"And that time you leaned on my shoulder, staring at the sunset across the river, telling me about growing up by the sea—your grandma taking you shell-hunting. You said you hadn't been back in ages, wanted to go. I said we'd head there after graduation."
I lifted my head, locking eyes with his shining ones. "I said I'd collect tons of shells, string them into wind chimes for the door. You said you'd help pick them."
"I've never forgotten," he said. "After you left, I went to that beach alone. First summer without you. Drove for hours, sat there all afternoon, filled a bag with shells."
His voice trembled a bit. I snuggled closer.
A soft sea breeze slipped through the window cracks, waves crashing and retreating under the moonlight. Tommy had conked out on the rug, still clutching the toy. Paul got up, gently pried it from his hand, scooped him up, and tucked him into bed. He stood there a moment, watching, before coming back.
"Casey, when you left... did you already know you were pregnant?"
I blinked, then swung around and straddled his lap. Some things needed airing out.
"Yeah, I knew before I went. Tommy..."
"Tommy's my son."
It wasn't a question—just a fact, calm, like he'd mulled it forever.
"From the first time I saw him on the beach, I wondered. His eyes, his laugh, the way he walks. Every glance, I'd think, is he mine? But I couldn't ask. Scared you'd say no, say it wasn't my business, say I had no right."
He pulled me back into his arms, face in my shoulder. I felt him shake, but no tears came. After a while, he let go and looked me dead in the eyes.
"Casey, I swear." His voice was rock-solid. "From now on, I'll spend the rest of my life protecting you both, making up for these six years. I'll be a good dad. I'll give Tommy a real family. I'll prove I'm not that coward anymore. I can start over right here—if I've got you and him, anywhere's my world."
I stared at the man in front of me, reaching out to trace his face. In that moment, the Hawaiian breeze seemed to sweep away every last bit of the past.
"I believe you, Paul."
I leaned in and kissed him.
Paul lowered his head gently, his lips meeting mine in a deep, lingering kiss that started soft and built into something fierce. He covered my mouth with his, warm and insistent, his tongue slipping in slowly to tangle with mine, sucking and exploring as our breaths mixed hot and heavy. His hands cupped my face, fingers tracing tender paths behind my ears and down the curve of my neck, sending shivers racing through me.
The kiss deepened, his mouth trailing along my jaw, then down the side of my neck, where he nipped lightly at the sensitive skin, making me gasp. His lips found my collarbone, teeth grazing it just enough to tease, while his hands slid lower, cupping my full breasts through my shirt.
His palms were warm and firm as they kneaded the soft flesh, thumbs circling my hardening nipples, flicking them back and forth until they stood stiff and aching. My body arched instinctively, toes curling tight from the sparks of pleasure shooting straight to my core.
He didn't stop there. His mouth moved downward, pushing my top aside to expose my skin. His tongue danced over my flat stomach, swirling lazy circles that made my muscles clench.
Then he reached my panties, already soaked through, and he hooked his fingers under the waistband, sliding them off with deliberate slowness. His breath was hot against my thighs as he parted them, his tongue delving in to lap at my slick folds. He focused on my swollen clit, rolling it with the tip of his tongue, sucking gently, then flicking it in ways that had my legs spreading wider on their own, hips bucking up for more.
I was dripping wet when he positioned himself, his thick, hard cock pressing against my entrance, hot and throbbing, but so gentle. He eased in inch by inch, filling my tight, burning heat until he was buried deep. Our fingers laced together, eyes locked in that intense gaze, and he started moving—slow, deep thrusts with a subtle twist each time, grinding against my inner walls, the head of his cock rubbing my most sensitive spots perfectly.
I went from just taking it to meeting him thrust for thrust, lifting my hips to pull him deeper, my hands wrapping around his back, nails digging into his muscles as waves of bliss built.
He flipped me onto my side, his body spooning mine like we were made to fit. One hand reached around to cup my bouncing breast, rolling and tugging the nipple between his fingers, while the other slid down to press on my clit, rubbing in firm circles. His cock slid back in from behind, slow but powerful strokes that dragged through my slick channel, pulling out glistening strings of my arousal that trickled down my thighs. Our bodies pressed so close, skin slick with sweat, every movement melting us together.
Then he sat up, pulling me with him so I straddled his lap face-to-face in cowgirl. My hands braced on his chest, feeling the hard planes of muscle under my palms as I sank down onto his thick shaft, rocking up and down, feeling it stretch and fill me completely. He thrust up from below, gentle but insistent, his hands on my waist guiding the rhythm, his mouth latchingonto my swaying breasts, sucking and biting the nipples until I moaned loud enough to echo in the room.
The heat ramped up, and he spun me around into reverse cowgirl, my back to his chest as I straddled him again. I planted my hands on his strong thighs for leverage, twisting my hips to grind down on his cock, feeling it hit new angles that made stars burst behind my eyelids. He pumped up into me with controlled force, hands wrapping around my waist to stroke up to my breasts, squeezing and kneading as I rode him harder, our skin slapping together rhythmically.
Finally, he eased me onto my back, lifting my legs high to rest on his shoulders. This angle let him plunge even deeper, every thrust bottoming out, his cock grinding relentlessly against that sweet spot inside me. Our breaths mingled in ragged gasps, bodies slick and fused, the only sounds the wet smack of flesh on flesh and our shared moans. Sweat beaded and mingled, the air thick with the scent of us, and in that haze of love and lust, every sensation peaked into pure, matching ecstasy.
But we weren't done. Paul pulled out slowly, his cock glistening with my juices, and I whimpered at the loss, already craving more. He kissed me again, this time with a hunger that promised the night was just beginning. "You're so beautiful like this," he murmured against my lips, his voice rough with desire. "All flushed and open for me." His hands roamed everywhere, tracing the curves of my hips, dipping between my thighs to tease my still-throbbing clit with feather-light touches that had me squirming.
I reached down, wrapping my fingers around his shaft—god, it was so thick, veins pulsing under my grip. I stroked him slowly, feeling him twitch and harden even more, a bead of pre-cum leaking from the tip. "I need you back inside," I whispered, guiding him to my entrance. He obliged, sliding in with onesmooth thrust that made me cry out, my walls clenching around him like a vice.
"Fuck, Casey, you feel incredible," he groaned, his pace picking up. Our mouths crashed together in sloppy, desperate kisses, tongues battling as he pounded into me. I raked my nails down his back, leaving red trails that only spurred him on. "Harder," I gasped, and he delivered, his thrusts turning wild, the bed creaking under us.
