Hometown Love

That’s Mine series by Aideen 

(Aideen is Alaska’s super sweet name she may NEVER publish under, lol.)

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Martin

“Are you just going to stand there; are you going to do something about it?” The shove to my pecs was solid, sending me stumbling a few steps back.

“You really don’t want to do this, Jaime.”

“No? You took advantage of my little sister. I warned you to stay away.”

“And I told you, I love her. If you think I’d walk away from that—”

His surge towards me was so fast, I almost hadn’t been prepared for him to sweep in and try to tackle me. My feet planted and I met Jaime with just as much force, spinning us to the ground. That day changed my life. It changed Luciana’s. Jaime was never meant to overhear our conversation the week before. Luciana had said no one was home when she told me she thought she was pregnant. She was crying; I was in shock. Had I known what I did now, I would have taken her from that house and never looked back. I would have left early and brought her to Miami with me. Pregnant or not, I would have married her. I told Jaime that. I begged her parents. They wouldn’t budge, and I couldn’t blame them. 

Luciana was a prodigy. She was wicked smart and meant for greatness. After all, I’d met her at college when she was a month short of finishing high school. She was on top of it, already earning credits towards the degree she wanted to get in Biochemistry before Med school. We hadn’t been together then, but she told me all about her acceptance into Harvard. My girl had been so proud. Her face beamed when she’d giggled out the news. And me, I was in awe. Not just of her overwhelming beauty, but of her drive. After spending her youth helping her mother take care of her sick grandmother, Luciana was passionate about health and medicine. Even away from school, she lived in the books. I had tried so hard in those first few weeks to get her to see me. After all, I had just been picked up to play baseball for Miami in the triple-A, minor league. Scouts were all over me. I was a big damn deal too. She didn’t see that. She saw passed it, and that’s what made me fall for her even more. So much so, before I knew it, every second of my life revolved around the thought of us. 

“I told you last week never to come back. You’re damn lucky you didn’t knock her up.” The hit was solid to my cheek. “You’re going to leave my sister alone and never talk to her again. You won’t ruin this for Luciana!”

“Just because you got a DWI and ruined your own future with the police academy doesn’t mean you get to dictate her life. Luciana’s mine! She’s coming with me.” 

Boom. The hit nearly knocked me out. Still, I didn’t stop swinging my fist. Screams filled the background. I knew her and her family were there. Hell, so were mine, but I wanted to take her with me. I greedily wanted to have Luciana as my own. I’d take care of her. I’d give her anything she needed. 

“You’ll never be with my sister—”

Jaimie’s voice cut out as my fist crashed into his teeth. It wasn’t until I saw the red and blue flashing lights and Luciana haloed in the glow, sobbing, staring at me like some sort of monster, that reality came crashing down. What was I doing? I’d never been a violent person. I wasn’t fighting for myself though; I was fighting for us. For her. And it was for nothing.

She couldn’t leave with me. She couldn’t be mine, not when so many other people needed her. I couldn’t destroy all her hard work. Not after months of hearing about her goals. Dreams. They were like mine. Meaningful, selfless aspirations. But none of that mattered. She turned from me that day. My calls went unanswered. My emails were never returned. Luciana became a ghost, and me…I lost the person I was meant for.

Yet here I was, back in my hometown. In a place I was sure was going to be the end of me. After all, a man could only take so much when paired with love and heartbreak. But I was close to going to the Majors. In truth, I should have already been there. I had no one to blame for that but myself. I was great, but a part of me died when I lost her. I lost my drive. My skill. Shit, I lost my motivation. One couldn’t get to the top on talent alone. Thing was, I practically had. I was that damn good. I was right there, so close to my dreams. To do that, I had to be what Blue Haven needed. I had to go back where it all started. So I did.

Now, I was close to my parents, residing in a brand-new apartment overlooking the river. I wouldn’t think about how I was only four blocks from Luciana’s parent’s house. That was too painful when all I had was a hope and no plan. Until I did, I needed to focus on me. How could I not; I was everywhere. Literally. Posters, billboards. My face was plastered at every turn. The Ramirez’s sure as hell couldn’t have missed that. Had they called Luciana wherever she was and let her know? Probably not.

Fuck, I missed her. I had to figure out how I was going to get her back.

I tore my gaze from the illuminated baseball field where I’d be playing a block away. I tried to push back the memories of my past. The lights of the city were so sparse compared to Miami, but I blocked that out too. Although the city had been beautiful, I’d hated being so far away from Blue Haven. At least here I had the memories. But I was alone there. Away from her while women did their best to get my attention. I couldn’t even look at them. I was awkward as fuck during conversations. PR was a nightmare when all they wanted to do was make me out to look like some playboy when I wasn’t. If I wouldn’t have had passion for the sport, I would have left it all due to that part alone. 

“Tacos! Patterson, let’s go. I’m starving!” 

Between Kip Thomas’s voice and the rumbling from my stomach, I groaned. He was the first person I met in Miami from the team, and we’d been almost inseparable since. Which was a bit odd, if I wanted to be honest. We were like night and day. I was the prude, and he was the man-whore. I had a drink or two, and he aimed to get as shitfaced as possible. I was good, but everything was a scheme to Kip. It’s exactly the reason he ended up with me here in Blue Haven. The guy could con his way into anything. Even the minors. Regardless, we got along great. He knew not to push me. He even seemed to know when to backoff without me having to say anything. It was a nice friendship. The best, really.

“Martin, dammit, I’m fucking wilting away in here. What the hell is taking you so long? I’ve lost ten pounds already. I’m skinny enough, you know I can’t afford that shit. Women like men who are buff. I’m losing my gains.”

“I’m coming.”

“Come faster.” He laughed at his own response, pausing. “That’s what she said last night before I left to the airport.”

“Jesus. I told you to keep that shit to yourself. I do not want to hear about you and…” I walked from the room, grabbing my keys as he stood from the sofa. At my delay, Kip smiled even wider.

“Don’t worry, I don’t remember her name either.”

“You’re horrible. You should really think about settling down. Find one person and date. Get to know her for more than a night or two. You may enjoy it.”

“What I’ll enjoy is eating these tacos. Let’s go.”

Surprisingly, Kip stayed quiet on our way down. Whatever he was thinking, he kept it to himself. It wasn’t until we hit the cool night air that he laughed, nudging my shoulder.

“We have the advantage. You’re from here. You played college ball for Blue Haven, and now you’re back and you’re famous. Where’s the best place to go to find chicks?”

“You know better. I don’t find chicks.”

“Nope. They find you. I’m famous too, you know, and this place is pretty small. Do you think they’d recognize me?

I threw him a look. “Probably, but don’t bank on anything. This isn’t Miami. Besides, a few months, Kip, and I’m out of here. I’ll find a way to move up into the Majors, and I can get my life straightened out enough to find her.”

“Her, her. Luciana is all you ever talk about. Aren’t you bored of waiting so long? You’re not curious at all who’s out there?”

My eyes cut over. “Not at all.”

“Not even a little?”

“No.”

“I envy you. I wish I could find somebody who I loved that much. I can’t even fathom your mindset. How long has it been four years? Five?”

“Too damn long.”

“And she’s here? In this town?”

“Not anymore.”

“That’s too damn bad, Patterson. I’m a sucker for a good love story.”

“Liar.”

He burst out in laughter, once again rocking his shoulder into me. 

“You’re right, I was just hoping to see how hot she—”

My narrowed gaze had his hands shooting up. “You can’t blame me for being curious. You’re a good-looking guy. There are millions of women out there who would drop everything to be with you. Millions, upon millions. What makes her so special?”

The question pulled me deep into thought. The amount of answers that bombarded my mind were rattling. “Of course she’s gorgeous, but that’s not it. When Luciana walks in a room, people don’t even have to be facing her to turn in her direction. She has this magical energy. It radiates. Sucks people in. She’s outgoing, but shy. Her laugh will automatically bring a smile to your face. She has the biggest heart. I once missed practice to help her at a food bank. Afterward, I quizzed her for an anatomy test. That was probably one of the best days of my life. She was so worried but determined to know it all inside and out. We laughed and came up with ways to help her remember. It sounds insane, but I truly feel like she can change the world. Her drive to help people is never-ending. She’d give her last dollar to a random stranger without a thought for herself. No. I take that back. It’s more than that. She would miraculously find a way to not only help that person out but changed their life on top of it. I’ve seen it.”

“You’ve seen it?” Kip’s head cocked to the side, and he stepped out onto the street. “Are we talking about a woman or a Saint? She doesn’t seem real. She’s not. She can’t be. I think you’re full of shit. It’s me, isn’t it? I’m the one you’re madly in love with. Admit it, Patterson. You have the hots for me. Not that I could blame you. Look at me.” His hands shot up. “I’m going to have to beat the women and men away with sticks. They’re all going to want this—”

The high pitch squeal of brakes sent my entire body almost jumping through my skin. Both mine and Kip’s head jerked to the side and headlights blinded me as they came to a jolting stop inches away. The thud of metal popped, and Kip let out a groan, wincing as he slammed his fist on the hood of the car. With where it had hit him, it was level with his knees. I surged forward, helping to bring him back to the sidewalk as the blonde driver got out and rushed up to us. A crowd was already beginning to form as voices buzzed.

“Is that Martin Patterson? Was he the one who got hit? Martin Patterson. Martin Patterson.”

Luciana

“Two minutes out.”

I looked up from the paperwork at the call, standing and sliding on gloves. I’d heard the information come in about the pedestrian who’d been struck by the car. It didn’t sound serious, but I knew as a new resident not to discount anything. It was amazing how fast the tables could turn. Not only on the medical side, but on a personal level as well. Life wasn’t what I had expected or prepared for. Nothing had gone the way I imagined. I shouldn’t have even been at Blue Haven Memorial, but location aside, I didn’t stop. I kept pushing forward with everything I had. It was the only thing I knew how to do. 

“That’s right. Martin Patterson.”

“Wait…who?” I turned towards the two nurses who were walking off, not able to stop my racing heart at the name. Had they said Martin? Was he the pedestrian? Had he been hurt and was somewhere else in the ER?

“Ramirez, head in the game. You’re with me.” 

Rawlings, my attending, didn’t wait as he headed towards the double doors. I was already on his heels, but that didn’t stop my brain from getting hijacked by flashes of the devilishly handsome Martin Patterson. Tall, wide shoulders. He had dark hair and tanned skin. His lips were on the fuller side, and those light eyes could stop any girl in their tracks. And had, from what I’d witnessed on the television.

Damn. I could still see him as clear as day. As clear as I had in Florida when I broke down after my father’s death and ran off to ask him to forgive me. Not that I ever got the chance to explain my decisions for not reaching out to him sooner. I didn’t make it four steps inside the restaurant I’d been told he was at before I realized what a mistake I’d made. He was standing, talking to Kip Thomas, when a blonde in a tight fitted black dress grabbed his arm and held on for dear life. I ran out almost immediately, my brother’s words echoing behind me. It was too much on top of my dad’s passing. Especially since both losses had been my fault.

“I’m telling you, I’m fine.”

The roaring voice had me breathing out in relief. It definitely wasn’t Martin.

As the paramedics wheeled in the stretcher, I felt myself stiffen. I may not have known the blond who went from pissed to philanderer at the sight of me, but I did recognize that suddenly charming face. That was the same Kip Thomas from the restaurant, and if he was here—

“Patterson! Hurry up before they do something crazy and cut off my leg. Not you though, sweetie. You’re fine.” He winked at me, following my every move as the paramedic continued with his stats. None of which I heard. I was looking to the entrance as it got further away. Staring at the one person I wasn’t sure I could face. And Martin…he looked at me as if he were seeing a ghost.

“Ramirez?”

All I could do was nod at Rawlings as we stopped, and I began my assessment. Over the last few years there was little that could take me from my zone, but I was finding Martin’s overpowering presence not feet away to be quite the battle. The minutes were torture, and all I wanted to do was hide. I looked over the chart, feeling around Kip’s knee, and glancing up to my attending. 

“Vitals are good. The patient appears stable. I don’t believe either knee is broken, but I’d like to get an x-ray to be safe.”

No words. Rawlings wasn’t much of a talker. He gave his nod of approval and left. It was the patient’s grip on my wrist that didn’t have me racing from the room as well.

“Thanks, Doc. I’m new here. I’m—”

“I know who you are. Nice to finally meet you, Kip.” I gave him a smile, easing from his light hold.

“You know me? Patterson, you hear that? She knows me. Told you I was famous like you.”

The smile wasn’t returned as Martin stepped closer. His eyes ate me alive. They held more emotion than I could begin to allow myself to feel. 

“Luciana…I thought.” He stopped, positioning himself in front of me. “What are you doing here? Why aren’t you in Cambridge? What about Harvard?”

“Wait, what? This is her? This is the one?”

I ignored the shocked voice behind me. My entire body was shaking as I tried not to let myself melt at how gorgeous Martin was. His hair was slightly longer, and his chiseled jawline appeared more defined. Had he impossibly gotten more good looking over the years? He definitely had.

“Things change. It’s nice to see you again, Martin. Best of luck with the team. If you’ll excuse me. I have other patients to check on.”

****

I almost hadn’t thought Martin was going to let me leave. Even as I stared at the curtain he stood behind, I was sure he was going to sweep out from behind it and demand an explanation. He’d been so headstrong in our youth. A little too much at times, but I didn’t see the impulsiveness I once had. Martin had appeared wounded. Almost…hurt at me being here. I didn’t understand it. The friend called me ‘the one’ but he couldn’t have meant it in that way. After all, didn’t Martin have his pick of women? Hadn’t he been with plenty over the years? It appeared so. Thing was, most players needed an image. Martin warned me about that when we were talking over our plans for school. Surely, I hadn’t played into the narrative.

Focusing on the papers before me, I tried to ignore how work was my escape. 

One patient’s chart. 

Another. 

I fixated on people’s pain instead of facing my own. How many times had I buried myself in the reality of the present moment instead of facing problems or dilemmas? 

My awareness was aggravating. Ignorance was bliss, and I hadn’t been oblivious to my coping mechanisms in quite a while. The fact that I could even analyze the situation told me I was making excuses. I might have possibly even allowed myself to see things that weren’t quite there. It made sense that I would try to protect myself against any more pain. Could I lose someone else I loved? Could I lose Martin again?

Voices rose in the distance, drawing my gaze up. A loud laugh broke through the space, followed by a growl. I could have placed that deep, rumbling from anywhere. The sound sent chills down my body. Once upon a time, I’d heard that threatening tone, but it wasn’t a scary threat. More…sexual. Possessive. Claiming. And every single time I heard it it was always for me.

Like a switch had been flipped inside me for the first time in years, it was as though I woke up from a deep sleep. I pushed from the desk, heading to the break room at a quick pace. Was I running away? Was I afraid? Too many questions kept coming. Coming. God, I could come from that growl alone. Maybe I would. I was due for a break, wasn’t I?

“Luciana? I’m sorry. Dr. Ramirez?”

Within seconds footsteps jogged up from behind me. The hum covering my body wouldn’t subside. I swallowed hard, turning to face the one person I couldn’t get over. Pain, longing, they swallowed me whole as our eyes met.

“Martin, is Mr. Thomas okay? They should be picking him up for x-ray soon.”

“Kip is fine. The damn car barely bumped him. Listen, I know you’re working, but we need to talk.”

“Do we?” The stunned widening of his eyes had me letting out a shaky breath. “I’m sorry. I didn’t mean that the way it sounded. It’s been quite the day. Follow me.”

He gave a quick nod, following close behind. When I made it to an empty room, I turned inside, shutting us in. Martin licked his lips, shoving his hands in his pockets. 

“So, you’re back in Blue Haven? And a doctor?”

“Yes.” I paused, not quite sure how much he knew, or what to even say. “I just finished my internship. I still have a ways to go.”

“Here? What happened to Cambridge? Did you even go to Harvard?”

“I…did. For a while. I graduated, started med school.”

At my hesitation, Martin shifted. “You didn’t finish there?”

“No. I transferred here. My dad was killed on his way home from visiting me. You know how far it was away, and he tried to do the long drive every weekend. My mom and brother…it was better this way. They needed me here. Jaime.” My fists tightened at my side as reality filtered through. “He hasn’t been so good lately, and mom, she took my dad’s death really hard.”

“Lucy, I’m so sorry.” My eyes closed as his hand flattened on my back and he pulled me in to his arms. Comfort hit me like the most secure safety blanket. I felt myself melt into him. There was a weight that seemed to lift that I didn’t even know I was holding. “Why didn’t you call me? I would have come. I could have been there for you.”

Images of the blonde woman had me pulling away. 

“Thank you, but I’m fine.”

“Fine? You lost your dad. Your mom has to be devastated. They were your world. You’re not fine.”

“Martin.”

“Lucy. You can’t pretend with me. I see right through this tough act. You can talk to me.”

My teeth clenched as I stood straighter. My eyes welled with tears and there was nothing I could do to stop them. This was not how I wanted my reunion to go with the one man who had stopped my world. The one I oddly felt myself around. Martin had been my best friend. The love of my life. Now, here he was, genuinely concerned over my wellbeing.  

“It was hard. I did…go to see you after it happened. You were busy, and that’s okay. Really. I just wanted you to—”

“Wait, you came to Florida?”

“I should have called.”

My step back had Martin taking a step closer.

“When?”

“I really should go. They might need me—”

“Luciana, when?”

As if I needed to think back on the date. It was burned into my memory like a brand: hot, blistering, and raw.

“January tenth.” At his narrowed stare, my shoulders sunk in. “A little over two years ago.”

“Two.” It wasn’t a question. “Two years. January. Why did you leave without seeing me?”

“Like I said, you were busy.”

“Busy doing what, because I seriously can’t think of anything I would have rather been doing than seeing you.” The anger was evident but not overpowering. “Do you know how long I’ve been trying to get ahold of you? You changed your number. You didn’t answer my emails. I know I fucked up that day me and Jaime fought, but I thought…”

“Martin, don’t.”

“It has to be said. I scared you. We had talked about this, and I couldn’t let you go. I was selfish. Greedy. I just…fuck, Lucy. You were everything to me.”

“And you moved on. It was fine. Now, really, I need to get going.”

“Not until you repeat that.”

Martin’s tone was deeper as he closed the distance. Words wouldn’t come, more or less my breath. The determination only grew as the back of my legs connected with the bed in the center of the room. 

“What do you mean, I moved on?”

Still, I couldn’t speak. I wasn’t sure if Martin wanted to shake me or kiss me. The bewilderment on his face was probably as obvious as my sudden uncertainty. 

“There was a woman on your arm. A blonde.”

“Absolutely not. Where?”

“I can’t remember the name. You were at a restaurant. You were talking to someone. Kip,” I mumbled. “She walked up and grabbed your arm.”

His head shook repeatedly. “That didn’t happen.”

“I know what I saw, Martin.” Anger drove me around him as I headed for the door.

“But it’s not like you think. Luciana, wait.” 

Stopping, I held to the door handle like an anchor. One more word. One more shot in my armor, and I was going to be the one falling. And not in love. The love was there. I’d be falling from this cliff I’d managed to cling to since fate kicked this little princess off her pedestal. Nothing had gone right since the day Martin left me, and every choice I had made after that hadn’t been any better. 

“If for a moment you think I fell out of love with you, you’d be wrong. If you thought I moved on from what we had…wrong. There’s only one reason I returned to Blue Haven and it wasn’t this contract. I never expected to find you here, but that doesn’t mean I wasn’t going to try to mend things with your family and find you. Luciana, please look at me.”

Facing my past, my decisions, my heart, was the hardest thing I ever had to do. I slowly turned, trying to swallow past my closing throat. 

“Lucy.” Martin stepped in, cupping my face in his large hands. “I’m sorry you had to see some woman do that. I’m even more sorry you believed it. Time hasn’t been nice to you, but that can change now. I can talk to your brother. I can make this right.”

“No, you can’t. Don’t go near him. He. Just. I…I have to go.”

Martin

One minute Luciana was there, the next she was stepping back into the door and opening it to scurry through. Nothing about her reaction made sense. I felt her soften in my arms; sigh in relief. It was evident, she needed me more than ever. 

So, why was she running away? It’s not like we were kids anymore. We could make our own decisions.

The question replayed in my head. Over and over, it suffocated me, leaving me desperate to do something. Hours went by. Days. I found myself walking the five blocks to the hospital, only to resort to the damn coffee shop across the street from it. The start of practice with my new team was quickly approaching, and it was the last thing from my mind. 

“Let me guess, you’re somewhere you don’t belong. Again.”

The slur was unmistakable. What I was caught off guard by was the strong smell of liquor. I looked up, raising my eyebrow at Jaime. There were many things I could have said. Things I wanted to say. For Luciana’s sake, I kept my tone light. Even welcoming as I patted the chair next to me.

“Probably. Why don’t you have a seat.”

“I’m good. What the hell are you doing here, Martin?”

I looked around at his raise tone. A random man was looking over, but I had my suspicions it was more about my presence than Jaime’s loud voice.

“I’m having coffee. Would you like one?”

There was a slight pause as Jaime looked between me and the short line at the counter.

“I can get my own coffee.”

“Will you come back to talk after you do?”

His eyes narrowed and the anger returned.

“You’re not seeing my sister again if that’s what this nice act is all about. You already ruined her life once. You’re not going to do it again.”

“Ruined her life? How did I do that? I left, Jaime, just like you wanted. Not that it’s what I wanted. Or Luciana. What did she want?” I did stand, then, and I couldn’t stop myself. My anger was growing as well, and the more I thought about how much Luciana had suffered, the more it was obvious how preventable it was. I should have been there for her. Even if by stupid electronics, she would have felt my presence. She could have shared her burden instead of taking it all upon herself. Lucy fucking needed me, and she hadn’t had that. Because of what…this guy? 

“What’s going on here?”

The soft voice was like water to a flame. I took a deep breath, turning to see slightly pink tinted cheeks from the cool air. Luciana’s breath was even heavy as she stood there in her scrubs and white jacket. Damn, she looked beautiful. 

“Jaime and I were grabbing some coffee. You want one?”

“I can get my sister coffee. We don’t need you for that.”

The rapid threat in Spanish had Jaime’s jaw flexing. He didn’t say a word as he headed for the counter. Luciana’s eyes came to me. 

“I wish the two of you wouldn’t have run into each other. How’s Kip?”

She quickly changed the conversation, lowering to the chair at my wave.

“He’s doing great. Bruised a little, but he’s walking just fine. He’s even going on a date with the woman who hit him with his car. Go figure.”

“Fate.” Luciana’s smile fell and she glanced to Jaime. Her brother wasn’t taking his eyes off us.

“How long has he been drinking like that?”

“You picked up on that?”

“It’s not hard to.”

She nodded. “I guess not. I really didn’t want you to see him like this. Or at all, really. It started when Papa died. I’ve tried to get him help but he refuses. And it’s only getting worse. I pick him up. I stitch him up. I bail him out. I’m…tired.” 

Brown eyes came over to me and her weak smile stayed in place. I went to reach for her hand, drawing my fingers into my palm so I wouldn’t make this worse for her. One move and Jaime would snap. Lucy didn’t need that on top of the stress. 

“I’m here. I know that sounds superficial, but I mean it. All you have to do is call me. My number hasn’t changed.”

The sobering of her face had me sitting straighter. 

“Jaime deleted it from my phone before my number was changed. Your number, your parent’s number. Of all the things I can remember…I can’t remember them. I tried. Then after Florida, I guess I quit trying so hard.”

The anger rolled back through at the thought of her thinking I’d moved on. “And my email?”

She shrugged. “It took me a year to figure out the password. Jaime changed that too. Even the questions for me to break into it. But between the way we parted and school…I buried myself in work. It took me months afterward to even open your messages. It was so nice reading your letters. Like home, if that makes sense. By the time I did get the nerve to write, even after Florida, I just couldn’t put this burden on you. You were doing so good with your new life. I wasn’t.” 

“You were never a burden. You could never be, Luciana. I wish you would have written. God, I would have dropped everything to do what I could for you. Even if all you wanted was a weekend away to breathe, I would have given you that.”

Her smile turned genuine, faltering as Jaime walked up, pulling out the chair. The loud scratching of metal on the tile floor drew more eyes than one.

“Where were we. Oh right. I was telling you to stay the hell away from my sister.”

Luciana took her coffee, her expression tightening as she leaned towards her brother. 

“Don’t. We’ve talked about this.”

“Yeah, we knew he was coming, but this nice act changes nothing. Father didn’t want him for you.”

“Wrong,” Luciana snapped. “He didn’t want anyone for me at that time. It wasn’t about Martin, it was about me. I did what Papa wanted. I did what you wanted. Now, I take care of myself. That means I choose what and who is best for me. I decide.”

“Like you decided to come back to Blue Haven?” Jaime’s glare turned to her. “You didn’t have to do that, Luciana. I had it taken care of. Me and Mama were doing just find. We didn’t need a savior to swoop in and rescue us.”

“No, you just needed money for the mortgage so Mama wouldn’t lose her house.” Her words were gritted between her teeth as she pushed to stand. “We’re not doing this, Jaime. Go home. Sober up. I have to get ready for work.” Luciana’s eyes were full of tears and anger as she moved her gaze to me. “I’m sorry you had to hear this. It was good seeing you again.” She turned, stopping only steps to the door. “That weekend is starting to sound pretty good.”

With that, she surged through and left. Jaime turned his anger to me, but he was met with a glare just as serious as his own. My rage knew no bounds when all I cared for was protecting Lucy. 

“Don’t cross me, Martin.”

“Or what? You’ll start another fight with me? End up getting arrested again? Put your mother through that grief? Make Luciana even angrier at you?”

“You’re not for her.”

“I’ll let her decide that.” I stood, grabbing my coffee. “In the meantime, get your shit together. Sober the hell up. You’re a damn good man to look after his sister like you do, and you’re better than this, Jaime. We both know it.”

I left Jaime in the coffee shop. With Luciana not far ahead, I jogged to the hospital, trying to catch her. The only place I could think of her to be was the ER. That’s where she’d been working before. As I headed towards the large red emergency letters, I heard my name being called out. My head spun towards a small courtyard between the buildings, and I smiled, jogging towards the gazebo in the center. 

Luciana was sitting there, nursing her coffee. The lid was off and she was blowing over the top, waiting for it to cool.

“Looking for someone?”

Stepping onto the elevated floor, I moved in, sitting next to her. 

“Maybe.” Our eyes met and all I wanted to do was lean forward and kiss her. “Were you serious about the weekend? My parents still have the cabin. I can give you the key for a getaway…or…we can go together.”

“Together?” Lucy’s lips pulled back as she hid half her face behind the Styrofoam coffee cup. She couldn’t escape me enough to cover the blush surfacing on her cheeks. That sure as hell wasn’t from the cold. “Well. I mean.”

“Just think about it. You don’t have to decide right now. You do remember the cabin, right?”

More color, and her smile grew as she laughed and hid herself behind the cup even more.

“I remember.”

“You sure? It was an entire weekend.” I angled my head to see her better. “I may be a little foggy on the details. Let me see if I get this straight. If I recall, our first time was right in that first, little bedr—”

“I remember.”

“We couldn’t even make it to the master bedroom. We could barely make it to the bed. Did we even leave that room the first day?

The coffee lowered as her eyes darted to mine. “Only a few times, but not for long.”

“That weekend was amazing.”

She nodded. “Better than that.”

My mouth opened, surprised. “Better than in the back of my truck on Look Out Point? I stole the mattress off my bed so we’d be comfortable. And the stars. You have to admit, they were unbelievable.”

“But the mosquitos, they nearly carried us away.” 

“True,” I laughed. “I think I was itching my ass for a week after that. Damn bites.”

We both laughed, again coming back to gaze into each other’s eyes.

“We had some great times.”

“The best,” I agreed. So, how about it? Do you want to build on those times with me? Maybe another cabin trip? I promise to be on my best behavior.”

Luciana’s eyes narrowed as she took in my face. Was I pleading with my expression as much as I had been with my tone? I felt like a man who was about to either win the lottery or lose his best friend all over again.

“I’m working this weekend, but.” She stopped, glancing down at her coffee. After a few seconds, she peered up, locking eyes head on with me. No uncertainty. No fear. No hesitation. 

“I’m free the Monday after. I get off at eleven. It’s late, but if you want to grab a bite to eat there’s a restaurant that stays open until after midnight. It’s by the stadium. I can meet you there if you want.”

“Is it the one at the bottom of Miranda Flats? Freddie’s?”

“That’s it.”

My smile only grew. “I’m in that building. I’m on the top floor.”

“Is that right?” Luciana’s eyes swept the expanse of my chest before handing over her phone. The want was obvious. It made it almost impossible to program in my number. When I gave it back, she stood. “I guess I’ll see you there. You have my number if you want to text in the meantime.”

Luciana

Martin: You can’t be serious!?! That band’s still your favorite after all this time?

Me: They’re the best! Plus…great memories.

Martin: Tell me about it. Tonight’s the big night. Are you ready to make more? I’ve been counting down the days. Literally.

Me: Me too. I’m excited. Getting ready now!

When it came to life and death, I was prepared to deal with the trauma aspect concerning death. I could save the most desperate victim. I could bring a life back from the brink. But my own everyday life, I was doomed. And soaking wet, like a drowned cat. Had I ever showered so fast? Nothing could have prepared me for slipping off my scrubs and grabbing that damn black dress from my closet as I raced for my shower. What was I doing? Was I ready for this? With Martin?

Our texts from the last few days left me giddy. I snatched the black thongs nearly falling as I pulled them up. The sexy bra and dress came next. 

Was I ready? Oh yeah. I was ready for one thing. But that would lead to more. I couldn’t ignore the ramifications. If I committed to going as far as sex, I was committed. Period. Martin wasn’t someone you slept with and left. If it was once, it was forever, and the same applied for me. It’s just who we were as people. And we wanted each other. We always had. So…I looked in the mirror. Is this what I wanted? Is it what he wanted, still? He could have changed in his time away. Maybe I was reading into this wrong and he was doing all of this for a fling. 

No. That wasn’t it. Was it?

The mirror reflected the wildness in my round eyes. I was afraid. Terrified, if I wanted to be honest. This was trouble on more levels than I even wanted to process. My brother was one thing, but we had our careers, our goals. It was a lot to figure out.

“You think too much.”

I jumped, spinning to the partially opened door.

“Mama.”

“That looks nice. You’re leaving?”

“Yes.” I grabbed the towel, using it to squeeze the water from my hair. “I have a date.”

“With Martin?”

Stopping, I looked up. “Jaime told you.”

“He mentioned your run-in at the coffee shop a few days back.”

“Are you mad, too?”

She grinned, leaning against the frame. “At love? You can’t be mad at something like that. Especially if it’s lasted this long. I tried telling that to your brother, but you know Jaime.”

“Where is he? Is he coming back tonight?”

“Not that I’m aware of. He’s been different since he told me about that meeting with Martin. Seems something was bothering him, but he didn’t want to talk about what it was. I worry about him so much.”

“I know you do, Mama. It’ll be okay, though.”

“You’re right.” She leaned in, kissing my cheek. “Have fun tonight, Luciana. I’m off to bed.”

As I watched her go, I couldn’t stop the conflicting emotions. So much time had passed, yet here I was again: same house, same feelings, and same Martin dilemma. I was so deep in thought I barely remembered the ride to the restaurant. It wasn’t until Martin stood from the booth that I sobered through the haze completely. His aura alone was like a thief. My mind went from one fixation to another. Him. And damn did he look good in those black slacks and white button up long-sleeve. He was even wearing a tie…which might have been dress code. This was the fanciest place in Blue Haven.

“Wow. You look gorgeous. I always did love when you left your hair down.”

“Thank you. You look very nice, yourself.”

Martin gestured to the side of the booth, leaning inches from my neck as I faced the seat. The closeness stopped me from sliding in, and I found myself turning to stand before him, staring up like a love-struck idiot.

“You smell good, too.” He licked his lips, lingering over mine before meeting my gaze. “I bet you taste better.”

Taste? Was he talking about a kiss or…tasting somewhere else? 

Martin smiled devilishly, easing me to sit. I was still trying to figure it out as he sat across and grabbed my hand.

“Tell me something. Anything. Everything. Fill in the rest of the years for me, Lucy. I want to be caught up on everything.”

I laughed, grabbing my glass of water, thinking over what I hadn’t already told him through text. “This will take a while and be a bit boring, but if that’s what you want.”

“I do. Just after this.” The waiter walked up, placing down two different appetizers. When he poured us wine and took our orders, I raised one of my eyebrows to Martin. He winked, rubbing his thumb over my fingers. 

“I hope you don’t mind; I ordered these ahead. They were once your favorite. Besides, it was fancy fig-things or something-puffs and I can’t imagine you wanting that. You like the good stuff: mozzarella sticks and potato wedges.”

“I’m impressed.” As I grabbed one, I brought my attention to our other hands. Martin was still caressing my digits, teasing me more than he knew. Fuck, it was always the little things with him. Little touches. Little gestures. They added up to an irresistible, big package. One I could never resist when it concerned him.

“Now that we got that out of the way, please, continue. Tell me all about Luciana Ramirez and her adventures through college. I want to know the best times, the hardest. Especially, the craziest. Did you do anything daring or out of character? I have all night.”

Stuffing the rest of the potato wedge in my mouth, I held my hand up, squaring my shoulders dramatically as I chewed. Martin’s smile grew and I swallowed, clearing my throat. 

“School was school. I wish more than anything I had crazy tales of parties and dancing until the late hours of night. The wildest time I had in those early days was when Lexi, my roommate, added too much soap into the washer and flooded the laundry mat. We got in this huge soap battle. We were wet. Itchy. I busted my butt on the soap and had the biggest bruise that lasted for weeks. It was all studying, binging snacks and caffeine, and lots of hair-pulling stress. Oh, and work. I worked at a café in the morning, and waitressed at a fancy Italian restaurant at night.”

“No dates? No parties?”

“Sure, people asked me out, but I wasn’t at college to date or have fun. You know me, Martin, I had things to prove, and I had kicked major ass for a while.” 

“But your dad.”

I nodded. “I’ve spent years in therapy trying to convince myself it wasn’t my fault. He died after visiting me. He was driving home. It was raining. I know accidents happen. They happen every day, but to us? To him? It felt surreal. If he hadn’t had stayed so late for dinner, or…maybe he was tired on top of the rain. I don’t know. It was late for him. He’s always gone to sleep early, but I was running behind getting out of work, and it was one thing after another that day. So many delays. Even construction was rerouting us on our way to dinner. I know it wasn’t my fault, but do you see how I can’t help but question it?”

Martin squeezed my hand. “I do. And I’m sorry for that. I’m sorry for all of it. Life is…cruel sometimes.”

“I used to wonder.” I stopped myself, but Martin squeezed again, encouraging me to continue. “I used to wonder if I would have gone with you, would things have been different? Would we be happy? Married? Together still? Would my dad be alive? Would I have excelled further than I did? I have so many questions. I guess they’re pointless. Mama says I think too much. She’s right.”

“Luciana.” He lifted my hand, kissing against my fingers. “Your thoughts are valid. We can’t help but wonder things. I do that all the time. What if I wouldn’t have left? If I would have fought harder for you, or made you come with me? Truth is, I think it all happens for a reason. Had we not been separated, my love for you wouldn’t have been tested. Seeing you again…God. I wish I could describe it. But it’s the lessons we learn that makes us who we need to be. You say excel; I say it’s not over. You can go as far as you want. You can see if we’ll last. If we’ll be happy together. I think we were once perfect for each other, and we’d be even more so now. But we’ll never know the answer to any of it unless we give it a try. Question is, what’s driving you? How bad do you want any of it? Me, your career? Are you willing to fight for either one? Both? Or maybe you’re tired of fighting. I wouldn’t blame you for that.”

“Fighting is what I do. It’s all I know.”

“No one is doubting that for a second. But will you? Because even being here with me tonight is going to cause issues. You know that. I wouldn’t blame you if you wanted to stay away from me. Not that I’d like it.”

I eased my hand back, grabbing my wine. I couldn’t deny seeing Martin again stirred my love for him. The comfort I felt when I was with him was still there. I could tell him anything. Hell, I just had. But he was right to point out the drama that would accompany us choosing each other. Plus, he was only just now back. We’d have to get to know each other all over again. Sure, we shared a past and a couple of hundred new texts. Maybe that wasn’t enough. What if we weren’t compatible as adults? What if things had changed and it wasn’t for the better? I wouldn’t know unless I gave this a chance. I had missed him. There wasn’t a day that went by where I didn’t wonder how he was. If he was happy. The sadness that I didn’t know was absolutely devastating. But it didn’t have to be like that anymore. Martin was right here, and he was wanting to be with me. Or at least try to see if things would work. I was right in us being on the same page in what we’d like to happen.

“I’ve never backed down from a challenge. I’m not starting now. I can deal with my family, but there’s so much more than that. There’s just a lot of obstacles in our path. Soon you’ll be away for games and maybe entirely if you move to the majors. There’s a lot to figure out, but it can be done if that’s what we decide. It’s going to come down to me and you. Our connection again. Is it just as strong?” 

“Feels pretty damn strong to me, but there’s only one way to find out.”

My body heated as his knee brushed against mine. I quickly jumped into finding out more about him.

“Tell me what you’ve been doing since you left.”

“The only two things that have mattered: thinking of you and playing ball. And eating, fitness, and school.”

“You hadn’t decided on a path before you left.”

“You inspired me. I needed to do something other than ball, so I stuck with what I loved. I went for sports medicine and did pretty damn good, if I do say so, myself.

“Sports medicine. Excellent choice.” 

I laughed and Martin scooted closer to the table, grabbing around my wrists to caress his thumbs over my forearms. He couldn’t seem to keep his hands off me, and I didn’t mind in the least. I wanted his touch and craved to feel more of him.

“It’s a start. I can’t play ball forever. At least now I can have something to fall or build on if I choose.”

“I think it’s perfect.”

“I think you’re perfect. Thank you for coming here and meeting me. I wasn’t sure when I saw you again that you’d want to have anything to do with me after the way we left things.”

“Well, you did give my brother a black eye. Not to mention, you chipped his tooth.”

“In all fairness, he nearly broke my nose and hand. Do you know how much trouble I got in from my coach about that? I’m a pitcher. My hand is the Holy Grail. Luckily, it was only bruised.” His smile faltered as multiple expressions played out over his handsome face. “Luciana, I didn’t want to leave you.”

“I know. I don’t think either of us were ready for that day. But look at us now. Look at you. I’ve been keeping tabs on your career and each year you get insanely better. It doesn’t even seem possible. I’m excited for you, Martin. You’re going to do such amazing things for Blue Haven. The Jets don’t even know how lucky they are to have you.”

Martin

After the hell I’d gone through in the past few years, how did I get so lucky? Why had fate finally decided to step in and put me in their favor? This had to be a dream. Was Luciana really sitting here with me at this table, having a conversation about us? The last few days didn’t seem real. It’s not like we were close to getting back together. I knew that. But the fact that she was even willing to give me a chance to prove myself was everything.

“Whoo! That’s right, make way for my queen.”

My head jerked over at the loud yell. I knew that voice. What the hell was Kip up to now? Falling glasses sounded from around the corner and sure enough, he came stumbling in. His arm was around a blonde, who looked just as wasted as him. No. That wasn’t just any blonde. That was the woman who hit him with her car.

Kip’s arm tightened around her shoulders as he pulled her in to kiss her forehead. She laughed at the gesture, using her grip around his waist so that she wouldn’t fall. She was wearing jeans, boots, and a T-shirt, but it was the elaborate cursive that spelled bride across the front that had me cursing and sitting up straighter.

“Isn’t that—”

Luciana couldn’t even finish before Kip spotted us.

“Martin, my man! My bestfriend. There you are. I thought I might find you here. Where the hell have you been? I’ve been trying to reach you for…ever.”

The words slurred as he bumped into another table on his way to us. I threw Luciana a look that said I was sorry, but she was still staring at the trainwreck, just as shocked as me. I quickly stood helping Kip and the woman to the side of the booth I was sitting. The last thing Kip needed was to get in trouble before we even started practice.

“What are you doing? You’re wasted. Are you crazy?”

He laughed as I slid in next to Luciana, snuggling the blonde into him even more. 

“What does it look like I’m doing? I’m following your advice. You said I needed to settle down. I am. I’m married!”

“You’re joking.” The blonde instantly pouted telling me he was indeed not pulling one of his pranks. “Holy shit. You’re serious.”

“Me and Amanda tied the knot this afternoon. We just flew back from Vegas.”

“Is that right?” I glanced over to Luciana. She gave me a weak smile and tried to appear happy, but we were both stunned.”

“Is this the Amanda who hit you with her car? The same one you just met last week?”

Kip smiled even bigger at Luciana, nodding. “Damn right. Can you believe it? She’s perfect for me. She’s a baseball genius. Ooh, Amanda, tell them my stats.”

“I’ve had the biggest crush on Kip since he got recruited from the Warriors and went to the Marlins. I know all his numbers. When I hit him with my car, it was like God, himself, put me on that street for a reason.  For him. Isn’t this great?”

Kip’s eyes rolled back a little as I threw him a look. He was gone. So freaking wasted. “…Yeah. I guess this is just a bit unexpected.” Fuck yes it was. Of all the advice I’d given my best friend: put up the blankets when you’re finished sleeping on the couch; wash your own damn underwear and stop sneaking them in with mine; don’t drink my last beer; you really shouldn’t fuck random women; why listen this time? What was he thinking? I said settle down, but I sure as hell didn’t mean with the first person who showed interest. 

I looked between the two, wondering what the hell had happened since Kip had been away. He said their date went well, but he didn’t elaborate. Had I missed something? My friend wasn’t the marrying type. My advice couldn’t have left that much of an impact.

“Chill, Patterson. You’re worried. Don’t be, I’m so damn happy. I am, Martin. This was meant to be. Amanda’s going to.” He stopped, looking down at her. “Make me happy, and what did you call it? Tie me down for good? So good? Oh, no wait. I’m thinking of something else.” He laughed, swaying. I glanced to Luciana as she gave me a concerned look. The blonde didn’t look much better than Kip. Her lids were a heavy and she couldn’t quit yawning despite her excitement.

“Silly. I did say I was gonna tie you down, but we were talking about marriage. I never expected you to actually ask me.”

“Did I? I thought you were the one who asked me? I’m positive you were because then I remembered Martin. He’ll be gone soon. My damn best friend. He’s getting hitched in the next few months. I guarantee it. Married…like me now. Now we’re the same. Martin, we should buy houses next door to each other. We’ll get matching push mowers and do that shit old school. It could be fun. Married. Mowers.”

“No.” Amanda’s head shook, still stuck on Kip’s question. “I think I asked you but only after you joked about it. You brought up marriage first. Or…did I? Then…No. It’s all a bit blurry. It’s…” Amanda blinked a few times, glancing back over to Kip. Her earlier enthusiasm seemed to be fading and I wasn’t sure that was such a good thing. Reality was beginning to dawn on at least her. Kip seemed too far gone.

 “Perhaps I did ask. But…No. It’ll be…fine. Great. I told Daddy he wouldn’t regret this decision. I…Just wait until my Kippy gets on the field this year. I…” Tears. They welled in her eyes as she looked around, mumbling almost incoherently. She stopped on me and Luciana. For the first time, it was as if she were realizing we were complete strangers. “I don’t feel so good.”

“Why don’t you come with me? We’ll get you washed up real quick.”

“Wait.” Kip blinked as he looked down at her. “What do you mean your daddy won’t regret this decision? Who the hell’s your dad?”

My hand shot up, trying to calm Kip before he made another scene. 

“Amanda, what’s your last name?”

“Fierno. My daddy owns this team. I’m the one who begged him to bring y’all in. See…it was meant to be. Wasn’t it? I mean, who hits their dream guy? Right?”

Kip’s face shot to me, fear taking over his expression for the first time since I’d met him. He looked down at his left hand and then looked back up. Down. Up. Down. He blinked hard, turning back to Amanda as he seemed to sober up. Horror had him shaking his head as she knocked over a glass of water.

“Holy fuck. Patterson. Holy shit.”

Amanda’s hands flattened on the table. “I think I’m going to be sick.”

“Martin, you bastard.” More slurring, but from across the room. Me and Luciana’s heads snapped over just as Jaime crashed into a waiter. Vomit sprayed across the table and Lucy was climbing over me to help pull Amanda out from the booth before I could stop Kip from jumping up to his feet from the threat. 

“I know you’re not talking about my friend, you son of a bitch.”

“Whoa! He’s cool. I can handle it.” I grabbed to Kip as I tried not to gag from Amanda’s heaves. Luciana was holding her hair back, pushing a now empty bowl in front of her, but it wasn’t doing much good as she dramatically burst into tears. Her head kept shaking and the sobs quickly were joined by a shrill cry. 

“I thought I told you to stay away from my sister. Did you think I was playing? Did you think because you were some big hotshot that I was gonna let you get away with it?”

“Jaime, you’re drunk.” I jerked Kip back from trying to take a step forward. “Please, your sister doesn’t need this right now. Look around. You’re not the only one that’s upset.”

“I don’t give a shit. They’re not my priority, she is.”

Spanish filtered through from Lucy causing him to curse. His reply was just as fast, but not nearly as angry as his English.

“We don’t want to make a bigger scene than we already have. Why don’t we take this outside or up to my apartment? These nice people are just trying to have dinner. Let’s not make it worse.”

“I’m going to be in so much trouble. I’m married. My d-daddy’s going to kill me.”

“You?” Kip exploded. “He’s going to kill me! My fucking career is over.”

“Everyone outside!”

Luciana’s booming voice sent the entire restaurant into silence. You could have heard a pin drop. 

“Amanda, let’s go.” In a calming voice, she led the sobbing girl towards the front door. That didn’t change the fact of what I just heard. The woman of my dreams held all the authority. That wouldn’t have been the case years ago. She knew how to react and what to do to douse the most chaotic situation, and no one hesitated to follow her order. She’d blossomed. Grown. Jaime headed towards the entrance. Kip started walking on his own. Me. I tagged along behind wondering how we’d gone from the perfect night to the perfect shitshow.

“I’m so sorry. Please bill my room,” I rushed out to the hostess as we broke into the lobby of the building. When the cool air hit my face from outside, I couldn’t help but take a deep breath. I headed to Luciana, growling for Kip to knock his shit off as I passed by. The two men took a seat on the bench outside, and Amanda was still bawling about how much trouble she was going to be in as Luciana tried to calm her.

“Listen to me, we all make mistakes. Maybe this isn’t even a mistake. You and Kip obviously have chemistry. Why don’t you let me get you a cab and we’ll get you home? You can sleep on it. Tomorrow you and Kip can decide what you’ll do. There’s no reason to freak out about it right now. What’s done is done.”

Amanda nodded, confessing more to Lucy as they waited for a cab. It took forever. Jaime and Kip ended up passing out on the bench. When Luciana headed back over, her eyes rolled, and she let out a deep sigh. 

“If I didn’t love him, I would leave Jaime out here to sleep, and pray for rain. I can’t believe he came to the restaurant.  He must have gone back to Mama’s. He’s drunk…again. I guess I’m just glad he’s not being arrested. I’m sorry he added to.” She glanced over. “Well, that.”

I laughed. “It’s okay. Really, it is. Why don’t you leave him here with me? He can sleep at my apartment with Kip. When we wake up in the morning, we’ll deal with this once and for all.”

“You think?”

“I know.”

I couldn’t stop myself from pulling her into my arms. My kiss started light, barely brushing her lips. When Luciana slid her tongue into my mouth, my arm tightened around her lower back, pulling her in. I kissed her like my life depended on it. The biggest part of it did. She was everything. I didn’t want to keep living this every day mundane existence like Florida if she wasn’t with me. 

“I should head home. If you’re not tired after you get them upstairs, you know where my window is. I’ll leave it unlocked like old times. That is…if you’re up for it.”

Luciana

Music always made everything better. It started off with my adrenaline pounding from Martin’s kiss. I didn’t miss a single word in the lyrics of my favorite song. I was on beat. I was practically screaming the chorus as I rounded the corner to my street. Everything was perfect until I realized what was going to be happening soon. Sex. I was about to have sex for crying out loud. It’s not that I didn’t want to. Hell, I was primed and ready to go. I was going to have the fastest release in the history of man. But I was at my parent’s house. Gross. Something about that wasn’t the same as when I was 18 and fresh out of high school. Why hadn’t I thought this through? Should I rent a hotel room? Maybe it was time I got my own apartment.

Dammit. What I should have done is left my brother and Kip outside to sleep it off with the pigeons and have Martin take me to his place.

I pulled into the driveway, putting the car in park. For minutes I didn’t move. All I could think about was if my bed was going to be too loud. Or me. What if I screamed during orgasm? I’d done that before. Lots, actually. The last thing I wanted was Mama running in to find us like that. I’d be mortified. I’d never live it down. Then I wouldn’t be able to look at my mother without knowing she’d seen us like that. Or at least heard me. Double gross.

Picking up my phone, I dialed Martin’s number. I didn’t even have a chance to hang up before I jumped at the knock on my window. He stood there smiling as I rolled it down.

“You’re still in your car. Second thoughts?”

“Only about the location. I don’t know if I can go through with it here. It’s…weird.”

“Unlock the doors. Let me in.”

Relief flooded through as I obeyed. Martin climbed in the passenger side, leaning over to capture my lips with his. “How much time do you have? Do you have to work in the morning?”

“I’m actually off tomorrow. That doesn’t happen often. I pretty much work the rest of the week, into the weekend.”

“Then we better make the best of it. Head left.”

“Left? But that will take us…”

“Out of town. Correct. The cabin isn’t that far away.”

All I could do was nod. The cabin held some of my best memories. I often thought about that place when times were extremely hard. It made me smile. It made me think of everything Martin and I could have become. Now here we were headed back to the one place where it all began. Just like now. Our new beginning.

“You look nervous.”

“I am nervous.” I laughed, glancing over. “Aren’t you?”

He shrugged, not taking his eyes off me as I turned and headed for the main road.

“Nervous is not having you or these decisions. Waiting or not waiting, I can handle that, so long as we’re together. We don’t even have to do anything, Luciana. I want you to know that before we get there. We can start a fire and lay and talk for all I care. Let me hold you or look at you, and I’m good. Hell, you could keep driving forever and I wouldn’t say a word.”

“No? You wouldn’t protest if I just drove us out of here? Out of this city and into some small mountain town where I’m the only doctor, and you’re the high school athletic coach? No family drama? No fame or fortune? Just us?”

“Honey, that sounds more like a dream than a threat. Fame is for the ego. I lost that long ago. Sure, I’d like to go to the majors, but its more to see how I’d fair amongst the best. They can keep their pissing matches. I just want to live in the sport. Majors, minors, high school, just let me have it in some way and I’m happy.”

I glanced over, trying to read his face in the dim interior glow. 

“You’ve changed. Not a lot, but I can see it. You’re more humble. I like it.”

“I’m glad. All anyone ever wants to talk about is the majors. Don’t get me wrong, I want to get there but mainly for one reason: I know it’ll give you the best life. I can do that without it though. I can make you happy, Luciana, if you’ll let me.”

I reached over taking one of Martin’s hands. It was like old times. It came so naturally with him, and it was a habit I never wanted to lose again. His hold gave me comfort. It calmed the fierce seas inside of me. There was no way I could describe it other than peace. 

Miles passed as we stayed silently content in each other’s presence. Nothing felt forced or expected. I was left to simmer with my thoughts but that didn’t necessarily help. They all turned naughty with the way Martin was carelessly tracing my finger. He’d done that in our youth, and it was always while he was contemplating his own decisions. But it did things to me. Hot things. Bad things. 

I shifted in my seat. I tried to slow my breathing. By the time I was parking in front of the cabin, I was ready to race inside and tear off my clothes. He said he didn’t expect anything…but maybe I did.

“You’ve been thinking hard about something.” I moved my fingertip along the length of his index finger, turning more in my seat to face him. My heart was absolutely racing as I leaned in close. What would he do if I kissed him? If I made the move for once? “What’s on your mind, Martin?”

“You really want me to answer that?” His stare lifted from where I stroked his finger.

“Yes. Or maybe I know.” 

I pushed the hesitancy away, pressing my lips into his. Again. And again. 

My seatbelt unfastened and Martin pushed the button, turning off my car. “I can’t think when you kiss me. All I know is you want me, and I sure as hell want you too.  Now, I can lay back this seat and let you take the lead…or we can see how far we get to the cabin before I lift that dress.” He scanned my face, seeing my arousal as I bit my bottom lip. “You have three seconds.”

All I needed was one. Instinct took care of the rest.

Martin’s hands pushed under my dress, slipping up to grip my ass as I climbed the console to straddle his lap. My car wasn’t anywhere near big enough. Or maybe I just wasn’t eighteen and tiny anymore. I bumped my head on the ceiling, grounding my knee into the seat belt buckle causing me to cry out against his lips. A grunt was all Martin could get out as he swung the door open and began carrying me. We couldn’t stop kissing. I barely noticed as he reached above the door frame to retrieve the key.

“Fuck, you’re so wet.”

Fingers slid over my panties, nudging against my entrance as we barreled through the threshold. And we didn’t stop. I pushed down my weight, moaning into his mouth as we bounced from the wall in the hallway. The first door went crashing in and Martin’s weight settled over me on the bed.

“Do you know how long I’ve been waiting for this?”

“Probably as long as me.”

“Longer.”

To argue was pointless. We both had missed each other, and I had no doubt that he’d yearned for this as much as I had. After all, if it was up to Martin, we never would have separated to begin with.

The firm grip on my hip tightened for the briefest moment. At me arching in approval, he gripped the panties, pulling them down. It was in that moment everything stopped. No grinding against each other. No kissing. Martin sat on his knees using his palms to spread my thighs wide while he stared down at what had only ever been his.

“Fuck, Lucy.” He reached forward, sliding his fingertips down my smooth folds. “No rushing this time. There’s not going to be a single moment I miss out on.” His digit, leveled over my entrance, tracing its way to my clit and back around. He made a circle in the wetness drawing out more moans than I could ever remember making. I was so hot for him. I writhed, rocked, and spread my legs as wide as they would go. Still, Martin wouldn’t slide his finger inside of me. He tasted from his teases, sucking my juices from his fingertips, but neither of us were quite getting what we wanted as the minutes stretched out. Martin wanted to taste me more, and I longed for true penetration. The kind beyond toy or tongue. I wanted deep. Thick. Martin could give me that, but only when he was ready. 

“Oh, God, please. I need.” My head shook back and forth sending my hair covering my face. He quickly wiped it away, not able to stop looking between me and his other hand. “Martin, I can’t…Please.” My legs were shaking as he used his thumb to add pressure over my clit. The moment his ring and middle finger stretched me wide, my screams began. My entire body convulsed through the waves of release. And Martin…he finally lowered and withdrew his fingers as I came down, letting is tongue explore around the opening, dipping and sliding in to taste me.

“This is so much better than I remember. I should have taken my time on you more than I did. I think that was probably one of my biggest regrets. I didn’t savor you enough, Luciana. You deserved that, and I won’t make the same mistake again.”

Martin reached up, rolling my nipple between his fingers. He went back and forth between my breasts, once again lowering between my legs as I pleaded for more. Lavishly, he licked over my clit. The burn was there, building all over again as he took his time. And once again, my hips rocked as I called out to him. For the first time since we laid down on the bed, he gave me what I needed. 

Martin tore his clothes off but slowed as he hovered himself over me. Pressure eased against my opening, and my nails dug into his back as he inched inside. The completion as he went deeper was everything I craved. When he buried in me, it took everything I had not to come on the spot. Our bodies were meant to be together, but were we?

The thrust stayed steady, long and deep. The rhythm was nothing short of hypnotic. Ecstasy kept me on the brink, and he seemed to know just what I needed as my continuous moans increased in volume.

“Legs higher, baby. That’s not all. You can take more.”

Martin eased his weight forward, angling me in the perfect position. His words held true, and I gasped as he pushed deeper than he ever had. The action accompanied with my nails breaking through his skin had him growling in my ear. It was that possessive, rumbling sound I knew all too well. It was an approval and claiming in one. I was his. Maybe not with a spoken declaration, but physically we were making a statement.

“Do it. Go fast. Hard. Show me how much you missed this. Prove it to me.”

Martin’s head pulled back, and his eyes connected with mine. I could see the different emotions play out on his face. He debated, but he wanted it too. Confliction passed and whether it was a few seconds or forever that went by, I wasn’t sure. He nodded, kissing me hard before I was once again crying out. The thrusts were savage as he pounded into me. If I left this place knowing one thing, it would be the intensity of what I meant to him. He was leaving nothing to question.

“Right there. God, yes. Martin.” 

“That’s it, baby. My name is going to be the only one to ever leave your lips again. Do you see how much I’ve missed you? Fuck. Just like that. Come for me, Luciana.”

I knew I was screaming but all I could hear was the pounding of my heart in my ears. I squeezed into Martin’s back, my legs going wild through the spasms as he came in me too. The weight of him inside of me. On me. We were only beginning, and I had no intention of us stopping anytime soon.

Martin

Fourteen hours. Fourteen glorious hours of nothing but me and Luciana talking, holding each other, and making love. I was happier than ever. It was like the world was at my fingertips now that she was in my life. But all I got was fourteen hours before reality kicked its way in in the form of brothers and best friends. Jamie kept trying to get ahold of Luciana, and Kip wasn’t any better concerning me. We knew exactly how long they’d been awake too, because that’s when our happiness was railroaded. If we thought of getting any sleep that day, it sure went out the window fast.

Jamie. Kip. Over and over they texted and called. You would think the world was ending. To them, I suppose it was. Jamie was sure that I had run off with Luciana and stolen her away. Kip decided to guilt trip me on why I wasn’t there for my best friend while he was in such a crisis. It was clear what was happening. The two men were feeding off each other, and it hadn’t been a good thing. My apartment was nearly destroyed by the time I got home. And not from their fighting. Chip crumbs. Empty beer bottles. Broken pretzel pieces. It was like the ultimate bachelor’s pad gone to hell. They’d become damn near best friends in that time span. I still wasn’t talking to Kip. As for Jamie…he knew by the glare that I wasn’t happy. He didn’t even threaten me when he stormed out of my door with Luciana in tow. Maybe he could see the inevitable. Maybe, he knew he was fighting a losing battle.

I gave Kip the side eye, looking back at the screen of my phone.

Luciana: So Kip has dinner with Amanda’s parents tonight?

Me: Yes, finally. It took them long enough to break the news. He’s borrowing one of my suits. He wants to make a good impression, and he’ll need to. He’s lucky he’s not already headed back to Florida. 

“How long am I going to get the silent treatment for? I can’t take it. You won’t even talk to me at practice. We’re a team, Martin. You can’t keep this up.”

“We could have discussed this a week ago before you got on that plane. Then I come home to my place completely trashed.”

“I apologized for that. I was still drunk…and getting drunker. I fucked up. I helped clean.” Kip stood from the table, putting the empty cereal bowl in the sink. “Martin, I’m sorry. I don’t know what happened with Amanda, or what’s happening with me. Or you, for that matter. I’m all over the place these days. I swear it was like one minute we were having drinks and the next we were on a plane, and then at the Chapel. It’s all so foggy. In my bonehead defense, you did say I needed to settle down.”

“I said you needed to think about settling down. Nowhere did I say marry a stranger. Especially not the owner’s daughter.”

“But I didn’t have a clue. You found out when I did.”

“Which is exactly why you shouldn’t have gotten married. You don’t know her. What’s her parents going to think? They don’t know your motives behind this. Her dad my think you married her for the privileges or the money. I’m worried for you, Kip. I don’t want to argue, and I don’t want to be a dick about this anymore. It’s done. All of it. Right now, you need to figure out what you’re going to do about it. I’ll support your decision no matter what you choose.”

“I don’t know what I’m going to do. I can try to convince them we didn’t know each other, but I doubt they’ll believe me. I can see it already. Hello, Mr. Fierno. Sorry your daughter hit me with her car, went on a few dates with me, drank me under the table and married me. I had no idea she was your daughter. She only ever said she was thinking of opening her own boutique and loved watching ball. I was shitfaced and quite swept away with her knowledge of the sport and her…beauty, although her boobs,” he said, grabbing his chest, “are fucking amazing. Like, complete perfection. I see them in my dreams. God, jesus-love. I won’t say that part though. I’ll leave out her boobs.”

“Don’t say ninety percent of it.”

He sighed. “I’ll explain nicely, and they’ll just have to accept it. I know I’m not usually one for commitment, but maybe Amanda’s right, and this happened for a reason. Maybe this is exactly what I need.”

“Or maybe it’s a wakeup call. This could turn out really bad. You can’t drag Amanda along if you’re not one hundred percent sure you can commit only to her. She doesn’t deserve that and neither do you. And the drinking… You might want to think about easing up, if not stopping completely. We’ve been here before, just not with a situation so extreme. You know?”

At my tone, he nodded, the room growing quiet except for the vibrating phone in my hand.

Luciana: Kip will be fine. You’ll see. Let them work it out. I miss you. Do you want to meet again tonight? It’ll be late like the last few times. If you don’t want to, I completely understand. It might not be so good for practice if you’re tired.”

I looked at the clock knowing that even though she didn’t get off for another twelve hours, I didn’t have much time to get what I needed. Jaime wasn’t going to make this easy, and I refused to drag this on another day. I’d been calling him since the day after he left my apartment. He refused to answer once he heard my voice. Today, I wasn’t giving him a chance to run away. We were facing this head on, and he was going to let me date his sister one way or another.

Me: Of course I want to see you. Come over when you’re done. You can even crash here again if you want. Bring a few pairs of scrubs to put in the closet. Might make things easier.

Luciana: That’s a great idea. I have to make rounds. I’ll text when I can. 

Standing from the sofa, I glanced at Kip. He paused midway, pulling one of my shirts over his head.

“Are we going somewhere?”

“Do you want to come?”

“Hell yeah. Where are we going?”

“I need to find Jaime. We need to bury the hatchet so I can date his sister.”

Kip laughed. “Good luck there. The guy doesn’t like you very much. He is pretty cool though. Big, big Jet’s fan. Or he was until you came back. I think I convinced him to still be since I’m on the team. He’s cool with me.”

“Great. Leave it to me to not only take a sister, but his team as well. Let’s go. I think Luciana mentioned him being a mechanic. If I recall, their cousins own a shop a mile or two away.”

“Cousins?” Kip’s eyes widened. “Hell yeah, you’re going to need me.”

****

The garage was exactly as I remembered it. From the dark gray exterior to the red aluminum roof, the only thing that had changed with Ramirez’s Tire and Auto was the flashy new sign that stood out by the road. Two vehicles were parked in the front, and the three drive-through spots were filled with cars. As I pulled into a parking space in the back, more than one head turned from the workers who were visible inside. Their mouths moved quickly, and I wished I could hear what was being said.

“They look pissed. Are you sure you want to do this? Jaime will come around at some point. Don’t you just want to wait it out?”

“Nope.” I threw open the door, glancing over to narrow my eyes at Kip. “You must be nervous as shit about this meeting with Amanda’s parents. I’ve never seen you back down from a possible fight or threat.”

“Fight, yes. Do you see those tattoo-covered dudes in there, Martin? One guy has something on the side of his face. That had to hurt like a bitch. I like my life for the most part. I’m not ready to disappear or die.”

I laughed. “They’re not dangerous. Well, maybe a little, but we’ll be fine. We’re not here to fight; we’re here to make peace.”

“Try telling that to them.”

“I’m about to.” I stood, not waiting for Kip. It wasn’t but a few strides before he caught up to my side. 

Two men said something lowly to each other, a third stepping around a lifted sedan to head in my direction. I knew Hector Ramirez from my college days here in Blue Haven, but not very well. He’d been with Jaime a few times, but he didn’t speak to me personally. 

“Martin Patterson. You need work done on that fancy car or are you looking for more trouble?”

My hands eased up. “I never wanted trouble. Not in the past and not today. Quite the opposite.”

“That’s not what I hear. My cousin says you’ve been talking to Luciana again.”

“That’s right.” I nodded, scanning the area for Jaime. “I love Luciana. I always have. Leaving didn’t change that for either of us. If that causes trouble, I don’t mean it intentionally. Thing is, I’m serious about her, and I’m here to talk to Jaime about that.”

“You want to hook up with Luciana?”

“I want to date her.”

“Date?”

“Yes. At the minimum. The future will tell the rest.”

“What about her career? Yours? You hit the road soon. If you’re lucky, you’ll be home maybe two to three days a week. Luciana works almost nonstop. You think a relationship will work between the two of you always apart like that?”

“It will for me. She’s my top priority. I’ll see her every chance I get, and I know she’ll do the same. We can make it work. I’ll do whatever it takes.

Spanish filled the air as he shouted something to the men inside the garage. When he came back to look at me, I still couldn’t get a read on his emotions. Hell, he barely had any he’d share with me. Hector’s brown eyes were almost slits as he stared me down.  

“He loves her,” Kip rushed out. “He’s done nothing but talk about her the entire time I’ve known him. I’m his best friend, by the way. We played in Miami together. He was loyal to Luciana. I can attest to that.  Which was amazing to me, truthfully. But he’s a good guy. I’m actually married now because of Martin. Big inspiration. I’m completely turning myself around. Women,nope. It’s not the daily for this married husband anymore. This one time I got shitfaced hammered. There were these two girls. Like, I couldn’t even tell you how—”

“Kip.” I shook my head watching as he clamped his mouth shut and tightened his lips. “I’d just like to talk to Jaime.”

“Wait here.”

Whether the tone was threatening or not, I couldn’t tell. He turned his back, heading to the garage. Kip stepped in, wiping sweat from his brow. His nerves were on overdrive with this Amanda thing. He was getting so easily worked up.

“I think this is going good, don’t you? I mean, he didn’t tell you no. He didn’t beat you to a bloody pulp or even ask you to leave. Maybe what I showed Jaime worked and he put in a good word for you, or at least dropped the anger some.”

“Showed Jaime?”

“Yeah. That day we were at your apartment, we watched videos of me and you in Florida. Well, the ones when you actually went out with me, which wasn’t often. Truthfully, I just wanted him to see how fun it was up there, but then he noticed you in the video. The difference between us. Me, partying. You, like a slug in the corner, always hiding away from everyone.”

“Did he say anything after he watched them?”

“Not really, but he seemed to get quiet after that. It could be a good sign. Or maybe not. I don’t know. Hey, do you think Old Man Fierno is going to be extremely mad like Jaime and Hector? No Stupid question…he’ll be worse. That’s his daughter. God, I think I fucked myself good on this one.”

“Kip concentrate. It’ll be fine. You’re a great player. You didn’t know Amanda was his daughter. Everything will work out as it should. Luciana calls it fate.”

“Fate. Yes, great word. I’m going to use that tonight when I talk to them.”

I went to speak but stopped as Hector disappeared in what looked to be a side office. A good minute went by before Jaime appeared. From his tightly set expression and wide strides towards us, I wasn’t sure what to think.

“Jaime.”

Hector pointed at him as in some sort of warning. Whatever it was, Jaime nodded, turning back to me.

“Martin.” He came to a stop a few feet away. “Hector says you’re here about Luciana.”

“That’s right. I’ve tried to call a few times, but you won’t answer.”

“Because there’s nothing to say.”. 

“Actually, there’s a lot. I love your sister.”

“So you keep saying.”

“I don’t want to fight with you anymore, Jaime. I know there’s bad blood between us. I’m not proud of how the past played out. You have to see, though, what I did, I did for her.”

“No, you did it for you.”

“Yes. Mostly for me but for her too. All I’ve ever wanted was Luciana. It was wrong trying to take her away with me all those years ago. I see that now. You all worked so hard in supporting her dreams, and I was some cocky little shit who nearly railroaded them. I get it; I do. I had to grow up and face the truth about life. A truth that didn’t have her in it, and I hated every minute of how things played out. Now that I’m back, I don’t want to screw that up again. I don’t want to keep living my life without the person I love. And I sure don’t want to cause any tension with her and her family. Jaime, please. I want to try again, and Luciana wants it too. Can you allow that? Can you give us your blessing and let us try?” 

Luciana

“Don’t smile, Jaime. Keep that scowl in place. You may give away how excited you are.”

“You’re a horrible sister. You just watch your man pitch and let me eat my nachos in peace. I still can’t believe he got us these seats. Ass kisser.”

I laughed, throwing my brother a look. “Hush it. I saw your face when he handed over the tickets. You died and went to heaven.”

“Wrong. Hell. Now I get to sit here and watch my enemy make googly eyes at my baby sister. I should have told him no. Well, I tried, but he wouldn’t stop confessing his undying love. I still can’t believe I’m letting the two of you date. Dad would—”

“Be happy for me. He’d see what an amazing man Martin turned into, and he would give us his blessings just like you did. I know. I dreamed it.”

“You dreamt of dad?”

The pain in my brother’s voice had my smile falling. I glanced at Martin on the mound, seeing his form change as he took us in. He was warming up, but he was more focused on me and my brother. I turned, facing Jaime.

“I did just last night. It was Christmas time, and we were all at the house. Even Martin. Papa was happy for us. He was so happy, and so was Mama. And so were you. It was a good dream. Any guilt I had…it’s gone. Jaime, you need to let it go too. The past is over. It hurts but we can’t live there anymore. I want to move forward.”

“With Martin.”

Reaching over, I grabbed his hand. “He’s the one for me. He always has been. But I want to see where it goes with you and Mama too. With all of us together. I want us to be a family again. A real family. So much has changed since we’ve lost Papa, but we can’t lose sight of who we are. We need our lives back. Mama needs us too. Together, we can do this, but you have to meet me in the middle. You have to stop isolating. You’re hard on yourself. Please, let it go. Come back to us. Let’s start new.”

“I’m trying.”

I gestured to the cup of soda in his hand. “I know. You haven’t been drinking, and you’re doing great. We can do this Jaime. We can be happy again. Papa would want that for us. I know he would. I saw it.”

The hug brought tears to my eyes. When Jaime finally let go, I saw the clearness in his own expression. It wasn’t just my new beginning. Jaime was getting one as well. Even Martin seemed to pick up on the change as I turned back to face him. The ball blazed from his hand, and he threw me the biggest smile. 

“It’s almost time.” 

Jaime and I took our chairs, beginning a tradition I knew was going to last a very long time. I used to attend Martin’s games in college, but this was different. Martin radiated greatness so much more now, and according to rumors, an invitation-only major league tryout was in the future, and it was promising he was on that list. We couldn‘t wait to find out.

****

“Luciana?” My name echoed from the front of the apartment. It was after midnight, a lot later than I expected, but Martin usually did run late after coming back from away games. And me, I was ready for a night to ourselves. After all, our schedules were crazy, but we made it work through moments like this.

“I’m back here.”

I barely managed to finish as he bound around the door and let his bags fall to the floor. In three strides, he made it to the bed, bouncing over me as he applied his weight to trap me underneath him. 

“God, I’ve missed you.” His lips pressed into mine. “Tell me about work. What crazy stuff have I missed this week?”

“Later.” Gripping to the back of his neck, I brought his mouth back to mine. The moment our tongues met strawberry took over. I moaned, tugging at his lip before breaking away. “Jolly Ranchers.”

“Guilty.” He pulled off his shirt, tugging his pants open before kicking them and his shoes off. When he fingered the thin strap of my new see-through nightgown, I shrugged, blushing. “This is going to get you in trouble, Dr. Ramirez. Do you think you can handle the consequences for teasing?”

“I’m pretty tough.”

“Yes you are, but not tonight. Not here with me.”

Teeth nibbled at my shoulder. Martin pulled the nightgown over my head, flipping me to my stomach. He held my wrists to the sides of my thighs as he began kissing and sucking against my back. The restraint was firm, igniting my need even more. Martin brought out things in me I couldn’t begin to understand, but I loved it. I liked even more how he took control when I seemed to need it the most. With each month, we were learning more about each other. Everything was going perfect. Sure, we didn’t get enough time together as we’d like, but that would come in time.

“I thought about you every minute I was gone. About touching and tasting you.” Suction tugged at my lower back, and his tongue’s swirled over my skin. I hadn’t been wearing panties and now I was glad I made the decision not to. He was getting closer to exactly the place I needed.

“Martin.” I sucked in a breath as he began on the curve of my ass. “Did you think about me last night like I asked you too?”

“In the shower?” A small rumble left him. “I came so good thinking about sliding down your throat again. It would have been better if we would have got to talk through it like we wanted. I know you were busy last night at work.”

Martin spread my thighs wider, lowering his face between them. His tongue traveled over my ass making its way down to my entrance. I brought my hands up and held tightly to the comforter, closing my eyes as he explored my slit, sucking and licking up and down. When he got to my back entrance, I bit my bottom lip squeezing my eyes shut. He’d done this before. I’d come so hard within seconds. For some reason in my mind, it was forbidden. New. And Martin didn’t hold back with me. He was making up for lost time. He wanted to try everything and discover what I didn’t like and what I couldn’t get enough of.

“Just like that.” I was moving against him as his tongue dipped between entrances. When his finger eased inside my pussy, I nearly came on the spot. My head lifted and my legs spread wider. He was thrusting at a good pace, flicking his tongue over my back entrance again. It caused my whimpers to turn into pleading. And what I was asking for, I didn’t know. It was beyond an orgasm. Something I knew only he could give me. “Please. God, yes.” 

He withdrew, reaching down to tease my clit. The burn was heaven and he kept me there, torturing me as he brought me to the brink. My legs shook, trembling as he lowered, pushing his tongue inside my front entrance long enough to taste me. I was so close as he grabbed my hips and brought me to my knees.

I was spread wide. Exposed. Martin gripped my ass with both hands, squeezing the flesh and separating me. “Fuck, your beautiful. I could look at this all day.” I glanced back to see him grip his thick cock. Up and down, he slid the head along my folds. My wetness helped as he slid inside of me. The stretching was unreal in this position. Deeper he went, drawing out sounds from me as he began to thrust in a steady motion. With my head on the mattress and my ass in the air, the combination had me rocking faster against him. The pleasure was good. Too good. I had that ‘more’ sensation. Impatience. It was always like that with him. I couldn’t get enough.

Fingers slid along my scalp, fisting my hair. Martin didn’t pull my head up, he held it down.

“There’s no rush, baby. You’re going to take this. You’ll stay right here with me until I’m ready to let you come.”

“It feels so good.”

“Embrace it and hold to the sensations. Bask in them until you’re consumed. When I do let you come, you’ll never forget what I gave you. Now stay still and feel the way I move inside of you.”

I could have shattered into a million pieces from his deep, husky voice alone, but the moment I put all my focus on how he felt pushing into me, everything multiplied. Ecstasy erupted, and with no control on the speed, I had to endure the buildup.

In. 

Out.

 Just the tip teasing me. 

His entire length surging forward to bury deep. 

I screamed out, so close to release. 

“Martin, please. I need you to go faster. Fuck me good.”

He used my hair to pull me to all fours.

“Are you ready to scream?”

I could barely nod with how tight he held. The pain increased the intensity of pleasure, and the slam forward was all it took to send my body into a tsunami of blissful waves. He kept going pounding into me so hard I could barely catch my breath. My orgasm overpowered everything, rolling through as Martin slowed and drew my upper body to his own chest. His cum was powerful and hot, shooting into me as he held tight. It was perfect, just like we were again.

I was his, and he was mine. We may have lost each other so long ago, but our love stayed close throughout distance and time. Now that we were back together, nothing would stand in the way of our future. We were meant for one another, and Martin and I would make sure it stayed that way.  

The End.

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