“I’ve wanted you to come home since the second you left, honey,” he said. “I guess I’m just a little shocked that you’re here now.”
“That’s fair,” she said. “I’m a little shocked that I’m here, too. I was living a couple of towns over and working at a bike repair shop. I never went far. It wasn’t about the space, but more about the time that it took for me to remember who I am—you know, the me from before the Saints took me?”
“And you found her?” he asked.
She nodded, “I did, and I decided that living my life without you wasn’t something that I wanted. I’m not sorry that I left. I needed to do that for myself. But I’m sorry that my leaving hurt you, Nitro. I never wanted to do that. I just hope that you can find a way to forgive me.”
He pulled her onto his lap, wrapping his arms around her, as she leaned into his body. That was all it took for her to believe that coming back to him was the right move. Nitro’s hand came up slowly, cupping the back of her neck, thumb brushing the edge of her jaw in a touch that asked permission rather than claim. When he kissed her, it wasn’t desperate. It wasn’t wild. It was as though he was testing the water before he jumped in. It was the kind of kiss that said I’m here instead of don’t go. It was the kind of kiss that she had dreamed about for weeks. Every night, she dreamed that she was back in Nitro’s arms, having him kiss her just like he was, and now it was really happening. Aurora melted into him, a soft sound escaping her before she could stop it. She felt the tension in him ease, just a fraction, like he’d been holding his breath since the day she left.
He broke the kiss, leaving them both breathless, and she wanted to protest. “How about I remind you where the bedroomis?” he asked. He waited her out, as though he needed her to give her permission.
“Are you sure that you want me to stay, Nitro?” she whispered.
“I’ve never been surer of anything in my entire fucking life, honey,” he admitted. “I’ve been waiting for weeks for you to come home to me.”
“Then, I’d love for you to remind me where the bedroom is,” she agreed. Nitro froze, and she smiled and took his hand into her own. “Don’t overthink it,” she whispered.
He stood with her in his arms, letting her slide down his body until her feet hit the floor. She felt every delicious inch of him. “How close is the bedroom again?” she asked.
“Not close enough,” he growled, picking her up again, cradling her against his body. He took the stairs two at a time and didn’t put her down until he reached the master bedroom.
She looked around the room and smiled back at him. The room was dim, lit by a single lamp, shadows stretching long and far across the walls. Nitro let her set the pace, giving her space to explore the room. She ran her hand over the black comforter that covered his bed.
“How about you move into my place when we get back to town?” he asked. “It’s not a big house, and I’m afraid that there’s not much in the place, but you can change whatever you want,” he breathed. “Hell, cover the room in pink, flowery girl stuff for all I care, as long as you’re in my bed every night.”
She couldn’t help but giggle. “You’re in luck because I’m not a huge fan of pink, flowery girl stuff,” she said. “And I’d love to move into your place with you,” she agreed. He crossed the room to pull her into his arms. It was as though her agreeing to move in with him gave him the peace that he needed to move forward.
Every touch was deliberate as his hands slid over her clothing, pausing and waiting to take more.
“I’m good,” she assured. He growled as he tugged her shirt up over her body, leaving her standing there in just her jeans.
“Fuck,” he swore as he palmed her breasts with his rough hands. His touch was never rough, but gentle, and God, she needed more from him. She needed all of Nitro, and tonight, she planned on telling him that.
Aurora pressed her face into his neck, breathing him in. “I was afraid you’d be angry with me.”
“I was worried about you,” he said honestly. “But never angry.” That loosened something deep in her chest.
She tipped her head back, meeting his eyes. “I don’t want to disappear into you.”
He rested his forehead against hers. “You won’t. And I won’t disappear into you either.” That promise mattered more than anything else.
“I also don’t want you to hold back with me anymore, Nitro. I know that you were worried about me before—you know, because of everything that I had to endure with the Saints. But I know that you aren’t them. You’re not Salis. Don’t hold back with me. I need all of you,” she insisted. She could almost feel his indecision as she held her breath, waiting for his answer.
He slowly nodded as he led her to the bed. They undressed in a fury, as though they were both racing toward a finish line that didn’t exist. She needed him more than she wanted her next breath, and feeling him naked on top of her was the first step. She needed to feel him skin on skin. It was familiar and new all at once. Nitro’s touch grounded her, solid and reverent, like he knew exactly how fragile this moment was, and how strong she was for choosing it anyway.
“I missed you so fucking much,” he whispered against her lips.
“I missed you, too,” she breathed. She loved the way that he worked her body up as though he was going to allow her to fallover the edge, but he never let that happen. By the time that he worked his way down her body, kissing and nipping every inch of her skin, she was about ready to explode. And when he licked her wet folds, she nearly did. He ate her pussy until she shouted out his name and didn’t stop even then. Nitro left her feeling boneless and sated. And when he slid up her body, she couldn’t help but smile up at him and wrap her arms around his neck to pull him down onto her. She wrapped her legs around him as he slid into her body, taking what she was offering him.
“You’re so fucking wet, honey. You feel so good,” he whispered. She could tell that he was on edge, and when he finally fell, shouting out her name, she felt as though she was home. She was his, but it was about belonging without ownership.
Aurora held on to him, nails biting gently into his shoulders, and for the first time in her life, closeness didn’t feel like surrender. It felt like something more. It felt like love. “I love you,” she breathed into his neck. Nitro stilled on top of her, and for a second, she thought that she had crossed a line.
He rolled off her and pulled her to her side to face him. “I love you too, baby,” he whispered. “I was just afraid to say it again for fear that you’d take off like last time. But God, I love you.” Aurora settled with her head on his chest, listening to his heartbeat steadily beneath her ear.
“I’m still figuring things out,” she murmured.
Nitro’s arm tightened around her, protective without being possessive. “Me too.” She smiled against his skin, knowing that this wasn’t just the beginning. It wasn’t an ending either. It was a moment that they chose—together. And for Aurora, that was everything.
