“You’re you.” He shrugged.
“What did you do when you left?”
“I went to the graveyard and talked it out with my mom. It’s a habit I fell into after the fire. She was always that listening ear who gave good advice. Even before he started hitting the bottle hard, the old man lived by the old school theory of making us as tough as possible. You didn’t come to him with complaints.” He shuddered.
“And it helped?”
“As fucked up as it may sound. Hearing his admission gave me the closure I never had before. There were so many unanswered questions. I shoved them to the back of my mind, but they were never gone completely. I think this was the step needed to break the unhealthy bond that existed between us. It’s time we move on in our own directions. We’ll always be twins and have the club, but we don’t need to be in each other’s back pockets. Did he bother you again today?”
“No, the rest of the day was a piece of cake.”
“Good.” He nodded his head, pleased that Pan recognized how serious he was about Symone. They continued the small talk while finishing their meal and his anxiety ramped up. “I’ll clear away the plates.” He stood, took the plates to the sink and took a deep breath. He returned to her side and knelt beside her chair. “Babe, you know you make shit right for me. I want to lock this shit down permanently and give you my last name. I’m not getting any younger and we both know how swiftly things can change. I don’t want to wait.”
“Hayes,” she whispered.
He pulled a black velvet box out of his vest and opened the case. “Will you be my old lady and marry me?”
“Oh my God.”
His heart pounded in his chest, slamming against his ribs. Blood rushed in his ears. Time slowed to a crawl. He swallowed hard. “Symone?”
“I never even thought this would be a reality for me.”
“I told you, I want everything, babies, rings, you in my house and my bed every day and night. Is that what you want?”
“Yes.” She nodded her head and laughed. Tears rolled down her face. “It’s absolutely what I want.”
“Then give me that hand, babe.”
She held out her left hand and he slipped the ring on her finger.
“It’s beautiful.”
“Just like you.”
“I don’t deserve you.”
“I think the same thing daily.” He kissed the ring on her finger. “You’re stuck now. I’m not letting you go.”
“That goes both ways, Hayes.”
“Fuck, I like the sound of my name on your lips.” He parted her legs and caressed her thigh-high covered legs. “I can’t wait to hear you scream while I’m buried deep inside you. Hold your skirt up.”
She did as he asked.
“Such a good girl.” He ran his thumb down her center and she bucked. Hungry for her taste, he slid her panties to the side and licked a path up her heated slit. The sweet taste of her coated his tongue and he groaned. “Best dessert I’ve ever had. Put those legs over my shoulder babe. I need to go deep.” She swung her legs over his shoulders and he buried his face between her legs. He lapped at her puffy lips and nuzzled her clit with his nose. She cried out and lifted her hips against him. He moaned and stuck his tongue inside her, caressing every inch of her walls he could reach. She rewarded him with a fresh gush of cream and he began to thrust inside her tight sheath.
She threw her head back and rocked into him, gripping his hair. “Hayes, God, yes.” She locked her legs around him and he quickened his speed. Her muscles clenched around his tongue. Her body shook and she yielded the release he’d been aiming for. He slurped her juices and moved back, lowering her legs to the ground. He slipped two fingers inside her and pumped in and out, scissoring his fingers to stretch her out. They’d danced around sex for the past couple of months. He’d shown her his test papers and she’d gotten a fresh set of her own. Now, he wanted inside her. “You’ve got such a greedy pussy. Look how tight you’re clutching me with those, tight, hot, walls.” He thrust faster and she rolled her hips. “Give it up to me baby, I want every scream, every sigh and every drop of your cream.”
“Oh, God, Hayes!”
He angled his fingers and she screamed. “Fucking music to my ears, babe.”
Her breasts heaved and her nipples pressed through the bra. He leaned forward and bit down.
She arched her back. Her walls clamped down around his fingers and she came, hard.
“You’re so beautiful when you let go baby.” He removed his fingers and sucked them into his mouth. He peppered her face with kisses and stood, lifting her into his arms. “When I make love to you, it’s going to be in the bed we’ll be sharing from now on.”