A Five-Minute Life

“Don’t go,” she whispered. “Stay right here forever.”

She was teasing, and yet she meant it. Her eyes held mine intently and her face was so beautiful in the city lights; her happiness full in every curve and line. Right there in my hands.

Too good…

“I’m too heavy.” I kissed her softly and pulled out of her, my body missing hers instantly. My thoughts already whispering there was no such thing as forever.

Shut up. Let me have this.

We lay entangled in one another as the rain smattered the windows. My head in the crook of her neck and her fingers toying lazily in my hair. My entire view the soft hills and valleys of her body.

Tiny tentacles of fear wormed into me as sleep came on.

It’s too good. Nothing good lasts.

“Thea,” I murmured.

“Hm?” Her fingers in my hair grew still as sleep came for her too.

Nothing lasts at all…

I closed my eyes. “Nothing.”

Chapter 29

Jim

I dreamed her…

My body weighed a thousand pounds. Heavy and sated. Thea was wrapped around me, still, the ghosts of my past whispered this was all a lie.

She raised her head, her hair tousled and smiled sleepily.

“Hi,” she said.

“Hi.”

She propped herself on an elbow and made circles on my bicep with her fingertip. “So last night was… um… pretty mind-blowing. Wasn’t it?” She plucked at the sheet now. “It’s been a while for me.”

“Fucking mind-blowing,” I said, brushing a lock of hair out of her eyes.

“I’m a mess,” she said. “Hungover from you.”

“You know what they say about curing a hangover.”

“Hair of the dog that bit you?”

I nodded and leaned in to nuzzle her neck, then lightly bit the skin above her collarbone.

“Mm,” Thea sighed. “I see what you did there.”

She writhed as I worked over her neck and jaw, one hand cupping her breast and running my thumb in circles over the nipple.

“And just like that, I’m wet for you,” she whispered.

I hauled her on top of me and watched her ride me as morning light streamed in from the windows. When she came, I flipped her onto her back and took her hard—as hard as she wanted and as hard as I needed—to prove this was my life.

Nearly an hour later, we collapsed in another tangle of arms and legs, her head pillowed on my chest.