Her hips rise, and she clenches around me, inner muscles rippling in a maddening rhythm. This time there’s no way I can stop this orgasm from slamming into me like a runaway train. It tears through me, making my body writhe. My hips are moving in a frantic rhythm of their own, and wave after wave of burning pleasure washes though me. Not sure I can take so much of it without going mad.

Then I feel it—the exquisite tightening around my still jerking cock, and I hear her cry out as she comes.

Too much. Breaking the kiss, I muffle a howl into her shoulder, and hunch over her, my whole body trembling.

She shifts beneath me, and I lift my head, blinking the sweat from my eyes. “Holy shit,” I whisper.

She grins. She’s so fucking sexy I want to start all over again, but my body can’t cooperate just yet. I think it will take me more than two seconds to recuperate from something this strong. I don’t think I can even shift enough to pull out of her. Maybe we can stay like this forever.

I shouldn’t like the thought so much.

My lids are heavy, but she seems full of energy. Tugging and pushing, she manages to roll me on my side, and she rolls with me, still wrapped around me, one leg over my thigh.

Comfortable. Warm. I inhale her scent of flowers, and I’m already dozing off when she clenches her leg, drawing me closer. As I’m still trapped inside her, this brings a growl up my throat.

She laughs, a silver sound. “Why did you think I wouldn’t come here tonight?” she asks, her voice soft.

I try to think of a plausible explanation. “Your folks? I thought you’d get into trouble if you did.”

Her face falls, and I want to kick myself for reminding her. “They know I’m staying at a friend’s.”

I don’t know what to say to make her forget. My brain is sluggish. “I like holding you.”

She smiles, her brow smoothing out. “I like it when you hold me, too.”

“I don’t wanna scare you away.” Damn, my mouth is on autopilot. Brain not connected. “Ev…”

“You can’t scare me away,” she says firmly, and fuck, I want to believe her. “Are you talking about taking me into that alley today, or are you hiding whips and chains somewhere in your room?”

She glances around as if expecting to see them hanging on the wall, and I snort.

“The alley,” I say, although that’s not all. That’s just the tip of the iceberg. “Won’t you tell me what scares you?”

Her lips part, and I’m tempted to kiss her again. I hold back. I want to know more about her. I want to understand her.

“My boyfriend,” she starts, and I freeze. I think my heart has stopped.

“Boyfriend,” I repeat, my voice choked.

“Blake,” she says, “my ex-boyfriend. Very ex.”

I release a long breath, and my heart restarts with a lurch. “Right. Blake. What about him?” I fucking hate the guy already, and that’s even before I remember where I heard his name before. “He’s the douchebag who tells you you’re a cripple, isn’t he? What else did he do to you?”

She doesn’t immediately reply, and heat rises up my neck. I’m gonna rip this guy’s head right off his shoulders. My pulse thrums in my ears.

“What did he do?” I ask again. “Did he hurt you? Where is he now?”

“Micah.” Her hand worms its way between us and settles over my pounding heart. “Calm down.”

“The hell I will. What did he do, Ev?”

“Nothing.” She bites her lip. “It’s stupid. He’s never been violent with me, or anyone else.”

Some of the tension leeches out of me, but I’m still grinding my teeth. “Then why are you afraid? What else did he say? If he—”

“He just talks a load of crap.” She presses her forefinger to my lips, stopping my questions. “Forget it.”

The adrenaline rush is still making the blood rush in my ears, but exhaustion drags me down. I manage to pull out of her and tie off the condom, then go clean up and return with a wet cloth for her. She moans softly as I clean her, and damn if my cock doesn’t twitch again.

Not sure I’ll survive another round tonight. So I tell my dick to suck it up, throw the wet cloth into a corner of the room and fall back into bed. I gather her close, tucking her head under my chin, still amazed at how such a tiny person can make me feel safe and content.

“What time is it?” she whispers, her breath tickling my skin.

My eyes are closing, and I struggle to open them again. “Must be midnight, I guess. Why?”

“Maybe I should set an alarm for tomorrow. Have to go to work.”

“Oh, right. I’ve set mine. I’ll wake you.” I reach out and switch off the light. In the velvet darkness, she’s curled against me like a magical creature, molding to me, soft and warm, small and yet strong.

“Thanks.” She trails her fingers over my chest, and it all fades for a while.

I come awake when she pulls away from me. I reach instinctively for her, not wanting to let go. “Ev?”

“Bathroom. I’ll be right back.” She smoothes a hand over my face. “You’re wiped out, aren’t you? Not sleeping well?”

“I sleep well with you,” I mumble, brain hazed and studded with snatches of dreams. “Ev, stay…”

“I’ll be right back,” she says, but I fall asleep before she does.

***

A figure stands at the door. It’s dark and I can’t really see, but I know her. She’s sat on my bed often and stroked my hair. She hasn’t been in my room recently, though, and I can’t quite recall her face. Her hair is dark and short, her eyes big and the color of the sky.

Mom… I wait, lying in my bed. I want her to come closer, to sit again beside me. I want to feel her arms around me, her hand on my hair, her lips on my cheek. I want to hear her voice saying my name.

‘Micah, baby…’ Her voice, soft. ‘I’m here.’

But she doesn’t move. She’s just a dark shadow against the light. Then she turns to go, and I’m scared. I know she’s never coming back. She’s leaving. Leaving me behind.

I twist, struggling to get up, go after her, but for some reason I can’t move. I’m tied to the bed, tied and gagged, and I’m not in my room anymore, not in a house, but at one of the group homes. I recognize the bare hanging bulbs and stained concrete floor. I know the faces crowding around the bed, and I see the baseball bats in their hands.

I know what’s coming next, but it still doesn’t prepare me for the first blow. When it falls, I jerk and shout for help. Blow after blow falls on me, and I shout and curse, all in vain.

“Micah. Snap out of it, man.” A male voice. A strong hand shaking me. “Hey. Enough. You’ll wake up the whole building. You don’t want the bitch from next door coming over to complain again.”

Another cry is caught in my throat, and I can’t breathe. A fit of coughing overtakes me, and I curl on my side, hacking and trying to breathe.

“I’ll bring you some water,” Seth says. He knows the drill.

But I sit up with a groan. “I’m okay.”

“Ew, man, cover up.” Seth makes a face. “I don’t need to see your fucking dick.”

I pull the sheet over my lap, and he turns to go.

He stops. The only light comes through the door, and I squint, trying to see what has him frozen.

A girl is standing there, wearing an oversized T-shirt, her hair hanging over her shoulders like sheets of beaten metal. My overtaxed brain keeps superimposing a dark shadow over her, and I know she’s leaving me.

“No.” I shake my head. “Don’t go.”

“Micah?” Ev, it’s Ev, her wide eyes flicking from me to Seth and back. “I’m not going anywhere. Just… What is Seth doing here?”

“What?” I scrape a hand over my face, hoping to restart my brain. “Seth lives here.”

“He lives with you?

“Got a problem with that?” Seth mutters irritably.

Ev rubs her temples. The T-shirt she’s wearing is mine. Why the hell do I feel warm at the thought of her wearing my clothes?

“It’s not… Not a problem,” she whispers.

“I’ll leave you two alone,” Seth grumbles. “And try to keep it quiet, will ya? Trying to get some downtime here.”