Tears prick at the corner of my eyes and I blink them away. I’m not about to cry on her, but once she’s fully seated on my length, she leans forward and presses her lips to mine. “I know, baby. I feel it too.”
Pen starts to move her hips, rocking back and forth, and it’s wave after wave of pleasure for us both. She leans forward at just the right angle, her clit rubbing against me with each movement.
“Oh god, Dom!” she cries out, her nails digging into my chest and it hurts so good. I hope she leaves a mark on my skin like she’s already left on my soul.
And then her hand moves, shifts upward, like she’s off balance, and then she wraps it around my throat. Fuck, I think I might come from this alone. She’s not squeezing tightly, but just enough, just the right amount– suddenly her eyes widen and I can tell this was not intentional.
Before she pulls her hand away, I cover it with one of mine. “Do it,” I grit out. “Come all over my cock, baby girl. Fuck.”
Whether it’s my words or the power she claims with her hand around my throat, Pen succumbs to her orgasm, crying out as her cunt pulses around me. It takes all of my mental and physical focus not to fall over the edge with her, to resist the tempting suction of her pussy milking my cock.
When her hand fumbles from my neck, I grip her hips tightly and maneuver us so that I’m hovering above her. Goddamn, she is perfection personified. Her dark-blonde hair spills over the pillow, cheeks and chest flushed from her orgasm, her breasts rising and falling quickly with her quick breaths. Delicate beads of sweat pepper her forehead and, as I see one slipping down the side of her face, I lean forward and lick it up with my tongue.
This woman makes me feral, so far gone and so beyond the point of lost in love. And, like the animal I am, I want to claimher, bury my seed so deep inside of her there’s no mistaking that she’s mine. With a grunt, I grip her waist and set a punishing, pounding rhythm. Pen grips my forearms, those nails once again digging deep into my skin, but I’m too far gone to register the pain.
“Baby, I’m gonna come,” I warn her. Wait for her to tell me to pull out, to push me back so I can finish on her pretty, soft skin. But she doesn’t.
Goddamn, this woman hooks her legs around my waist, her feet digging into my ass as she murmurs, “Fill me up, Dom.”
“Penelope, fuck!” I grunt out before pumping once, twice, three times and holding myself there, deep inside of her, as my cum does exactly what she asked.
Slumping down next to her on the bed, I scoop her up and hold her to my side. I know we’re making a mess, I can feel it slide out of her wet, spent cunt, but all I can do is mumble something about washing the sheets. Pen giggles against my chest before she tilts her head up, catching my gaze.
When I look at her, all I can see is the other half of me. I’ve already lost her once in my life. As I hold her close, our legs entwined and breaths heaving together, I vow never to get as close to losing her again as I did this fall.
TWENTY-ONE
november
PENELOPE
Doyou know the effects of having daily orgasms on a person’s life? It’s like my entire body is buzzing with energy, every nerve ending heightened to the world around me. The air, crisp with the promise of winter, carries a sharp, invigorating scent that fills my lungs with a sense of clarity and freshness. The colors around me seem almost exaggerated in their brightness; the other day, as I walked past our storefront, I could have sworn I saw a rainbow arching across the window display. People on the street appear to be transformed; exchanging smiles and kind words as though the world has collectively agreed to be more compassionate.
Yes, I realize that I’m projecting, but wow. Just… wow. Since that beautiful night with Dom in October, we’ve been more solid than ever. I’ve never felt this connected to anyone in my life. A lifetime of reading romance books couldn’t have prepared me for how this feels in reality— the softness of being cherished for who I am, every curve and every blemish acknowledged and accepted. Whether he’s making love to me slowly andpassionately, or claiming me with rough urgency after a hard day, I feel completely worshipped and adored.
“Pen, are you paying attention?” Dom’s voice snaps me out of my daydream and I turn my attention to him and the tall, broad man beside him. We’ve just closed the store for the evening and we’re kicking off the beginning of several exciting updates for the store.
“Er, yeah. Sorry. Can you repeat that last bit?” The proof of my embarrassment at being caught in a daydream burns on my cheeks.
“I was introducing you to Jack, the lead contractor on our updates.” Dom smirks.
“Nice to meet you.” Jack extends his hand to mine. “And I’m sorry for your loss.”
It’s a kind thing to say, even months later. Dominic slips his hand into mine and I give him a comforting squeeze. We’ve been working on our communication the last few weeks, and working through the difficult grief-laden topics was… not easy to get through, but we made it. We’re in a much better place than we were weeks ago. The topic of Gloria doesn’t trigger sadness or anger in Dom— at the very least, he’s managing his emotions better.
“Thank you.” I nod. “I promise I’m fully focused now!”
“Mhmmm,” Dom murmurs and I give his hand a death-squeeze.
Glancing over to the far corner of the store, I ask, “So what’s the deal with all of that?”
Jack smiles and leads us over to the makeshift workspace he’s set up— essentially a piece of plywood set on top of two wooden workhorses. Blueprints, drafts, sketches, and papers filled with measurements are laid out in what I’m assuming is some orderly fashion for Jack.
He begins to walk us through the plans— well, I should say, these are Dom’s plans. The plans Dom has been drafting and puzzling over for almost two months without saying a word to me. The plans that he poured his heart and soul into; beautiful, bright ideas on how to take Gloria’s legacy and not just expand it, but make it into something fresh and fun.
Ever Afterwon’t just be a cute, niche romance bookstore in the suburbs— it will be a sleek, sexy destination that will bring in visitors from all major neighboring cities.
“So when will demolition start?” Dom asks, shuffling through the papers.
