One Month Later...

JC

"I don't have to stay the whole month, right? I feel like this is a you thing."

I lifted my head from the headrest and rolled my eyes in Eric's direction. Though I'd just fallen out of bed, threw on some clothes, grabbed my bag, hopped in the Uber to the airstrip and climbed onto the plane, I was ready for a nap.

"You don't have to stay the month. But I want you to stay long enough to get a feel for what we're doing, you know? Be on site, see it with your own eyes-"

"Alright, alright. So, what... a couple days?" Eric glanced at me, then raised a steaming cup of coffee to his lips.

"You spent a hundred grand on this building. You're only dedicating two days to checking out the remodel plan? You know we have to go down to city hall, pull permits, interview construction companies, find a demolition service-"

"Okay, geez. When you put it like that..." He set his cup down in the molded holder between our seats. "I thought you hired... that woman to take care of that."

"Her name is Tori. The town is called Cloudcroft. If we have to rehearse that all the way down there, we will. And how about, when we land and you meet Tori and Kaya and Nasaan, you pretend to care about this project, because if you want your money back, they're the key to making that happen."

The muscle in his lower jaw was working hard. He scraped his thumb across the dry stubble that he hadn't bothered to shave that morning. "Sure. Whatever. But I don't get how this benefits us. Or you. Where's the profit? We own the building, so what? It feels like a thing you did for a pretty girl and it's going to be an expensive mistake."

"First of all, we make rent money, as soon as Tori is in business. Second, the land appreciates and builds equity. We have the space to rent out to some other businesses, we have land to spare if we want to build something else. And Tori and I are talking about me being part owner at Nez Custom, so I have a vested interest in seeing the business succeed. All you need to care about is making your money back."

The flight steward came by to let us know we'd be taking off in a few minutes. Eric sat back in his seat and pulled the belt across his lap. "Fine. A week at the most, and then I fly back to LA. I have other things to do besides hang out in New Mexico looking at a pile of dirt."

"It's a deal." I relaxed again, my head comfortably nestled in the headrest. I closed my eyes and listened to the sounds of the plane engine going through its pre-flight machinations.

"You must really like this woman. And her family."

My eyes popped open again. "Eric-"

"I didn't say anything bad. I wasn't going to. I'm just saying, this side of you is endearing."

"What side of me?" I asked, glaring out of the corner of my eye.

"This willingness to bend over backward to make sure this shop happens. Putting your own money behind construction, even buying into the business. This is an investment. This is time and money. Just saying. You must really like her."

I didn't answer Eric. Not because I was uncomfortable with his observation, but because we were preparing for takeoff.

And because I was thinking about his observation.

The last month had flown by like it was only a week. Between writing and recording sessions, I'd been talking a lot with Tori, sometimes several times a day. We'd exchanged notes on her vision for the building, created a budget and timeline for demolition and construction and even dreamed up long range plans, not just for her business but for the entire lot.

Once she got over her initial anger... well, enough to start working, we fell into our roles easily. I never, at any moment, felt remorse or regret about the steps I'd taken to make this happen for her.

For her. I'd realized early on that none of this was for me. I honestly didn't care if I made a penny off of the project and I wasn't worried about having to pay Eric back. Of course, I wanted it to work, but...I wanted it to work for her.

Apparently, I really liked her. And her family.

I closed my eyes and willed myself to go to sleep so I didn't have to think about what all that meant.

A short time later, I was being shaken awake. The plane was slowing down in its taxi down a private jetway.

"We're here," said Eric, unbuckling his seat belt. "Beautiful El Paso, Texas. And we're how far from Cloudcroft?"

"Couple hours, but the way Tori drives, we'll be home in no time."

I leaned across Eric to peer out of the window. I saw Tori's SUV waiting for us a few yards away. The sight of that little black vehicle made me grin.

I unbuckled my own belt and grabbed my duffel bag. As soon as the plane stopped moving and the steward opened the door, I bounded down the steps toward a couple of people with big smiles who looked happy to see me.

My feet hit pavement and seconds later, Tori's arms were wrapped around me, her face buried in my shoulder. My arms closed around her, bringing her closer. Just the smell of her hair made me giddy.

"Hey, hey, hey. Did you miss me a little?" She nodded, still holding on for life. "Hey, Kaya." I nodded at her and then at Eric. "Meet my business partner, Eric. He's the other half of Leo Enterprises. Eric, this is Tori's sister, Kaya."

They smiled polite smiles and shook hands. Tori eventually released me and stepped back, her face beet red but her smile beaming brighter than sunshine. She was only wearing a t-shirt and jeans with her long, thick hair held back by the shades that sat on top of her head, but I'd never seen a woman more beautiful. I looked forward to getting her alone.

"Honey, you are a sight for sore eyes." I cupped her face in my hands and leaned in to drop a kiss on her lips, just because I could. No hiding, no pretending we didn't care about each other. Tori's lips were soft and warm pillows. I wished I could linger on them, but I decided to save all of that longing for later.

I swiped my thumbs across her cheeks and kissed her again before I pulled back, dropping my arms back around her waist to keep her close to me.  "Where's my buddy? No Nasaan today?"

She shrugged. "I left him with the General Contractor. We cleaned out the shop and started a little bit of demolition. Nasaan and his friends are really interested in  spending their Spring Break destroying things."

"Oh, good. You've already started on that."

"I'll give you an update in the car."

"We'll get our bags and load up. And Eric," I tossed over my shoulder, "You have to sit in the back with Nurse Ratchet. Watch out for her, she brings the pain."

Kaya rolled her eyes and frowned. "Ugh, he's still whining about when I had to dig the road out of his ass after his accident."

"Oh, yeah?" Eric flipped his shades up over his head.  "That was you? He bitched about that forever. You made it hurt bad."

"You know it. No pain meds."

"Good.  That'll teach him to think he's some kinda biker guy, right?"

"Great, they're bonding." I groaned at Tori, who just smiled and got in the driver's seat. "Two hours of this; I can't wait."

The drive to Cloudcroft went quickly, not just because Tori drove like a bat out of hell, but because it was a warm, early spring day and the conversation in the car was a healthy mix of good natured ribbing and excited chatter about the developments with the shop.

"Hey Tori," Eric lobbed from the backseat, scooting up so she could hear him. "Since we're just now meeting, I didn't get a chance to apologize for how this whole building sale went down. I didn't know he was going behind your back until it was done."

"That's because it was none of your business. You were already giving me shit about buying the building."

"It's okay, Eric," said Tori, smiling as she sped through the desert. "I've long since learned that this is all JC's fault. I can't be mad at anyone but him. I already told him I was going to beat his ass."

"But remember, we talked about you meaning that in a-"

"JC-"

"Okay, alright."  I chuckled, watching the world go by outside my window.  "I'll settle down."

Tori pulled up at the house in no time and cut the engine. We all piled out and Eric and I, luggage in tow, followed Kaya and Tori into the house by the usual route of the kitchen door.

"Unfortunately, Eric, we don't have a guest bedroom, but Kaya works nights, so you can use her bedroom to sleep in. Or you can take the couch if you're more comfortable with that."

We had settled with mugs of coffee at the kitchen table, which had become Base Operations, after giving Eric the nickel tour of the small but warm, lived-in house. I thought back to my first night at the house, disoriented and in pain, and how I found it odd that two sisters would just open up their place to me.  

Now it was like home, and I'd missed the place, even grabbing my favorite mug for coffee and hanging my coat on the hook I always used.

"Or you can go to the Shithole Hotel," I suggested, winking at Tori over the rim of my mug.

"No thanks to the Shithole. They wouldn't even send you there, so it must be bad. The couch will be fine."

"I'll get you set up later," Tori said. "For right now, can we go over what's done and what we need to get done while Eric is here? Since he holds the checkbook, I have a list of things I need him to do and I understand he's only here for a few days."

After a marathon two hour meeting, we piled into Tori's truck and drove the mile to the building site. I couldn't even call it the shop anymore, since the shop was nothing but empty space waiting to be demolished.  

We'd found some temporary warehouse space in the next town over and I paid Nasaan and his friends to help her load up a truck and move the equipment, bikes, tools and other things she wanted to keep. Everything else would remain in the building and be destroyed and carted away.

It was already looking like a shell of itself. The bay doors were open and the little shop,  which I realized only seemed little because Tori had so much stuff shoved into it, was a barren concrete room.

I stood next to Tori, who stood outside looking in, her arms tightly wound around her torso. Her lips were a tight line and, with her shades on, I couldn't really read her.

"Ready for this?" I asked her quietly.

A puff of air burst from her lungs, forcing its way out of her mouth. "I don't see how I have a choice but to be ready. This was all forced on me-"

"Nothing was forced on you, Tori. I told you that you didn't have to move unless you were ready. You said you were ready-"

"Well now I'm not sure if I am!" She snapped. Then sighed, dipping her head so her chin practically rested on her chest. "Sorry. I'm... this is good. I'm just emotional."

I dropped an arm around her shoulder and squeezed, pulling her close to me. "Everything will be okay. I'm right here. So is everyone. Right behind you, all around you."

"I... I know. It's just... all these years of being there for everyone. I'm not used to someone like...."

"Doing nice things for you? Not trying to take something from you? Really caring about you? Stop me when I get close..."

She was laughing. And leaning into me. "Yeah," she finally said, looking up at me. There was hope in that face. I put that hope there. Hell of an aphrodisiac. "So I got a phone call last night."

"From?"

"My dad."  

I felt like I'd been punched in the chest, for some reason. I'd never met or talked to Pat Nez, but I already had a feeling that Tori's downturn in excitement was due to her conversation with him. Kind of made me want to fly to Tennessee and have a chat with him about what it means to be a father, what it means to be a man.

It definitely didn't mean abandoning your family, your heritage, your whole life for some pretty Southern ass.

"So... what did he have to say?"

Tori shook her head slightly. I could almost see the eyeroll that accompanied the headshake. "Said he got an email from Mitch that the building had been sold. He wanted to know what was up with the shop- was it closed, what was I doing with it? At first, I thought he actually cared about me. About his family, you know? How we were making it out here."

"And what made you realize he didn't care?"

"When I told him everything, and he was so... hypercritical of it all. Of you buying the place, of me working with the new owner, of us tearing everything down and building something new, something better, expanding. He just kept saying Tori, what if it's a scam? What if it's not real? What if you get halfway through the project and he bails because you won't suck his dick?

I tried hard to hold in my laughter but couldn't help it. "Uh... does he not know that uh..."

"I've already barked up that tree? A lot?" She shook her head. Then smiled. "Anyway, I realized he was calling to gossip and discourage me from doing this, because he thinks it's dumb to follow your dreams or whatever. He asked me what I thought about him selling the land we own, though."

"Oh. And what did you say?"

"I told him to sell it if he wanted to. Or don't if he didn't. I didn't care."

"But... Tori, what about the house your grandfather built? And your family's history, heritage... are you serious? You'd just walk away?"

"No, I wouldn't walk away. I'd buy my own piece of land and move the house. If Chee wants the land and dad wants to sell it, he can have it. But he can't have my house. And at that point, some part of him probably won't even want the land, because he would have been looking forward to kicking me out."

"Damn. That was a tough conversation to have. Why didn't you call me?"

"Because I knew you'd be coming today. And I wanted you to get lots of sleep, rest up."

"Man, that flight was so early. I don't know why Eric booked us so early-"

"Uh... that's not what I wanted you to rest up for, Pretty Boy."

She lifted her shades long enough for me to see her dramatic wink, then kissed me before lowering them again. "I told you I would beat your ass when I saw you, didn't I?"

"Yep," I answered, grinning like a fool. "Looking forward to it."

...

"So did you manage JC when he was in *NSYNC?"

Nasaan reached across my plate for a bottle of spicy barbecue sauce and twisted off the lid, then poured a generous dollop onto his plate. Then he dumped a pile of pulled pork into the puddle and mixed everything together until the meat was coated in sauce.

Eric sat across from me at Fat Jack's, the lowlight of the no frills restaurant making him look as tired as he probably felt. We had run him ragged, from City Hall to Public Works and back to the building and out for supplies and tools.

There were contracts to sign and deposits to make- a tough job when you're the one that controls the money. I was adamant that he manage the budget, though. I wanted everything to do with helping Tori with the design.

"Uh, no," Eric answered, finishing off a bowl of baked beans. "JC did a solo project- a song for the movie Drumline. Interest in him seemed to grow and he needed a manager outside of *NSYNC. That's when I stepped into the picture."

"Oh. So you weren't around for any of that puffy, glow in the dark shit."

Eric laughed, casting a glance across the table at me. I guessed to make sure I was laughing too. "No. But JC is his own man and he does have an eclectic style, so..."

Eric shrugged and Nasaan went back to piling barbecue soaked pork on a handmade roll. "This uh... Fat Jack's is it? It's pretty good. Beats most of what we have in LA for barbecue."

"Wait till we have Mi Cabanita," I said. "Taco Pie, my man. It sounds ugly-"

"It looks ugly," said Tori.

" - but it tastes great."

"Can't wait. So what's on tap for tomorrow? More running around town?"

We chatted a little about the rundown for the next few days; the start of demolition and preparing the site for new construction, meeting with the building designer, the General Contractor and all of his crew- electrician, cement guy, etc.

"This project is... huge, JC. You ready for this? Can you two handle this?"

I looked over at Tori, then dropped an arm across the back of her chair and brushed my lips against her forehead. "We're going to take this day by day, week by week. Until we're ready to kill each other, and then I'll go home for little while. Right?"

Tori smiled, tipping her head up so that our lips met.

"Well, I didn't know the preppy sumbitch was comin' back to town!"

There was no mistaking that loud, man-like bellow. I didn't even have to turn around to know that Eloise stood behind us. But I did turn around. And stand, because that's what you do when the Sheriff drops by your table.

"Sheriff Harding," I greeted her, letting her wrap her bear arms around me. "Nice to see you, ma'am."

"Oh, hush up with that ma'am bullshit. Making me feel even older than I am. And call me Eloise, son. You're practically family now." She gave nods to Tori and clapped Nasaan on the back. Her eyes landed on Eric and she stiffened. A stranger in her town.

"Uh, Sher-Eloise, this is my business partner, Eric. Eric, this is Eloise Harding. She's the Sheriff. Obviously." I gestured toward the uniform and the gold star and the cap.

She leaned over the table and offered a hand, which Eric stood to accept. "You with him?" she asked him. He nodded. "Yeah, you keep him out of trouble and off of motorcycles, you hear me? The kid can't ride worth a shit."

She joined us in a light bout of laughter, then tipped her hat. "I'm about to head out.  I'm on my rounds. Gonna hit Presby next. Got anything for Kaya?"

Tori handed her the to-go order we'd planned on dropping by for her, and she ducked past our table and out the front door.

"Nasaan, go grab a couple of to-go boxes so we can go home. Eric looks like he's about to fall asleep in his coleslaw."

The nice thing about Cloudcroft was that twenty minutes after you left the dinner table, you could be back home with your shoes off and your feet up, nursing a beer with your arms around your girl. Or, at least I could.

Eric had stumbled into the shower and Nasaan escaped to his bedroom and turned on some music, so Tori and I were alone for the first time all day. She didn't waste any time getting close, practically humming while nuzzling my beard. I'd decided not to shave it; instead I started going to a men's salon to have it trimmed and moisturized every week. There were far too many photographers in LA to walk around looking crazy.

"Today was good. It's so nice to have you here, not on the phone or on Skype."

"It's really nice to be here. To hold you, to look at you." I lowered my head and brushed my lips against hers. "To kiss you. To... do other things to you. Maybe we should go upstairs."

"Well, I don't want to abandon Eric down here by himself."

I laughed. "He's pretty smart. He can figure out how to go to bed."

I tapped her on the shoulder, then grabbed her half empty bottle of beer and pushed myself up from the couch. "And he's exhausted and when he's that tired, Eric sleeps like the dead. He'll pass out as soon as his head hits the pillow. Come on."

Tori laughed as I pulled her up and into my arms. I started walking us toward the stairs but she resisted. "Wait, JC! I need to set the couch up!"

I glanced over her head and frowned. "There's pillows and a pile of blankets. I promise you, he'll figure it out."

"Well okay, but if we come downstairs for breakfast and Eric is laying on the table because he couldn't figure out where to sleep..."

I laughed, then pulled Tori ahead of me so I could follow her up the stairs. "Then we should really worry about him holding the checkbook, huh."

I managed to get Tori upstairs and down the hall. We tiptoed past Nasaan's room but didn't really need to, since he had music blaring and seemed to be yelling expletives at someone- likely playing a game with his friends. At least I hoped.

We slipped into Tori's room and I reached for the light switch on the wall, which bathed the room in  soft, soothing light from the lamps on the nightstands. The handcrafted furniture and intricately designed lamps and the..."Tori-ness" of the room was exactly what I'd pictured in my mind every night.  

She was already removing clothes and heading toward the bathroom off of her bedroom. "Whoa, mama." I grabbed her by the waist and pulled her up against me, making sure she could tell that I was aroused. Very aroused. "Where are you going?"

"I need a quick minute in the bathroom. Let me... lemme go!" She giggled and played at fighting me, then for serious wrestled out of my grip and ran to the bathroom. "Make yourself useful. I wanna see skin when I come out of here."

I was already ahead of her, pulling at the collar of my shirt and toeing off my shoes. "When, exactly, did you get so demanding?"

"When I met a man who would bulldoze over me if I didn't assert myself. Get naked." She winked and then shut the door in my face. A moment later I heard the sink running and drawers opening and closing.

My t-shirt and jeans ended up in a pile on the corner chair. I kicked my shoes and socks under the chair as well and walked around the bed to start pulling down the comforter and getting rid of the fancy pillows. Under one of the pillows was a spiral bound sketch pad, open to a page and a half-drawn image that looked remarkably like me.

I flipped back a few pages. On the surface, she was just messing around, but every few pages there was a drawing of a bike, or a view of the building, or a list of ideas. I loved that side of Tori, though she didn't show it very often. It had to be hard to always be the strong one and never show a sensitive side, even with the men in her life.

I decided that, for as long as I was around, Tori was going to get to be her real self.

I was so into her drawings that I didn't hear the bathroom door open. It wasn't until she called my name that I glanced up to find her standing statuesque in the doorway to with one hand extended above her head, the other perched on her hip.

My eyes drifted from her hair, wavy and shiny, drawn into a high ponytail, to her face, which had been scrubbed clean so her beautiful, natural tone was on display. Then my gaze dropped down to her body and... I froze.

"Unh uh," I grunted, shaking my head. "That thing... it's gotta go."

Granted, she was only wearing the top and not the full set, and never mind her long, shapely legs and the clean scent of her body wash wafting around me, tempting me. Those ugly fleece pajamas with the cats all over them? Had to go.

She moved toward me, almost gliding across the floor and stopped in front of me. "You... you don't like this?"

"You know I don't. And you told me to be naked when you came out, and you came out wearing that- "

"Well, then JC," she interrupted, rising up onto her toes so she could whisper in my ear. "You'd better take it off."

"Okay, that's what I'm talkin' about."

I tossed the sketchbook into the chair on top of my clothes and reached for Tori. I gripped the hem of the shirt, but then thought better of the situation. I was sure she expected me to rip it off, but... knowing that it would, eventually come off put me in less of a hurry to see it crumpled on the floor.

So instead of pulling the shirt up and over her head, I moved in and kissed her, lightly at first. Her arms circled my neck and she leaned into me, moaning into my mouth. I couldn't help but make the same sounds in return. She felt... so good.

Tori pulled back and her gaze found my eyes. "I thought you were in a hurry for this top to come off. I expected you to-"

"Ravage you? Rip your clothes off? Have my way with you? Stop me when I get close..."

Tori laughed. "Uh... yes all of that. Not that I mind the seductive route all that much."

She lifted her lips to mine and stole another kiss, and made it a point to press her body into mine and rub herself against me, feeling my hardening arousal. The nubs of her nipples poked through the thin fleece and warmth radiated through her skin.

"So... what is it that you want to do instead?"

"Well..."

I started moving, walking us over to the bed that I hadn't finished clearing of pillows and turning down. I didn't think I could wait, though, so we were going to have to have sex with a lot of pillows and blankets on the bed. At least the first time.

"I plan to keep kissing you, because it's been about a month and a half since I could kiss you. And then I have every intention of unbuttoning this unholy, ugly piece of fabric and pulling it off of you so I can look at you. All of you. And then I'm going to throw that thing away."

Tori giggled, nodding her agreement with my plan so far.

"And then... I'm... gonna lay you down on this nice bed right here. And kiss every inch of skin I can find. And lick you in all the places you've been dreaming about for the last month. And then I plan to fuck you until you want to scream my name but you can't because your son is down the hall and my manager is passed out on the couch. I'm kind of hoping you'll bite me instead."

Her eyes narrowed and her eyebrows knit together. "I know. That's a new one. But let's try it."

Tori shrugged, trying hard to look nonchalant but I'd noticed her heart rate rapidly increasing, her eyes dilating and the pallor of her skin growing pinker by the second. If I wasn't careful, she might catch on fire.

"Don't..." Her breath hitched. She had to swallow and clear her throat before she could go on. "Don't let me keep you from your to-do list. You're a busy guy, one of those celebrity LA Pretty Boy types. Wouldn't want to upset you by standing in your way."

"You're a smart ass, Tori."

"My ass isn't the only smart part of me, JC."

"You also have a smart mouth. Speaking of-" I flopped down on the bed and opened my arms, welcoming her to join me. "Bring it to me."

She grinned, then dropped down next to me and immediately scooted her body up against mine. I wasted no time in devouring her mouth, sucking on her lips, her tongue, kissing her face, then moving to her neck and kissing her there until I found myself between her breasts.

"One button down," I announced, as I popped the button off of the shirt.

"Are you- stop that!"

"Nope," I said, popping off another one. "You can't wear this shirt again unless you put buttons on it. And you cook a mean sloppy joe omelet but you're not all that domestic, so..." Another button hit the dust, flying over our heads and pinging against the headboard. That was enough to open the shirt and bury my face in two soft, luscious pillows.

My fingertips coaxed the response I was looking for- hard and erect, reaching for me and begging me to suck them. Every pull of my mouth and rasp of my tongue brought a reaction, a roll of her hips or a groan that had to stay in her throat so no one could hear us.

I felt hands on me, on top of my head, then gripping my shoulders. And pushing down. I took the hint and moved down her body, popping more buttons until the shirt was all the way open.

I relaxed between her spread legs and reached out to her, caressing her soft, glistening  lips with the tip of a finger. "You know what's a really good turn-on?"

"Mmm?" She hummed, watching me stroke her.

"When a woman is really... really wet. Like you are right now."

"Oh really? Is it because a strong wind can make you hard but it takes effort to turn a woman on? So you feel like you did something?"

I chuckled. "Yeah. Something like that. Like...I did that."

"Not yet," she teased, rolling her hips up toward me. The look on her face, the smoke in her eyes- not just hornyness but wanton, seductive need-  made me even harder.

I kissed and nibbled at her inner thighs, one and then the other until I was at her core. Flicking her clit with my tongue I could hear her whispered moan.

"Oh my God... don't stop..." Pushing against my mouth ever so slightly, she was giving me the high sign for more.

"Don't plan on it anytime soon, honey."

I lapped at her clit like a man dying of thirst. She let me know, in no uncertain terms, that she was all the way into it. I slid one then two fingers inside her, amazed at how warm and wet she was. I heard her squeal, felt her thrashing around, but didn't bother looking up. It was all I could do to keep a grip on her body with one hand while working the fingers of the other inside her.

"Oh my... okay, you have to stop. Please. Please."

Right away, I pulled back and let go of her legs. "You okay? Did I hurt you? I'm sorry, I stopped."

She sat up and reached for me, pulling me up her body by my armpits. "I'm not hurt. I'm okay. I'm just ready... and you know how I like you inside me when I come."

"Oh..." I heaved a sigh of relief and almost collapsed on top of her. I hadn't been hot before, but now I was blazing and about to drip sweat. "Shit. Tori. You gotta find a better way to tell me you want me to stop sucking and start fucking."

"Okay, how about... stop sucking-" She kissed me, working her fingers beneath the band of my boxer briefs and taking me in her warm hand. " - and start. fucking."

"Condoms. Please say you have some."

"I have the ones you left here." She gestured toward a drawer and I dove across the bed toward it and pulled it open. I grabbed a small square package and ripped it open, dumping the wrapper back in the drawer.

When I made my way back to Tori, I was happy to find that she had pulled the ugly cat shirt off and tossed it across the room. There was nothing but skin as far as eye could see. That made me happy.

"Condom?"

I held up the latex ring to show her, then rolled it on and lowered my body to hers. Our lips met briefly, and then for longer. In moments we were frantically, passionately kissing, our muffled groans only audible between us. And that's not the only thing that was between us. I felt the gentle touch of a hand grip me, directing me in the right direction.

I sensed her opening and thrust my hips, sinking into her. I let a long, satisfied sound roll from my lips. And I didn't care who heard it. I was in heaven.

I pulled out until I was barely inside her, then paused and waited for her to react. When she squealed, I chuckled and slid back in. With each thrust I inched in deeper until my length filled her. She felt unbelievable around me, squeezing and gripping, releasing, then starting all over again.  

I sucked one enlarged nipple, then the other before speeding up. I watched her head roll back and her eyes slide closed but her body wasn't at rest. She worked with me, arching her back and rolling her hips and clinging to me.

"I'm ready when you are, honey. You go, I go."

"Unh... I'm..."

I slowed my pace to a more sensuous, grinding lovemaking. Tori's limbs tightened around me; she panted hot breaths against my skin and let out short squeals in my ear.

"Are you close? You coming?"

Tori was shaking, she was so close to the edge. So I had to help her out. I slipped a hand between us and caressed her, concentrating my thumb on her clit.

"Oh! Oh! Oh! Don't stop! Right there... holy...shhhhhhh...."

I'd done a lot of impossible things in my life, but having sex while playing with a clit while clamping your hand over a woman's mouth so she didn't wake the entire house with a loud orgasm took the cake.

I chuckled, watching her come down, the pink fade from her skin, the beads of sweat that had popped up roll into her hair. I replaced my palm across her mouth with my lips. When I pulled back, there was... this look. Her expression, the... glow in her eyes.

I knew it. And I felt it, too.

It wasn't time to say it, and she felt that too, obviously, because she didn't. But she was trying to tell me, with her eyes.

"You good?" I whispered, hovering over her, still inside her.

She nodded, beaming a tired, kind of drunk smile up at me. "You?"

"Uhm... I'm good. But I didn't come yet."

Her eyes popped wide open. "Finish," she ordered, pulling me close to her, rocking her body against mine.

"You sure? You seem tired-"

"I'm not too tired for this."

"Really, we don't have to-"

Tori sighed, then rolled her eyes and started to sit up, using her palms to push me up.

"Wait, where-"

"I see I have to take control and be demanding again. Lay back. Lemme handle this."

Tori climbed me, quickly guiding me back to her. Her full breasts were my pleasant view; I helped myself to her hard nipples, cupping her breasts as she rode me. Sitting straight up, she rotated her hips in a sexy, slow grind.

I was in heaven. Almost lightheaded. "You... feel... amazing. Like... you were made for sex."

"Mmmm, maybe I was?"

"Where've you been my whole life?"

"Right here, baby. Waiting for you. Ready?"

Before I could answer, Tori lifted herself and then sank onto me, over and over, slowly at first, but then again and again, faster. Harder. Each time rocking her clit against my pubic bone. Her breasts rolled seductively and she made these... sounds. And she was staring at me, those brown eyes piercing mine...

"I'm there... I'm there..." My eyes slid closed and I fell over the cliff, releasing everything in a heady, draining release.

All of my nerve endings were numb. I just barely felt Tori climb off of me, roll the condom off and hop off of the bed. I was still lying there, arms spread out and staring at the ceiling when she came back.

"You good?"

I laughed, just a low gurgle, because that was all I had the energy for. I tried rolling my head in her direction and made it far enough that I could see her, look her in the eye. "I am... so good, honey. You beat my ass."

I must have passed out, then. When I opened my eyes again, the sun was streaming through the curtains and I was alone in the bed. Tori had, somehow, pulled the covers down with me on top of them, because I was naked beneath them.  

I groaned, my limbs stiff, and rolled over, then sat up and swung my feet to the floor. As I bent over to grab the handles of my duffel bag, I heard the door swing open.

"Whoa, hey!" Tori yelled, laughing and pushing the door shut.

"Sorry." I grabbed the bag and dumped it onto the bed with a smug grin.  "Didn't know you were coming. Sure you didn't wanna be eye to eye with that."

"I wasn't talking about that. I was talking about how pale your ass is. I should buy you some ass-less chaps and make you wear them today."

"Uh, and you'd find those in the garbage, next to that ugly... cat... thing."

She laughed, then rounded the bed and grabbed my face, bringing me to hers for a kiss. "Breakfast is ready, Kaya is home, Eric figured out where to sleep and Nasaan is ready to work. All we're missing is you, Pretty Boy. Hurry up."

She kissed me again, then bounced out of the room, closing the door behind her.

All we're missing is you...

Tori could fight it all she wanted. I was a part of this family.

And it made me happier than anything to say that.