“Fuck,” he breathed against my mouth before his lips took mine in another searing kiss. The last six years melted away right then, and there was nothing but us drinking from each other the way it was always meant to be.

All coherent thought was gone the second he touched me. I was lost in him. Lost in the feel of his hands cupping my ass and pulling my pants and underwear down over my hips. And lost in the feel of his teeth gently scraping against the sensitive skin where my shoulder and neck met.

The only thing I was capable of in that moment was moaning and whispering his name as he stripped me of my clothes with precision. He was a man on a mission. That mission being to drive me out of my ever-loving mind.

I leaned against the wall as his mouth trailed over my skin towards my breasts. When his lips closed around one taut nipple, I cried out—completely forgetting my daughter was asleep on the other side of the apartment. With just his tongue and teeth, I was catapulted dangerously close to the edge, completely ready to jump off into the abyss for him.

His hand dipped between my legs, his long finger deftly stroking my clit like a musician would play a guitar.

“Yes,” I hissed when he plunged two fingers inside me.

“Shit. You’re so fucking wet,” he murmured against my chest.

Leaving me reeling, his hand quickly retreated from the delicious torture it was delivering between my legs. Smoothing both his hands down the backs of my thighs, he lifted me up so that I was forced to wrap my legs around his torso. Within seconds, his jeans were unbuttoned, his cock free and he was plunging inside me.

It all happened so fast. I cried out at the sudden feeling of being full of Matt. Being connected to him was as inevitable as it was right. We were meant to be together this way. Loving each other with our bodies.

His hips bucked and rolled as he fucked me like an animal. Years of pent up tension melted away with each grunt from his mouth and each lick of his tongue against my neck.

“So fucking good,” he groaned.

“Yes,” I whispered and dug my nails into his back. My orgasm was building deep within my core, threatening to explode at any second. I wasn’t sure I’d be able to stand the force of it. It was going to be colossal.

With each thrust he owned another piece of my soul until I found myself coming around his thick beautiful cock. That’s when I knew I was his again—as if there were ever really a doubt. It would seem that I was the only one who ever questioned it.

“Jesus,” he cursed, thrusting into me one final time before stilling and pumping his seed deep inside me.

With his forehead on my shoulder, Matt struggled to catch his breath. Sweat dampened his hair as I ran my fingers absently through the strands. My heart was beating frantically in my chest, both from what we had just done and from what this could mean for us going forward.

Would he want a future with me now? Or would he take this interlude and leave me as alone as I had left him? Both prospects were equally frightening for completely different reasons.

With one last sensual glide and a sinful twist of his hips that had me mewling, he pulled out and lowered me to the ground.

I stood dumbfounded as he calmly righted his clothes like he hadn’t a care in the world. The evidence of what just happened trailing down my thigh.

Shit. He was totally going to leave after that. The hope for a future together that had started to take root in my chest instantly withered at my realization that, regardless of what he had said earlier, I wasn’t his dream any longer.

My chin wobbled, and I hated myself for looking so weak in front of him.

“Hey,” he said softly. His fingers tipped my chin up so I was forced to look into his eyes. “What’s wrong?”

“Nothing.” The tenderness in his voice had tears already spilling down my cheeks.

“Obviously something’s wrong if you’re crying.”

“I’m fine. Really.” I swiped at the wetness on my cheeks and mustered up a ridiculously fake smile. “Let me just put my clothes on and I’ll walk you out.”

I reached for my shirt, but Matt took it from my hands and pulled me towards him until our bodies were flush. “Are you kicking me out?” he asked with worried amusement in his voice.

“No. I thought you were leaving.” I blinked in confusion at what was happening.

“Honey, I’m not going anywhere. Not unless you really want me to go.” His hands skated down my back, leaving goosebumps in their wake.

“Okay,” I whispered. I was basically a puddle of goo in his arms. Any defenses or misgivings I had before were obliterated the moment we had sex. I toed the tile with my foot and gazed up at him shyly. “But I don’t want Rachel to wake up and you be here.”

“Can I at least hold you until the sun comes up?”

I nodded, and his arms tightened their hold on me. “Good. Come on.”

We picked up my clothes from where they’d landed on the floor earlier and made our way to my bedroom down the short hall. Matt removed his shoes and shirt while I threw on a robe so I could check on Rachel.

The light from the hallway illuminated her face when I cracked open the door. She looked so peaceful and angelic as her lashes fluttered in her sleep.

I really hoped I was doing the right thing by bringing Matt into our lives. Rachel knew her father. The bastard still showed up every now and again to see her. The last thing I wanted was for her to be confused or to feel like I was forcing Matt on her.

Slowing down that train of thought, I quietly closed the door and tiptoed back across the hall to my room. Exhaustion was taking hold of me, and I needed to consider everything on a clear head rather than a sex-fogged one.

Back in my room, Matt was leaning up against the headboard, his toned chest beautifully displayed and the sheet up to his waist. Good lord, I could get used to seeing him in my bed every day for the rest of my life.

“Come.” He held the covers up so I could crawl between them.

I hummed with contentment as I settled my head on his shoulder and draped my arm over his stomach. We fit like two pieces of a puzzle. It was such a comforting feeling.

“I set the alarm on my phone. I figure we can get a couple hours of sleep at least.” His sarcasm made me laugh. “But first I have to know something.”

His tone had my body tensing. I wasn’t sure I could handle any more seriousness tonight.

“When did you get pregnant with Rachel?” His question was timid and his expression earnest as he waited for me to answer. I knew this was important to him and he deserved to have his worry eased.

“The night after you left. I got trashed and ended up having sex with Bo Miller.” I could tell by the look of disgust on his face that he wanted to say something about Bo—he was always the bad boy bully in school, but thankfully he chose to keep his mouth shut. It wasn’t as if I would blame him; Bo was… well, Bo. Everyone in town knew how unreliable he was. It had just taken me a little longer to find out. “It wasn’t until a few weeks later I realized just how bad I had fucked up. Not just with letting you go, but also with the fact that I was going to be a teen mom. I knew you’d never want to come back for me then.”

It felt good to finally admit everything to him. The weight of the past finally lifted from my shoulders. I would never regret having Rachel, but the circumstances she was conceived under I would rewrite if I could.

“If you had asked, I would have come back. I never stopped loving you.” The back of his fingers stroked my cheek and his mouth pressed to mine in a brief kiss that communicated his sincerity.

“I could never have asked you to do that,” I spoke against his lips.

He pulled back and his eyes danced around my face in search of something. What, I didn’t know. “It doesn’t matter because I’m here now and this time I won’t let you get rid of me.”