was learning her body already, I knew she was getting close.
So was I.
“Faster,” I growled, keeping one hand on her clit, the other guiding her up and down.
I arched my hips, giving her the fullness of my shaft, and her sounds told me she was climbing. I took over the movements, pounding into her with more power, the momentum increasing between us.
When I felt the surge begin, my fingers bit down on her hips, and I hissed, “Pearl, I’m there.”
She kissed me and moaned, “Come with me.”
As her pussy pulsed around my dick, a wave of sensations moved through my abdomen, into my lower stomach, and through my shaft until I exploded. “Pearl …” I gripped her with the hardest strength. “Fuck.”
“Mmm, yes.” She was bucking against me, clutching me from the inside. Her wetness thickened, her sounds peaking until we reached the same calmness, our breathing the only movement that was left.
Her lips, still near me, brushed against mine before she really pressed down to kiss me. “I never knew it could feel like that.”
I took a moment to find my voice and leaned back to take in her eyes. “Sex?”
She nodded. “To experience that with someone you really care about, like I do for you.”
“It’s only going to get better.”
She smiled, her cheeks flushed, small pieces of hair sticking to them. “It’s hard to believe there’s better than that.” She ran her fingers across my lips, shaking her head as she stared at them.
I gripped her face, and right before I kissed her, I whispered, “There is … it’s called love.”
Twenty-Four
Before
Pearl
I didn’t have a hard time sleeping in Ashe’s bed. In fact, the moment he wrapped his arms around me, the warmth of his body closing in, his exhales on my bare shoulder, my eyes closed. Seconds later, I was fast asleep. His pillows were like clouds, his blanket so cozy, his arms a type of heat I’d never known I wanted, but one I now couldn’t imagine letting go.
My internal clock—the one I’d gained from taking care of Gran for so many years—caused me to rise before the sun. So, I stayed in bed and watched the city come to life through Ashe’s bedroom window. He lived across the street from a section of brownstones that didn’t hide the view—unlike the concrete high-rises that blocked every side of my apartment, the scenery outside our windows like a prison cell. But from here, I saw the sun teasing the thick clouds, the noises of the city telling me it was just starting to wake up.
Kenmore Square was so different than Roxbury.
Calmer even if it was busier.
Pedestrians were out for their morning jogs, and others were dressed in suits to head into work early. Those weren’t things I saw in my neighborhood.
Roxbury was the morning after a long bender, hugging the toilet as the ground wobbled beneath you. Kenmore Square was slowly waking up with a cup of coffee after a full eight hours of sleep.
We came from opposite worlds in almost every aspect.
And I was really enjoying his.
I checked Ashe’s clock. His alarm would be going off in twenty minutes, so I carefully wiggled out of his grip and snuck out of bed. I slipped on one of his T-shirts and a pair of boxers that I’d grabbed from the floor, tiptoeing to the kitchen. My cake was boxed on the counter, and I cut three slices, sticking them on separate plates.
Inside the fridge, I took out a carton of eggs and a package of bacon and found a few fry pans in the cupboard. After spraying both bottoms, I cracked the eggs into one pan, scrambling them once they were all in. The bacon sizzled on the other side of the stove, and as they cooked, I made a pot of coffee.
“Please tell me you’ll be moving in soon,” Dylan said from behind me, catching me off guard. “I could really get used to this.”
I turned around, laughing. “Not anytime soon, I’m afraid.” I handed him a full mug. “But I’m happy to cook whenever I’m here.” I set the pieces of cake on the table, nodding for him to take a seat. “How was your night?”
“Seeing that you’re still here, probably not as good as yours.”
I laughed again, returning to the eggs to stir them. “Ashe made it super special. It’s a birthday I’ll certainly never forget.”
“That’s my boy.” He grinned as I glanced at him over my shoulder. “I know it’s not here yet, but