Deuce sighed heavily, his big body lifting off the mattress. Flipping onto his back, he folded his arms beneath his head—a move that caused his impressive biceps to shift and swell beneath his colorful skin.
“There ain’t shit to say,” he muttered. “You know I hate this fuckin’ city, hate this fuckin’ house, hate this motherfuckin’ room. But those are my demons, darlin’, and you’ve got bigger shit to be dealin’ with.”
I stared at him a moment, hating him for clinging to things that couldn’t be changed, while also loving him at least a hundred times more for always being so glaringly, unapologetically him.
“I don’t want to deal with my own shit right now,” I told him. “Right now I want to pretend that I don’t have any shit to deal with at all.”
“That still don’t mean we should talk about mine.”
We fell silent, watching each other in the semi-darkness.
“Are you coming with me tomorrow—back to the hospital?”
“That’s a dumbass fuckin’ question, Eva.”
Again the silence stretched between us, my gaze wandering away with my thoughts.
“He loved her, you know,” I said suddenly.
“Babe.” Deuce’s tone gentled. “He ain’t never stopped.”
I nodded distractedly. “She loved him, too. I know she did.”
When Deuce didn’t say anything, only continued to watch me, I bent down and pressed a kiss to his lips. His large hand cupped the back of my head, and his mouth covered mine. Demanding lips, rough strokes of his tongue, he nipped my bottom lip before breaking the kiss.
“That was so fucking hot,” I told him breathlessly, eyeing him hungrily. “What gives you the right to be so old and yet so fucking hot?”
He snorted. “You are one crazy bitch.”
Straightening, I laughed at him. “That’s all you got? I’m a crazy bitch?” Brow lifted, lips twisted, I blew him a kiss. “You are getting soft, aren’t you? Old, and soft, andsweet.”
Grabbing my wrist, he set my hand on top of the bulge in his boxers. “Yeah? That feel soft to you?”
I shrugged. “Kinda…”
Deuce let out a low growl, and a heartbeat later I was laid out flat on the bed, his big body hovering over mine. His hips dipped and mine arched, and our mouths met in an explosion of need. Clothing was shed, as were any reservations. Frenzied, we touched each other in ways we hadn’t touched in years. My staccato breaths joined the fray.
I couldn’t remember the last time I’d felt like this, so turned on, so crazy needy. Nothing more than a thrashing mass of flesh and bone, desperate for more of him.
“I wanna see you,” he said, reversing our positions.
Straddling his hips, I watched as Deuce’s eyes traced a greedy path over every inch of my bare skin. Lips parted and breathing hard, his hooded gaze met mine and the way he looked at me? I felt young again. And beautiful. Andoh my God, so fucking alive.
One hand planted on his chest, I rushed to guide him inside of me. And as our bodies connected, a gasp and a growl collided in the space between us.
I bent to kiss him. Our mouths fused together, I snapped my hips forward, eliciting a throaty groan from Deuce. Panting and eager, I began to move.
His thumbs hooked beneath my hip bones. Calloused fingertips dug into my backside, stilling me. My eyes fluttered opened, finding his.
“Babe,” he said, low and raspy. “I want it fuckin’ slow.”
Shivers raked up and down my spine, and I sighed against his mouth.
Then I gave it to him slow.
Epilogue
A light breeze blew lazily past me, bringing with it the scents of freshly cut grass and newly blossomed flowers. Several strands of my hair lifted, and the remaining tears on my cheeks dried up and disappeared. A short ways off in the distance a small flock of geese had congregated, occasionally honking as they shuffled through the cemetery.
