“We’re not giving up.” I squeezed his hand.
“You give me hope—a reason to fight.” He nodded. “Give me one more night, and then I want to meet them.”
“You do?” I blinked in surprise.
“I should be jealous, right? I should refuse to let you go and demand that you stay. You’ve been so good for me. I’m a realist though, above everything. It’s why I see the only real outcome. I want to know you’re going to be taken care of, regardless of what happens.” He sipped his vodka and nodded.
“No.” I shook my head and back and forth. “We’re not giving up without a fight—your fate isn’t sealed. We’re going to figure out how to fix this problem, and we’re going to do it together. I’m asking you to keep an open mind. I’ve had to do that since the beginning.”
“I’ll try.” He slid closer on the couch. “But tonight, I just want to forget about all of that and enjoy our time together.”
“Okay.” I nodded and felt my lips start to tremble and worry consumed me.
Our lips met and the same fireworks I had felt every night since I showed up on his doorstep exploded in my head. He crushed my trembling lips beneath his powerful kiss. My head spun with passion. I wanted him, even in the confusion swirling around us. He pushed me back on the couch and started pulling on my shirt. Our lips broke as he pulled it over my head and tossed it on the floor. I pushed his suit jacket off his shoulders and started unbuttoning his shirt. Our roaring lust tore at our clothes until we were naked on the couch, tangled in our embrace. He pulled my legs apart and sank between my thighs, pushing his cock into my wetness.
“Knowing that you’re waiting here for me has been the light that kept me going every day.” He leaned forward and kissed my neck.
“We’re going to find a way to make this work. Don’t lose hope quite yet.” I moaned as he slid inside me and our bodies came together.
Connor started to thrust and I felt something different in the way he made love to me. It felt like he was savoring the moment. He truly did believe there was goodbye on the horizon. I wasn’t ready to say goodbye. I needed him as much as I needed Nate and Devlin. I had no idea how I would make it work, but hope wasn’t gone. All I could do in the moment was enjoy my time with Connor and show him how much I cared about him. He started to pick up the momentum with his thrusts and I moaned into his ear. The way he felt when he was inside me was enough to make the fireworks turn to a kaleidoscope of exploding colors in my head. His length caressed my g-spot, sending me into bliss fairly quickly. I bit down on his ear, kissed his neck, and held him so tight that my nails were digging into his back.
“You feel so amazing.” He groaned and shifted his weight so that he could thrust faster.
“So do you—I’ll never be ready to give this up.” I rolled my head back and gasped.
His hips moved quickly between my thighs and I felt the pressure build. He felt so good that I struggled with what was coming. We had been in a lover’s embrace every night since I came to New York and I didn’t know what the next day would hold. I tried to focus on the pleasure as his cock continued to penetrate me, but there was a lot of turmoil in my head. The uncertainty was distracting, but he overwhelmed it. The heat between our bodies was enough to start a fire on our skin. He slammed into me and my hips rose up to meet him. I needed his release. I needed my orgasm. They were the symbols of what we had and it was more powerful than anything the horizon could bring.
“You’re gonna make me cum.” I held him tight and whispered into his ear with a gasp.
“I’m so fucking close.” His grunt met my gasp and our words melded in the air.
My heart raced in my chest. The only thing more powerful than the beating inside me was the feeling of his heart beating against me. I spiraled towards bliss and his cock throbbed in unison with my pleasure. Euphoria filled the room as our words signaled the climax our bodies were closing in on. A hard thrust pushed me over the edge. I felt my pussy spasming on his dick and his grunts got more intense. He throbbed inside me, so close that I could taste his lust. Our lips met again and he started to erupt as they formed a perfect seal. Our tongues twisted together while our bodies writhed in passion. I felt the tenseness inside me release as he ejaculated. The two of us drifted into nirvana as our bodies started to relax.
“Don’t give up on this.” I squeezed his shoulders and wrapped my arms around his completely. “Not yet.”
“I trust you—you’ve been honest since the beginning. That’s more than I could have ever asked for.” He lightly kissed my forehead as he spoke.
We lay together with our fingers teasing flesh for a couple of hours before we finally finished our drinks and got some food. It wasn’t long until the passion erupted again and we decided to relocate to the bedroom. Our bodies chased bliss in the form of another beautiful climax before he drifted off to sleep. I still couldn’t find the respite I needed. I knew my inner chaos was related to Nate and Devlin. It was even more intense knowing they were in New York. The answer wasn’t clear, but somewhere in the midst of uncertainty was the clarity we all needed.
I have to go to them. We have to pull together if we’re going to find our future. Nate said he would be waiting on the other side of the abyss, but I don’t think he will be the only one. Three sets of arms reach out for me and I want them all.
17
Connor
It was hard to kiss Harmony goodbye when morning came and my daily grind started all over again. I had felt a semblance of peace in the midst and silenced my tortured thoughts for a week. She blew into my life like a tornado and kept me spinning until I saw reality rising up to meet me. I wasn’t sure I would survive the impact. I would land with a smile before the ground swallowed me whole, because the last moments had been perfect. Harmony was the one that got away—technically the one I ran from—and that part of my life finally had closure. I might have been able to fight harder if the inevitable wasn’t clawing at my soul, but my moment of peace was temporary. I saw that becoming more evident with each passing day.
“Mr. Vale?” A kind young man that worked in accounting approached me as I stepped off the elevator.
“Hey, Charles. What can I do for you?” I stopped and turned to face him.
“I was just wondering. I know we’re not doing very well right now, but if things turn around before the end of the year, is there still a chance we could get a bonus?” I saw hope in his eyes as he spoke.
“I wish I could tell you it’s guaranteed.” I sighed and saw the hope beginning to fade. “If things turn around, we should still be able to give out bonuses.”
“Okay.” A weak smile formed on his lips. “I was planning on buying my girlfriend an engagement ring with that bonus. After last year, I thought I might get even more this year.”
“It’s been a tough year.” I exhaled sharply. “You see the books, though, so you know that.”