As she screams, her entire body stiffens right before her inner walls violently clamp around me, milking me with violent pulses, triggering my own release.
A guttural roar rips from my chest as I empty myself inside her, blacking out for a few seconds as every muscle in my body locks up, riding out my earth-shattering climax.
My knees give out. I literally can’t support my own weight anymore, and her legs are shaking so hard she’s practically melting into the island.
The last thing I want to do is pull out, so I wrap my arms tight around her waist, carrying her weight as we collapse into a heavy heap on the floor in a messy, paint-smeared tangle of loose limbs.
Chests heaving, we lay together, struggling to drag oxygen back into our lungs. My heart is hammering so hard I’m surprised it doesn’t crack a rib.
I rest my forehead against her shoulder, pulling her back flush against my chest while my cock twitches softly inside her tight heat.
“Holy fuck,” I wheeze, blindly reaching up to brush a damp strand of her hair out of my face and press my lips against the back of her neck.
She lets out a breathless, shaky laugh, letting her head loll back against my shoulder. “You broke me. And my kitchen.”
I crack an eye open to survey the damage. Smears of chocolate, strawberry, and blueberry are everywhere—on the pristine white quartz, streaked down the cabinets, pooled on the floor,and painted across our sweat-slicked bodies like some kind of abstract, X-rated masterpiece.
“I’ll buy you a new kitchen,” I murmur, pressing a kiss to her temple. “I’d buy the whole fucking building if it means I get to do that again.”
Lizzy snorts, turning her head just enough to drag her nose along my jaw. “You’re cleaning this up, by the way. And you’re carrying me into the shower, because my legs are officially out of order.”
“Deal,” I chuckle, shifting to hold her tighter. I don’t want to move. I want to stay right here on this sticky floor with her forever. “But give me five minutes. If I try to stand up now, I’m taking us both down again.”
Her throaty laugh makes my heart sing, filling my soul with joy. “I love you.”
“It’s always been you, Sunshine,” I whisper, pressing a soft kiss to her neck. “Always.”
epilogue
“Where the hell are we going?”I ask, following Noia’s confidant strut down Willow Lane.
Located only a couple of blocks from downtown Lakeside, the street certainly lives up to its name. Lined with towering willow trees, this neighborhood is small-town picturesque at its finest.
“I had an idea,” she answers, tossing Sasha, Reyna and I a mischievous look over her shoulder. “It’s mainly for book research, but I thought it would be fun to include all of us.”
When we finally come to a stop, we’re standing in front of a cute little cottage that looks like it was plucked out of a Thomas Kinkade painting, complete with creeping ivy and a wrap-around porch.
The roof slopes down over walls painted a faded, eccentric lavender. I’m surprised the roofline isn’t sagging under the weight of at least a dozen crystal wind chimes clinking softly in the breeze. A wooden sign shaped like a crescent moon, painted with peeling silver stars, hangs over the porch.
“What in the hell are you up to now?” Sasha deadpans, crossing her arms.
“We have an appointment,” Noia beams, practically vibrating with excitement. “With Madame Solis.”
I blink at her. “Is that an actual person or…?”
“She’s a psychic, Lizzy! I need to know what it’s like to get my aura read for my next heroine. I was nervous about doing this alone, so I booked a group session.”
Reyna lets out a nervous little laugh, ice-blue eyes going wide. “Seriously? A real psychic?”
“Definereal,” I mutter, eyeing the slightly overgrown rosebushes sitting on either side of the porch steps. The roses themselves are some of the biggest I’ve ever seen. “Because if she tells me I’m cursed, I’m outta here.”
“Same,” Sasha and Reyna chime together.
Noia snorts. “Come on! Where’s your sense of adventure, you guys?”
“Back with Rowan. In my bed,” I grin under my breath, as we follow her up the creaky wooden steps.
Noia knocks on the front door. As it swings open, I brace myself, expecting to see a hunchbacked old lady, holding a crystal ball with a wart on her nose.
