Tough Luck (A-List Security 1)

“Need you.” My voice was a low whine, a whispered plea in the still night. “Need you now.”

“I know you do.” His hand tightened around our cocks. He’d braced his other hand on the wall behind me, and I pulled him closer, needing all of him, wanting the press of his hard body to push me over the edge. I found his mouth for another desperate kiss, this one sloppy and broken with moans from us both. The more noises he made, the more I wanted, and I returned my mouth to his neck, sucking hard.

“Fuck. Unfair.” He sped up his strokes, and the tension in his shoulders under my hands said he was close.

“Cash. Do it,” I commanded, drunk on the power I had over him for that brief moment. And when he obeyed with a mighty groan, eyes slamming shut, arms flexing, I flew. I hadn’t expected to come quite yet, but the way he shuddered and shook against me coupled with his helpless noises sent me spiraling toward the stars right along with him. The comedown was slower than usual, pleasure ebbing in little waves of intense aftershocks that left us trading kisses and soft moans.

“Hope that was worth whatever voodoo I now have to do with the pool chemicals.” I giggled against his neck, lighter than I could ever remember being. I wanted to float like this together forever.

“Hell yeah. I’ll help.” Cash kissed me lightly. The moon had come out behind him, casting an otherworldly glow over us. Shaking his head, he peered down at me like he saw something new. “Fuck. I really do love you.”

“I really do love you too.” I stretched to return his kiss. “Thank you for the best birthday ever.”

“Way to set the bar high for next year,” he grumbled, clearly pretending.

“I love that there will be a next year.” I gave a contented sigh. “And I had an epiphany earlier.”

“Oh?” He raised an eyebrow but didn’t sound particularly worried.

“When we were baking the cake and then later when everyone was here, it did feel like a home.” I tried to find the right words. I’d finally had the same feeling I’d had the first time I’d seen the place, the feeling that this was meant to be mine. The security situation wasn’t ideal, and it was bigger than I needed, but over the past week or so, I’d fallen right back in love with the property. “This is my home. Maybe I don’t need a new place after all.”

“No modern treehouse? Or that other one you were looking at?”

“I don’t want to move.” I bit the inside of my cheek. The events of the past few weeks had rattled me for sure and would continue to take some time to get over, but I no longer wanted to flee and never look back. I wanted to stay. Reclaim. “I don’t think I need a new house to feel safe. Just you. Perhaps you’re the thing that makes this a home.”

“Maybe we both are.” Cash gave me a tender look as he cupped a hand behind my neck. “Not that I’m moving in or anything, but you feel like home to me too.”

I made an indignant squawk that startled Linus from his perch on a nearby lounger. “No way am I letting you continue to camp out in Duncan’s guest room.”

“That an invitation to take over one of the empty closets?” He sounded thoughtful, which gave me the courage to be truthful, not hide behind another joke or deflection.

“Please. I want that.”

“You promise to tell me if this starts feeling too fast and you need a breather?” He gazed deeply into my eyes, the moonlight making his sparkle. At that moment, I felt like anything might be possible, even us.

“I promise, but it’s not.” I gave him a quick, firm kiss. “Like you said yesterday, fuck normal. Fuck other people’s timelines. This is ours. And I want you here.”

“I want to be here too.” He held me closer, chest moving against mine, almost like my pounding heart was reaching out to his. I liked that image, our hearts terrified but finding a mutual rhythm nonetheless. This was big and scary, but for the first time, I had no more doubts. We could do this. I could do this.

“Then let’s do this thing,” I said, voice strong and clear. “All in. Here. You, me, and Linus. We can be a team.”

“Go us.” He chuckled warmly as he drew me in for a longer, slower kiss. The breeze ruffled our damp hair, and a soft glow came from the house like it was waiting for us to hurry up and get done with the pool. Maybe the house had been waiting all along, exactly how we had been waiting for each other. And now that I’d found home, no one could take it from me. I’d keep this place like I was keeping Cash, banking on the future we both deserved.