I looked around at my friends. I’d be lost without them. They were more like brothers than friends.

I finished off my beer and stood up. “Alright, I guess I better get back.”

Gunner stood and reached out for Lark’s hand. “You’re staying for tomorrow night, right?”

“Hell yeah. It’s the only reason I’m here. Scott went on and on about the New Year’s Eve parties y’all throw. I’m not due to go back to work until the fourth, so I’ll probably be leaving on the third.”

Josh and Jeff both stood and shook Lark’s hand and then mine.

“It was great meeting you, Lark. You’ll have to come out more often to target shoot,” Jeff said with a smile.

“Damn, I wish I could. I travel a lot for my job,” Lark said.

“You still in the Marines?” Josh asked.

Lark shook his head. “Nah, medical discharge.”

Gunner looked at me and then back at Lark. “What do you do?”

Lark smirked. “Contract work for the government among other things. My boss dabbles in a few different things—all legal.” He glanced at me and winked.

Gunner laughed. “Fair enough.”

Lark hadn’t uttered a word ever since we left Gunner’s place.

“What’s on your mind, Lark?” I asked.

He smiled. “I like your friends. They are a good group of guys. They seem really happy.”

I nodded. “Yeah, they are a good bunch, and yeah, they’re all pretty happy.”

He nodded as he looked out the window. I knew Lark wanted what we all had—someone to wake up to every morning and lie down with every night.

“You ever think of changing jobs?” I asked.

“Fuck no. I love my job. I live for my job,” Lark said quickly.

I sucked in a deep breath and slowly let it out. “You don’t ever think about settling down, Lark? Ever?”

He shook his head and smiled as he looked at me. “Nope. It would have to take an act of God to get me to settle down with one person.”

I nodded my head. As we drove down the driveway, I saw Jessie and Azurdee both riding horses. They were walking along the road. I pulled to a stop and rolled down the window.

“Damn, girl. You sure look good sitting up there on my horse,” I said with a chuckle.

Jessie smiled and let out a small laugh. “Your mother wouldn’t leave. She went from paint to baby furniture to wedding plans. I think I liked it better when she didn’t like me and never talked to me,” she said as she made a funny face.

Azurdee laughed, and I heard Lark suck in a breath of air.

“How about we go out for dinner tonight?” I asked.

“Azurdee has plans for a home-cooked meal tonight,” Jessie said as she looked over at Azurdee.

“Yep, pasta,” Azurdee said as she ducked her head down and peeked into the truck at Lark.

“Pasta, it is. Y’all need help with the horses?” I asked.

“Nope. We’re enjoying our girl time. We won’t be long, I promise,” Jessie said.

I slowly drove away and glanced over toward Lark. He was looking out the window as I smiled to myself.

Azurdee Emerson could very well be the act of God Lark was talking about.

I walked into the kitchen, and Ari was bent over, wiping off the counter. I snuck up, grabbed her hips, and began pumping the shit out of her.

“Oh yeah, baby! Feels so good!” I said.

Ari laughed and tried to stand up. “Jesus, Mary, and Joseph. Give me fucking whiplash, why don’t you?”

“You know you want me, baby,” I said as I let her go.

She turned to face me. “Actually, I’m so damn tired. I’ve been cleaning all day on top of studying. I will be so glad when these online classes are over.”

I looked around. The house was so quiet.

“Where are Luke and Grace?”

Ari smiled. “Sleeping.”

“At the same time?”

She nodded her head and smiled. I grabbed her hand and pulled her into our bedroom before she could argue. I shut the door and pushed her against it. I cupped her breast in my hand as I leaned in and licked her bottom lip.

“Jeff…we can’t. Luke is going to wake up any minute.”

“I’ll go fast. Baby, this is for you.” I dropped to my knees and started to pull down her sweatpants and panties.

She looked down at me and giggled as she lifted each foot before kicking off her clothing. “For me, huh? How is this for me?”

“You’re stressed. You need relief.” I lifted her leg and put her foot on my shoulder.

“Jeff, no! I’ve been cleaning for the last two hours. I’m all sweaty and—”

I buried my face between her legs and gently began sucking on her clit.

“Oh god, holy shit!” she shouted.

I slowly slipped two fingers in, and she began moving her hips as she grabbed on to my hair.

“Yes…oh god…mother of God, that feels so…oh god.” She began grinding her hips faster.

I moved my tongue as fast as I could against her clit, and she began to fall apart.

The sounds she was making were driving me mad. I reached down and unbuttoned my pants. I kept sucking gently on her clit as she called out my name. I pulled my fingers out of her and stood up. After I kicked off my pants, I picked her up and brought her over to the bed. I crawled on top of her and slowly put the tip of my dick barely inside her.

She thrashed her head back and forth. “More!” she called out.

I smiled and shook my head. “My greedy, greedy girl.”

She rolled over and got on her hands and knees. She backed her ass up against me. “More…” she whispered.

I pulled her to me and slammed my dick into her.

She let out a whimper. “Harder…touch me, Jeff.”

I moved my hands around to her front and began playing with her clit.

“No…not there…” she said.

I slowed down and looked at her ass. Motherfucker.

I slid my hand along her body and watched as she shuddered. I moved my finger and barely touched her ass.

“Oh god…yes.”

My heart started pounding. If I put my finger in her ass, I’m not gonna last.

“Ari…” I said.

She pushed herself against me as she grabbed on to the sheets. I slowly moved my finger into her ass just a bit, and she let out a moan.

“Oh…god…” she said.

I held on to her hip with my other hand and began going faster and harder.

“Jeff…please…”

I pushed my finger into her more, and she began calling out my name.

“Jeff…oh god…that feels amazing!”

I lost it. “Jesus, baby…I’m gonna come.”

“Yes! Jeff, yes!”

I was so out of breath that I rested on top of her as she fell to the bed.

“Holy hell! Why have we not tried that before?” she asked in between pants.

I was still trying to recover from one of the most intense orgasms of my life. I moved and fell to the side of her. She rolled over and looked at me. Her eyes were filled with love and passion.

“Ari, I think you just about killed me. Where in the hell did that come from?”

She laughed. “I don’t know. I’ve been wanting to try some back door action. I guess the moment just hit me.”

I just looked at her. “The moment just hit you? Do you realize that when you told me to touch you there, I almost came on the spot?”

She smiled bigger and shook her head. “You liked that?”

“Uh-huh…hell yeah, I did.”

“Want to play around more with it?” She bit down on her bottom lip and began abusing the hell out of it.

“I think you just made me the happiest man on Earth,” I said as I pulled her closer to me.

She moved to sit on top of me and began grinding against me.

“Baby, I’m not Superman. There’s no way.”

She threw her head back and started feeling her breasts.

She’s trying to kill me.

“Hmm…you feel so good up against my body,” she whispered.

Then, we heard Grace over the baby monitor. Ari snapped her head down and looked at me.

“Later tonight? Back door?” she asked with a wink.