Well now.

She was a fucking warrior goddess. Who was I to deny her anything?

I climbed over her, loving how her legs wrapped around my hips and gearing up to drive home, but she held my face betweenher hands and kissed me, and I got lost in her for a few moments, almost forgetting that my cock was hard and primed and waiting impatiently.

Almost.

But I was in awe of this woman, utterly and completely. And silently, I vowed that she’d never have to face anything alone again. Not a bad day, a shitty quarter at the bookstore, a fender bender, or even fucking cancer, God forbid it came back.

Not ever.

“Before you,” she said softly, “sex was… not much fun. It’s never felt this good. Now that I have my body back and know what it’s capable of, I wanna savor it.”

“Spitfire,” I whispered. “If that’s what you want, you got it.”

I entered her slowly, my eyes fixed on hers and her hands still holding me.

“I love how you make me feel, Rye. It’s not wrong.”

Shaking my head, I said, “Nothin’ wrong with you and me.”

We made love then, like you see in the movies, all slow moves and lovers becoming one. Our phones rang more than once. The world outside tried to interrupt us, but we ignored it.

Sweat slicked us together while she controlled my pace with her hands clutching my ass, and she came with my body buried so far inside hers that I felt her orgasm in every one of my own nerve endings.

“How do you do that?” she asked as I pumped into her slowly, guiding her down from her high and getting ready to take her right back up.

“What?” I asked, swiping a sweaty lock of hair from her cheek.

“How do you know how to make me come like that? I’m embarrassed to say it, but with… Tommy, it took quite a bit more effort, but most times I faked it or he finished and didn’t bother to finishme.”

Man, I hated hearing that guy’s name while I was loving her, but I knew I needed to get over myself. He had been her husband. Her first love. He was the father of her children. He’d always be a part of her life, a good and a bad part.

When I arched an eyebrow in confusion, she explained. “He rarely got it right. If he happened to find the right ‘spot’ and I responded, he’d stay there for a few seconds, but then he’d move on, and I’d be left thinkin’, ‘Are you kiddin’ me right now? Go back! My clit’s between my legs, not on my stomach or my boobs.”

I held back a laugh. The way she’d described the subpar sex she’d had was funny, but the subject wasn’t. I was still hard as stone inside her, but this was a touchy subject for her, I knew.

“But I could never say it to him. I could never say what I needed. Not like with you.”

“Did you love him?” I asked. I had to know.

“Of course I did. He was my husband.”

“I know. I’m sorry, but I meant, were youinlove with him? Truly in love? Was he in love with you?”

“I-I, I mean, we… A long time ago, I thought I loved him.”

“It’s not wrong to say you weren’t in love with him, Aubrey. And there’s the difference. Iamin love with you.”

Her eyes widened. She didn’t say anything, but her hands never stopped caressing my back.

“I know how to make you feel good because I love you. I think maybe I always have. I’m in awe of you, of how strong you are and how beautiful. I’m not thinkin’ about my own pleasure when my hands are all over you and I’m inside you, when my lips touch your skin. The whole point of all of it is to makeyoufeel good, inside and out.

“Bein’ with you makes me feel happier than I’ve ever been, so you see, my Spitfire, it’s a win-win for me.” She smiled, butsomething made me remember her dark porch. “Can I ask you somethin’ else?”

She trailed her fingers over my collarbone, then slipped them between us, and they slowly traveled lower. “Hm?”

“Why do you leave your porch light off?”