Chapter Seven

Lio

I poured extra-strong coffee into two thermoses the following morning when dawn was a thin, pale blue line full of promise on the horizon, much like the heat I'd witnessed in Abe's eyes. Speak of the devil . I felt his presence before I caught his reflection in the window over the sink. Thick forearms snaked around my waist, and Abe nuzzled his nose along my neck.

"I don't like waking up to an empty bed," Abe said. His voice was still heavy with sleep, but his frustration was clear, which was something I understood all too well. I could've watched Abe sleep for hours. His handsome face looked almost boyish when free of tension, but Abe's chiseled jaw and lush mouth reminded me that he was all man and all mine.

"My morning wood has been hard enough to drill concrete for two days in a row now," I told him. "I jumped out of bed to avoid temptation and punished myself with a cold shower."

"Ouch," Abe said and shivered hard. He pressed a kiss to my neck and inhaled deeply. "I love smelling my soap on your skin."

"I forgot to pack my body wash," I said.

Abe smoothed a hand over the flannel shirt I'd borrowed from him. "Is this mine too?"

"Yep."

Abe grunted, and I snapped my head up to meet his reflection in the window. His brows slashed forward to form a deep vee , and his lips compressed into a flat line. "Your week must've been worse than I realized. It's not like you to be so ill prepared."

I turned in his embrace and smoothed my fingers over the grooves in Abe's forehead until they relaxed. "It was a doozy, but that isn't why I left half my stuff at home." I would've forgotten to bring my head on Friday if it hadn't been attached. I pressed my mouth to Abe's, and his lips softened beneath my kiss. I pulled back and smiled up at him. "I was just really eager to see you."

Abe's mouth slanted into a smirk. "You've been happy to see me before but still managed to plan trips and surprise parties down to minute details that accounted for every contingency. Do you expect me to believe this weekend was so different that you forgot basics like soap and warm clothes? What changed?"

I leaned forward and bit his bottom lip until he gasped and pulled it free. "You know damn well why this weekend is different," I said.

He quirked a brow and fought off a smile. "I'm gonna need to hear you say it."

My heart galloped at the teasing glint in his gaze. Abe wanted a show? I'd give him one. I skimmed the back of my hand over the front of his flannel shirt and watched as his blue eyes darkened. I stopped my downward trek at his belt because I couldn't lose sight of why I'd gotten up at the ass crack of dawn to make coffee. I stuck my finger inside the gap between shirt buttons and traced a circle against the thermal layer he wore beneath. My simple touch was enough to make Abe's stomach muscles quiver. Maybe he was ticklish or perhaps he was just as eager to explore the attraction we'd ignored and denied for decades. Either way, I knew Abe was right there with me for the next phase of our relationship, and that knowledge was heady.

"I knew I was going to say the word you've been waiting to hear."

Abe tilted his head to the left, shifted his eyes to the right, and pursed his lips in the most exaggerated display of concentration I'd ever seen. Freaking clown. Abe sucked in a breath and shook his head. "You'll have to jog my memory. What word?"

I slid my hand lower and cupped his crotch. I knew Earl wouldn't be mad at me for taking the bull by the…balls. He'd been in my corner the entire time Abe and I danced around one another, which I learned during my nightly conversations with Abe after Earl passed. It had warmed my heart and emboldened me. "I'll say it once we can act on it."

Abe mashed his lips against mine, forcing his tongue inside my mouth and stroking it over mine. I whimpered pitifully when he pulled back and stared into my eyes. His wet lips curved into a devilish smile. "That sounded like you were on the verge of orgasm." Need and lust arced through my body, and I didn't think I was too far from it. Abe touched his forehead to mine. "I want to hear the sound again when we get back, but next time you'll be naked and under me." The rich promise in his voice made my knees weak and my pucker clench.

"What about the guys?" I asked.

"They've got two options: go home or cover their ears. I'm not going another day without claiming you as mine."

"Come hell or high water," I agreed.

I pressed one last kiss to his lips, then screwed the caps and lids on the thermoses. I opened the corner cabinet and pulled out the box of miniature powdered-sugar donuts I'd bought just for Abe.

"You remembered to buy those?" he teased.

I shrugged and added them to my knapsack, along with two bananas, some granola bars, and a packet of hand wipes. Abe chuckled at the last item but didn't comment further. He grabbed two flashlights from the drawer and ensured the batteries worked. We grabbed our jackets before heading outside to the shed, where a small rowboat leaned against one side. Instead of going straight to the boat, Abe opened the shed door and surveyed the interior.

I gestured to the box of ashes nestled in the crook of his arm. "Letting Earl say goodbye to his beloved shed?" I'd heard stories about how he liked to putter around in there when he needed some alone time.

Abe snickered and met my gaze. "No. My neighbor told me there have been several burglaries in the community and a possible squatter bouncing between the empty cabins and living in the woods."

"It would be easy to access the properties through the dense woods surrounding them," I said. Slipping into cop mode came as naturally to me as breathing. "What kind of things were stolen?"

"Just food and staple items. Nothing of value."

"It sounds like bored teenagers goofing around or someone squatting."

Abe flashed his light around the shed's interior. Rows of tools and yard implements lined one wall. A gas can sat neatly next to the emergency generator in the center of the space. An old green Schwinn leaned against the left-hand wall, and a faded red sled hung on the wall above it. Fishing gear and several tackle boxes were stacked neatly just to the right of the open door, and oars for the boat and life jackets were just to the left. Abe grabbed two paddles and a pair of life jackets before stepping back out. "Everything looks fine, but I'm going to make a trip to the hardware store and buy a padlock. I bet this shed hasn't been locked a single time since Earl built it when I was a kid."

"Probably wouldn't be a bad idea," I said. "Times have changed a lot."

We backed out of the shed, closed the door, and rounded the corner, where we donned the life jackets. Abe grabbed the front of the boat, I took the back, and we carried it to the small dock. The pale blue strip of approaching dawn had expanded and now included a thin band of peachy orange. The lake looked like a black mirror until the surface rippled when we set the boat into the water. Abe held on to the vessel while I climbed into the bow. Instead of facing forward, I positioned myself to look at Abe, who would row us to Earl's favorite fishing spot. The boat was ten or twelve feet long, which wasn't much room for two men who were over six feet. Abe tossed the oars onto the aluminum bottom and gave me the wooden box containing Earl's ashes, which I set on the seat beside me. I placed the knapsack and thermoses at my feet, then gripped the dock to steady the boat while Abe climbed in. He slid the paddles into the oarlocks, and away we went.

I closed my eyes, tilted my head back, and enjoyed the morning breeze on my face. It was my favorite time of year. The trees would be an explosion of red, orange, and yellow against a cloudless blue sky. When the sun rose high enough, we'd see the fall foliage perfectly reflected on the lake, making it hard to tell where the ground ended and the sky began. The crisp air smelled like damp earth and fallen leaves.

"Stop looking so dreamy, or I'm likely to forget where we are and what we're supposed to be doing," Abe said. "I'd hate for us to end up in the lake."

I snapped my eyes open. "Sorry."

Abe shook his head. "Don't apologize. It's great to see you looking so relaxed. I'm just jealous I'm not the one melting the tension from your body."

"Reserve your verdict until after you've made me come. I know the kind of orgasms you give me when I fantasize about you, so I can only imagine the intensity after you've actually fucked me senseless."

Abe fumbled around and might've dropped an oar into the water if they hadn't been locked in place. "Think of me often?"

"Probably as often as you think of me."

A wicked smile lit up Abe's face in the early morning light. "It's a miracle we ever get anything done."

"Or have skin left on our dicks."

"That mouth of yours is going to get you in trouble," Abe warned.

"I look forward to you keeping it busy with other things."

We continued to stare into each other's eyes. Abe's gaze would flicker to my left or right to check his navigation, but he mostly rowed on autopilot. Then again, he and Earl had fished this spot dozens of times. It reminded me to get my brain where it needed to be. There would be time to have my way with my best friend, but saying goodbye to a good man took precedence. I bit back a chuckle as I heard Earl's voice in my head. "Knock it off. It's about time you knuckleheads got together."

"Why the coy smile?" Abe asked.

"I was chiding myself for thinking about getting you alone when I should be remembering the wonderful man Earl was, but I just heard his voice in my head telling me to knock it off."

Abe smiled beautifully, and his laughter warmed my soul in ways flannel and thermal underwear never could. "I was having similar lusty thoughts, which shouldn't surprise either of us since we share a brain." Abe glanced at the shoreline, and the joy faded into a somber expression. He took a deep breath and met my gaze. "We're here."

He released the oars and held out his hand for the wooden box. I passed it to him. "Should we say a few words?"

Abe pursed his lips for a moment while he considered my question, then shook his head. "I expressed everything I wanted to say directly to Earl. I will always be grateful I got that chance."

The sun hadn't cleared the trees and was only high enough to cast our silhouettes on the water, which I thought was fitting. We'd been each other's constant shadows in one form or another since we were preteens. We were adversaries during youth and high school sports, reluctant comrades during basic training, and lifelong friends once we reached jump school. An intensity of emotion squeezed my chest and stole my breath.

Abe opened the lid, untwisted the tie around the plastic bag, and lifted it from the box. He paused for a few moments before slowly pouring Earl's ashes into the water, momentarily blurring our reflections like an artist smudging a charcoal drawing. Neither of us said a word as small ripples carried the ashes toward the bank. Eventually, Abe gripped the oars again and began rowing.

"Mind if we stay out here a little longer?" he asked.

"Not at all. Getting hungry?"

Abe released the oars and held out his hand. I smacked the package of wipes into the center of his palm, and he cleaned his hands with a wry grin. I passed him the box of donuts and a thermos of coffee while I ate a banana and a granola bar with my brew. Abe ate a donut and took a drink before rowing us to another part of the lake, repeating the process until the sun was high in the sky. We mostly sat in silence, and I watched the play of emotions wash over his gorgeous face. Joy, sadness, and gratitude all made an appearance, and I was glad he'd invited me to be a part of his goodbye and felt safe enough to show me his vulnerability. It gave me great hope that things would be different for us than they'd been with his previous partners.

As if reading my mind, Abe took a deep breath and said, "You and Earl were right. I have pushed people away when they've gotten too close. I've purposely destroyed every decent relationship I've been in. And Christ, I treated Jeremy terribly. It's a testament to his character that he showed up to pay his respects to Earl after the way I ghosted him."

"Yes, you've made some mistakes, especially with Jeremy," I said. "But you have the chance to make things right with him, and I know you will. You deserve the loyalty and love you witnessed this weekend."

Abe swallowed hard. "It's difficult to believe someone could want me when my own mother didn't."

I reached across the small gap between us and placed my hand on his knee. Just the small movement tilted the boat precariously, so I carefully straightened back up, though the tender look in Abe's eyes was worth the risk of falling into the lake. "I will never make excuses for your mom, and part of me will never forgive her for walking away from you, but we can't know what kind of personal hell she lived through with your father."

Abe turned his head and looked out over the lake for several moments before meeting my gaze again. "Earl said it was bad. He forgave her a long time ago. Billie Jo left me with Earl and Lucinda, thinking I was in good hands. She underestimated Amstel's ability to charm the social workers. The jackass can clean up nice and talk really pretty when he wants something, and making Billie Jo's son pay for her leaving him was what he wanted more than anything." Abe was his son too, but apparently, his hatred for his ex-wife surpassed any affection he'd had for his only child. "Earl asked his estate attorney to track down Billie Jo."

"And did he?" I asked.

Abe nodded. "He handed me an envelope with her contact information. I haven't opened it yet."

"Will you?"

He nibbled on his bottom lip while he considered my question. "I'm honestly not sure." We drifted for a little while without speaking. Birds serenaded us with their morning songs, and the sun chased away the early morning chill. "I won't push you away, Lio. I promise."

I tore my gaze away from two squirrels chasing each other up a tree to study Abe. The sunlight reflecting off the lake illuminated his blue eyes, which were naked with sincerity. "I know you won't."

One corner of Abe's mouth quirked up. "Because you won't let me."

Nodding, I said, "You can take that to the bank." Abe reached for the oars, but I leaned over and stilled his hands. He rotated his wrists and slid his fingers between mine. It wasn't fair for him to think he was the only one who needed to work on self-improvement. "I'm a control freak." Abe's arched brow said duh , but his lips didn't move. "I know that's not news to you, but you're putting yourself out there for me, and I wanted to do the same. I'm aware I also have issues to work on." I cleared my throat and licked my lips nervously. "I'm trying to open myself up more at work and let people get to know me better."

Abe's sunny smile filled me with warmth. "As you should because you're a great person to know."

No one had ever looked at me with such naked love as Abe did right then, and I knew it was the perfect time to say what he longed to hear. "When."

Abe's nostrils flared as he inhaled deeply and tightened his fingers around mine. "There will be no going back after this."

"Good."

Abe searched my eyes for several seconds before he released my hands to reach for the oars. He used them to turn the boat around and said, "I'm going to row us to shore, and we're going to tell Jeremy and Allen it's time for them to go when we get back to the cabin."

"Sounds like a damn good plan to me."

When we rounded the corner of the cabin after stowing the boat and gear, we noticed their vehicles were already gone. A note lay in the center of the kitchen table.

Let's not wait so long before we get together again. I've missed you guys.

Allen

Abe slid his arms around my waist and pulled me flush against him. "Alone, finally." Then he grabbed my hand and started toward the bedroom with me in tow.

Even though we were alone, Abe closed and locked his bedroom door. I pushed him against it and kissed him, soft and tender at first but more savagely when my emotional dam broke, decades of yearning flooding into my system. I sank my teeth into Abe's bottom lip, eliciting the sexiest little gasp and moan from him. Then I pushed my tongue inside his mouth, touching and exploring like I'd wanted to since we were sixteen years old. It was the first time I realized I was attracted to both boys and girls. Abe had been the most beautiful boy to me then, and he was the sexiest man to me now. His roaming and clutching hands demonstrated how much he wanted me too. They tangled in my hair, slipped beneath my shirt to skim over my abdomen, and grabbed my ass in a bruising grip. My dick was hard enough to drill through concrete and leaking enough to make my underwear sticky.

I ripped my mouth away from his and stared into Abe's eyes. His pupils were blown, reducing the baby blues I loved so much to a thin rim. Holding his gaze, I reached between us and quickly worked his belt and zipper open. I inhaled sharply when I realized he'd gone commando under his jeans. I dipped my hands inside the opening and pulled his dick free. He was hot and heavy in my hands, making my mouth water. Abe's chest rose and fell faster as I slowly stroked his shaft. "I want this monster buried inside my ass, but not until after I taste you."

I dropped to my knees and pulled Abe's pants down to midthigh, giving me better access to his dick. "You sexy fucking beast."

Abe fisted his erection with one hand and carded his fingers through my hair with the other. "You talking to me or my dick?"

"Both."

"Are you going to suck me off or just breathe heavy on my cock? I could probably paint your face just from that."

A pearl of precum beaded at his slit, glistening in the warm light. I leaned forward and swirled my tongue around the head, getting my first taste of Abe's essence. We groaned together, both of us wanting more. I sucked on his crown, circling my tongue over the sensitive underside of his dick, earning more salty pearls for my effort. I used my free hand to fondle his heavy sac.

Abe fisted one hand in my hair and gripped his cock with the other. "Open wide," he commanded.

I quickly obeyed, and he fed his dick to me, one glorious inch at a time, until the fat head hit the back of my throat. As huge as he was, Abe probably expected his partners to have limitations. He started to ease back until I stopped him by gently squeezing his balls. Keeping my eyes locked on his, I breathed through my nostrils and eased forward until my nose landed in the trimmed nest of his pubes. Then I swallowed so my throat would massage his shaft.

"Lio, baby. Fuck!" He traced the curve of my stretched mouth with his thumb. "Christ! I need…"

I let my eyes do the talking as I slowly pulled back until only his throbbing head remained in my mouth. The thick vein in his cock pulsed against my tongue, and more precum trickled into my mouth. I moaned, savoring each drop, and deep-throated his massive cock again. My throat would probably be sore the next day, but it would be worth it. Abe's big body trembled, and he spurred me on by yanking my hair and cursing my wicked mouth.

"I haven't jerked off all week. If you don't stop, I'm going to flood your mouth with my spunk and watch it spill out of those sexy lips."

As hot as that sounded, I had another hole I wanted him to cream first. I rose to my feet and tugged his jeans back up on his hips. He looked like a disheveled sex god with his flannel shirt untucked and his drooling cock jutting out.

"Take off your clothes, Lio. I want to see you." His tone was dark, delicious, and brooked no argument.

I sat down on the bed and removed my boots. They fell to the floor with solid thud s, and I pulled my socks off next before standing up to take off the rest. Abe whistled when I was down to my underwear.

"Fire engine red," he said. "And I think that pair looks even smaller than the blue briefs I saw the other day."

I hooked my thumbs into the waistband and shoved them down my legs. Abe stared at me with hungry eyes as I stood stark naked in the center of the room, my heart pounding hard with anticipation. He pushed off the door and reached for his belt, slowly pulling it free from the loops. Instead of dropping the belt to the floor and removing another article, Abe sauntered across the room toward me until I felt his body heat.

"I know the perfect way for you to work on your control issues. Trust me?" he asked, his voice as thick as molasses.

My brain screamed yes , but I couldn't get my mouth to form the word, so I nodded. I didn't know what Abe intended, but I trusted him implicitly. "Always," I said, finding my voice.

"Hold your hands out in front of you."

I arched a brow but immediately did as instructed. Abe wrapped his belt around my wrists a few times and buckled it. He searched my gaze to make sure I was okay, and I nodded again. My dick pulsed in time with my racing heart.

"Test your wrists. I've never done this before, and I don't want you to be uncomfortable while I push you past your comfort zone."

The belt was tight enough to keep my wrists together, but the leather wasn't cutting into my skin. "It's fine."

"Good. Get on the bed."

"Ass up or down?" I asked eagerly.

"Down. Raise your arms over your head."

I flopped down on the bed with an eagerness that made the wooden frame groan in protest. "Will the bed hold?"

"Hmmm?" Abe had been too busy raking his gaze over my nude body to notice the noise.

"The bed protests like my zipper during a Thanksgiving feast. Are we in jeopardy of breaking it?"

Abe met my gaze and smiled wickedly. "Guess we'll find out." He walked over to the bed and trailed his fingers from my knee to midthigh. Heat flared inside me as if he'd struck an invisible match. It was too much and not enough at the same time.

I wanted more, so I spread my legs for him. "Higher and to the left."

Abe tsked and shook his head. "Already trying to take control. Who's in charge?"

I chuckled. "You just want me to lie here and not participate?"

Abe quirked a brow. "Shut off your brain and give yourself to me." I took a deep breath and nodded. Abe trailed his fingers higher to the juncture of my pelvis and leg but kept his wicked digits from where I wanted them most. He was mere inches away, and I was desperate to feel his touch, but I kept my mouth shut. "I see the struggle in those sexy eyes of yours, but at least one part of you is very excited to participate."

I tore my gaze from Abe's face and looked down the length of my body. My dick was flushed with arousal and leaking onto my stomach. I took another breath, forced my mind away from what I thought I wanted or needed and refocused on how my stomach muscles flexed, my pucker quivered, and my dick pulsed. "More than one part of me is eager to participate."

Abe trailed his finger through my precum pooling on my belly. "You want me bad." He raised his hand and licked my essence away. "Mmmmm. I can taste your desperation."

He climbed onto the bed and straddled my hips. His faded jeans were soft against my bare flesh and precum beaded on the head of his cock. I wanted to collect the pearl with my tongue, but I wasn't in charge. Abe gripped my forearms, pinned my bound hands above me, then lowered his head and captured my mouth. It wasn't a kiss; Abe was staking his claim. I opened eagerly and tasted desperation on his tongue, which only amped up my neediness. He kissed me until I was a panting, whining mass of quaking muscles. Abe sat up and stroked his hands down my arms and over my pits, stopping at the outer curve of my pecs. I stretched beneath him like a cat, desperate for more but unwilling to beg for it.

"You remind me of a panther," Abe said huskily as he trailed his fingers over my collarbones. "Lean and majestic." Abe bit his bottom lip as he ghosted his fingers over my nipples and down my torso. My body bowed off the bed as if tugged by an invisible string. Maybe Abe was a magician because his touch felt enchanted. "I feel your strength vibrating beneath your muscles, Lio." He leaned forward and pressed his mouth to my ear. "And I can't wait to feel your energy surging beneath me once I'm inside you."

"Yeah?" I asked breathlessly. "When do you think that might happen?"

Abe had just placed his lips against my neck, so his dark chuckle sent a tingle down to my feet, and I curled my toes so tightly they cramped. Instead of answering me with words, Abe replied by trailing kisses along the same path his hands had just taken, but he paused to nuzzle against my pits and suck my nipples until I cried out and cursed.

He continued his downward path, discovering every spot that drove me wild. I clenched my fists tight enough to make my fingers numb, then forced myself to relax, flexing my fingers until sensation returned. I concentrated on the velvety softness of Abe's flannel shirt and faded denim brushing against me and the sticky dew of his precum on my bare skin. Lying naked beneath someone who was mostly clothed made me feel vulnerable and exposed, two emotions I resisted feeling at all costs. I wouldn't say I hated it, but it pushed me outside my comfort zone. I veered off at times only for Abe to yank me back to the present when he licked, sucked, or nibbled on my flesh. It felt like hours had passed before he dipped his tongue into my belly button and lapped up the rest of my precum, and I gasped when his stubble brushed over my straining cock.

"Abe," I moaned.

He chuckled and replied, "Not yet."

I would've protested, but he flattened his tongue at the base of my cock and licked a path up to its leaking head. He locked his gaze with mine as he swirled his tongue around the crown and sucked me to the back of his throat. It was provocative, indecent, and oh-so-fucking delicious. Abe repeated the licking and sucking until fireworks exploded in my brain. Then he moved down to my balls, massaging one while licking the other before nuzzling his nose against my taint. I wanted to fist my fingers in his hair and guide him where I ached for him most. Abe must've sensed my internal struggle because he released another one of his dark chuckles and rasped his stubble over my inner thighs.

Abe lifted his head and locked his eyes with mine. "I've got you, baby. You know I do."

I inhaled deeply and relaxed against the bed because I did. Abe rewarded me by flicking his tongue over my pucker and sending my synapses into overdrive. A sense of rightness washed over me, leaving me pliant and calm, even though a maelstrom of need raged inside me. I squelched every urge and instinct to take control of the situation and ceded my body, heart, and soul to the man I'd either loved to hate, hated to love, or fucking loved since I was twelve. No matter how I analyzed it, I had loved Abe Beecham in one form or another for three decades.

Timing was everything, and this was the moment and the man I'd been waiting for—the version of Abe who would love me, not fear me. Abe must've sensed or felt my acquiescence because he let my dick slide slowly from his mouth and rose to his feet, peeling his flannel shirt off as he moved. His thermal shirt went next, and his eyes found mine as soon as his head cleared the opening. Abe tossed it aside and stood there, gorgeous and proud, letting me feast on his masculine beauty. Damn, his shoulders looked impossibly broad, and I couldn't wait to rest my calves on them while he plowed me.

Sunlight spilled into the room through the thin gap between the curtains, burnishing Abe's golden skin and glinting off his light blond chest hair. He had the perfect amount—enough fur to nuzzle against but not enough to shave my initials into. A thin line of hair bisected his lower abdomen and disappeared into his open waistband. Happy trail indeed. His dick was a drooling beast no longer willing to be denied. Fuck me. His pubic hair was a few shades darker than the rest of his hair, and I loved burying my nose in the thatch while sucking him off. Saliva pooled in my mouth, and I wanted to taste him again.

"I could come just from looking at you," I said.

His mouth lifted at one corner as he shoved his jeans down his legs. "I think I can find better ways to get you off, but I appreciate the compliment." He leaned over and removed his boots and socks before shucking his jeans off and kicking them to the side. Abe stood before me like a gilded sun god but not for long. He got back on the bed, positioning himself between my thighs so we were cock to cock. I wrapped my legs around his waist but kept my hands over my head. Abe cupped my face with one hand, placed the other over my heart, and kissed me with tenderness I didn't know existed in his big body. I hadn't thought it was possible to love him more, but I was so wrong.

Abe kissed me until I was lost in the sensations he created, and only then did he thrust his hips forward and rut his cock against mine. The friction caused black dots to dance across my vision. Abe took his time frotting against me—fast enough to drive us wild but too slow to get us off. Our cocks became slick with precum but not wet enough for the next phase of his claiming.

"I brought supplies," I hinted.

Abe lifted his head and smirked. "You remembered condoms and lube but not soap and a warm shirt?"

"I told you my mind was on other things. Are you going to bust my balls or empty them?"

Abe chuckled and pushed off the bed. "I think you know the answer."

He stood up, walked to my bag, and removed the condoms and bottle of lube. He looked from the box to me and said, "Do we need these?"

"I get tested regularly, and I'm fine with skipping them."

Abe tossed the box over his shoulder, and it landed next to the bag. "Same." The lustful expression in his eyes intensified as he reapproached the bed. "Nothing and no one will ever come between us again." He leaned over, grabbed his pillow off the bed, and tucked it under my ass. Abe positioned himself between my legs again, parted my ass cheeks, and stroked his thumb over my pucker. Around and around, he teased, stopping every few passes to tap against it.

I was desperate for him but kept my mouth shut, proving I could yield control to him. He must've seen how difficult it was for me because he leaned forward and laughed against my lips as he freed my hands. I threaded my fingers through his hair and held him there for a long, languid kiss, even though I was desperate to come.

Proving he was adept at multitasking, Abe spread lube on his fingers and went to work stretching my hole to receive him. Being prepped for sex had never felt so good, and I was grateful for his thoroughness when he propped my calves on his shoulders and pushed the fat head of his cock into my ass. I flexed my toes and breathed deeply until the burning sensation eased. I dug my heels into his flesh and pushed myself deeper onto his cock until it pressed against my prostate. Fireworks detonated inside me, and I used the leverage to fuck myself on half his cock. My erection throbbed and pulsed as I was on the verge of coming.

Abe growled, gripped my thighs, and shoved the rest of the way home. We cried out together as Abe set a bed-rattling pace. Moans mixed with slapping flesh and urgent pleas for more and faster. I wanted to touch Abe everywhere, and I would later, but right then, I needed him to make me come. I reached around and gripped both his ass cheeks and pulled him in deeper.

"Abe, I need…"

He nuzzled his nose into the crook of my neck. "I know, baby." Abe proved it by digging his knees into the mattress and thrusting at the perfect angle to peg my prostate. He reduced me to a simpering mess as he hammered my pleasure point until I shot so hard I splattered my chest and chin with cum. Abe was right behind me, pistoning his hips as he filled me with his spunk. He collapsed on top of me when he finished, and I clung to him with my arms and legs.

Abe nuzzled my hair. "Too heavy?"

"Don't you dare move," I said, tightening my hold.

We lay there panting for a long time before Abe eased out and rolled to the side. I rested my head on his chest and threw my leg over his pelvis.

Abe chuckled and rested his hand on my outer thigh. "Afraid I'll try to run away once you fall asleep?"

I laughed. "The thought hadn't crossed my mind. I just can't seem to get close enough to you."

"Good," Abe said, pressing a kiss to my hair. "We're partners in everything now," Abe said.

"Careful. You're venturing into wedding vow territory."

Abe laughed. "The good, the bad, and the—" A loud snap cut him off.

"Uh—" Before I could add the oh , the bed crashed to the floor with a jarring thud .

We lay there stunned for a few seconds before Abe finished what he'd attempted to say, "And the bed shopping."

Nothing highlighted the differences in our personalities quicker than a shopping trip. Abe wanted the first decent thing he saw instead of looking around to find the best match. He grumbled and bitched like we'd been married at least twenty years while I checked out the different options.

"What's the big deal?" he asked after we'd entered the final bedroom section in the mega wholesale furniture store. "We're just going to sleep in it." I pinned him with a look that reminded him why we were there in the first place. "I stand corrected," he said, gesturing for me to continue.

I located the perfect bed in the final corner. It was a massive oak bed with a honey stain and intricately carved tree in the center of the headboard. "This is the one."

Abe looked around to see if anyone was watching. Since we were alone, he gripped the headboard with both hands and gave it a hard shake. The sturdy frame didn't budge. "Yeah. It will do."

Buying and loading the pieces into my truck went much quicker, and I bribed Abe with sexual favors to stop at my favorite department store so I could buy good sheets to go with the bed. Abe wasn't about to turn away whatever wicked things I wanted to do to him, but he drew the line at going in. Abe wanted to know how much I spent so he could reimburse me, but I kept him distracted with sexy talk. The new sheets went straight in the washing machine while Abe and I worked together building the new bed. Once we finished, I tossed the sheets in the dryer and reheated chili and cornbread.

Abe tugged me down on the couch to lie in front of him, then switched on the television so we could watch the Falcons play. He slid an arm around my waist and nuzzled his nose against my neck. "This is the weekend I envisioned. Thank you for being here."

I rolled over in his embrace and tucked my head under his chin. "No place I'd rather be."