I assure him. “If the tables were reversed, I’d cut a bitch.”

He laughs and stands with me in his arms and marches back to his bedroom.

“Are you really going to tie me to the bed?”

“Are you going to skip out on me in the morning?”

“No,” I reply as he sets me on my feet. I reach for his shirt, helping him peel it over his head. “God, you look amazing in this shirt.”

“You’re good for my ego, little one.” He smirks. “I think I’ll tie you up later. First, I want your hands on me.”

“Thank God,” I mutter and unfasten his jeans, watching him spring free. “We should have a shower.”

“We will.”

“We should have one first.”

“Remember a few minutes ago when you said that you like it that you can let go and let me handle this part of things?” His eyes are sparkling with humor as he undresses me, pulling my tank top over my head and yanking my skirt down my hips, leaving me in just my bra.

“Yes.”

“Stop trying to top me, stubborn woman, and enjoy.”

I giggle as he boosts me up onto the bed and covers me with his body, resting his hips against my pelvis, nestling his cock in my folds.

He buries his fingers in my hair and brushes his nose across my own then sinks in and kisses me deeply, licking across my lips and inside, then nibbling the corners of my mouth and down my jawline to my neck. “Your skin is so fucking soft.”

I hitch my legs up around his hips and pull my hands down his back to his ass.

“Matt,” I whisper as hot need sets up camp between my legs. The gentle brush of the head of his cock against my clit just isn’t enough.

“Yes, baby.”

“Oh, God, please,” I growl as he circles his hips, sliding his cock through my wet lips.

“You’re always so ready for me, little one.” He pulls his hips back and then slowly pushes inside me. “God, so tight.”

Tears gather and fall into my hairline.

Matt scowls down at me, kisses my mouth gently, caressing my hair and my cheeks. “What is it?”

“I didn’t think we’d ever be here again,” I whisper. “I love you so much.”

He closes his eyes and rests his forehead against mine as he sinks into me and rests there.

“I know,” he answers. “I don’t ever want to lose you, Nic. You put your arms around me, and I’m home. I’m permanently in love with you. Don’t ever forget that.”

Epilogue

Two months later

~Matt~

“I can’t believe you talked me into letting you drive my car.” I smirk and shake my head then glance over to see that she’s driving at least ten miles per hour over the speed limit. “Slow down, Nicole.”

“I love to drive, and I never get to anymore.”

“I’ll buy you a car,” I remind her and hold my breath as she takes a curve a bit too fast. “And for the love of Jesus, slow down!”

“Oh, don’t be a killjoy.” She rolls her eyes and then shrieks when there are red and blue flashing lights and a siren behind us. “Oh shit.”

“I tried to warn you,” I mutter at her.

“It’s okay, I got this.”

I raise my brow and then watch with absolute amusement when she rolls down the window and wipes frantically at her nose.

“I’m so sorry, officer!”

“Hello. Did you realize you were going nine miles an hour over the speed limit?”

“No! I didn’t. I’m sorry. I was having a sneezing fit.”

I sit back and cross my arms over my chest, watching with amazement as my little spitfire of a girlfriend tries to get out of this ticket.

“A sneezing fit?” the officer asks.

“Yes, you know when you suddenly have to sneeze and you do it like eight or nine times in a row?”

“Oh, yeah, I’ve done that before.”

“I couldn’t stop it, and I guess I must have accidentally sped up.” She sniffs again and then to my utter amazement, the cop shrugs and nods.

Shrugs and nods!

“Well, let me have your license anyway so I can make sure everything is in order, and then you can be on your way.”