Page 81 of Reformation

“Is it really over?” she asks, grabbing onto my shirt.

“It is,” I say, leaning down to kiss her head. “Unless you have any other crazy family members who are going to try and con money and drugs off of you.”

My joke falls flat as I feel her sag against me.

“Hey, look at me.” I tip up her chin, wanting her eyes to meet mine. “What they did is not your fault. Could you have made different choices back then? Sure. But a smart person once told me that we are all just byproducts of our pasts. And that only you can choose how you want to let it dictate your future.”

She smiles that beautiful smile, and right there I know that everything is going to be OK.

“This person sounds really smart.”

I kiss her nose. “She is. And beautiful. And strong. And caring. And is the best person I know.”

Paige wraps her arms around my middle. “You know what I want right now?”

“What is that?”

“Take me to bed, Garrett.”

Not needing to be asked twice, I take her hand and we go to her bedroom. I sit on her bed and bring her in so she is standing between my legs.

“Paige, last night was one of the scariest nights of my life. When I saw you being held at gunpoint, even though I knew that Mark, Ben, and Charlie were all there, I couldn’t breathe when I saw you like that. So let me… I need to hold you, Paige. I need to hold you and kiss you and remind us both that we are here. And that we are safe. And I need to show you how much I love you. Because, Paige, I love you so fucking much.”

She leans down, cupping her hands to either side of my face, bringing me in for a slow, yet intense kiss. Our mouths open immediately, our tongues circling around savoring every second. I know I wanted to go slow, and my body is dead tired, but with just a sweep of her tongue and the feel of her hands on the back of my neck, I can’t hold back.

I hastily break off the kiss and with my one good arm, tear my shirt over my head. Sensing my urgency, Paige first strips me, save the sling that is holding up my shoulder, before taking off her clothes. If all of this wasn’t happening in the wake of the scariest two days of my life, it would be hot as fuck.

But this? This is something that I can’t put into words.

Paige climbs on top of me and I can immediately feel her wetness.

“So wet,” I say as I kiss her shoulder, then up to her neck. “Are you ready for me?”

“I will always be ready for you, Garrett. Always.”

She lines herself up with my cock and as soon as she lowers herself on to me, I feel like I could explode right there. The sight of Paige riding me like her life depends on it is the hottest moment of my entire life.

“Baby, I’m not going to last. You feel too good. So damn good.”

“Then let go, Garrett. Let go and take me there with you.”

Like her words have a straight line to my body, I come undone at her command. It’s not the first time we have made love, and I hope like hell it won’t be the last. But this moment right here is a time I’ll never forget.

It was the time I knew, without a doubt, that Paige Blackstone was mine forever.

Chapter Forty

Paige

“Thirty-six weeks down! We made it!”

A chorus of cheers goes around our group of friends as Sarah proudly announces that we have once again survived another school year. We bring our glasses together, toasting to another year down at Jefferson Elementary School.

And what a year it’s been.

It feels like just yesterday we were sitting at this very same Mexican restaurant, lamenting that this year was going to try us in ways we weren’t ready for.

That was a huge understatement.

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