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Heat builds beneath my skin, everywhere her body brushes mine, and before I can think about what I’m doing, I wrap my hand around hers, guiding it lower. Lower.
“Hi,” she whispers. “Freya.” It’s all I can say, but our eyes hold, and she sees…everything I need her to.
“Touch me,” I beg her. Her hands roam my skin, gentle sweeps over my legs, kneading my ass, rubbing my arms, my chest.
Our kisses deepen, and I draw her closer to me, sucking her tongue, tasting her, needing every part of my wife, every single corner of her.
“I have to be inside you,” I whisper against her lips. “I have to.”
Reaching between us, Freya guides me inside her, and a pained, hoarse cry rips from my chest.
“I love you,” she whispers. “God, I love you.” I crush her body against mine and thrust home, earning her breathless gasp that I know so well, the sound of her pleasure, her beautiful body responding to mine.
I press deeper, burying myself within her, tight and warm, so exquisitely familiar and precious to me.
Savoring her every breath, the soft, undulating waves of her release around me, I kiss her, let my senses drown in her. Only her.
“Thank you,” I whisper against her lips, before I steal another kiss, a gentle bite of her bottom lip. Freya smiles, eyes still shut. “For what?” “For loving me.”
Now stop trying to distract me. Talk about Hawaii. Did it…” She wiggles her eyebrows. “Y’know, really agree with you? You and Aiden?”
“Dan,” Pete says darkly. Mai elbows him. “You are so jealous of him. He’s his business partner.” “He’s butting into my bromance.” Pete meets my eyes sympathetically. “You’re not the only one he’s too busy for.”
“Watch out,” Mai laughs. “I think you drooled.” “Sue me, I like my husband’s ass.”
“You used to look at me like that.” “I still do. After you put the kids to bed and load up the dishwasher. When you bend over and put that detergent in—” She shivers. “Mhmm.”
The sooner you talk to him, the sooner you’re home for snuggles and my favorite flourless chocolate torte that you hid in the fridge.” Aiden narrows his eyes but keeps them on the road. “It’s hard to hide a cake. You’re supposed to pretend like you didn’t see that giant white box behind the kale.”
“Rather than ask you for another chance to know you, I stole it. Because every time I tried to work up the courage, I—” His voice breaks. “I admired you so much. I knew I’d disappoint you. And you spoke to me like you saw me as your equal, not some nobody, like so many people around here do, putting on airs. You spoke to me like you saw something in me. Like you respected me, and…I couldn’t lose that.”
I lift a shaking hand to my throat, where Freya’s chain used to sit, warm against my skin. My courage. My reminder of her love. But I know now I don’t need a chain to have her with me. Her love’s with me, in me, always.
I gave him a chance with me so I could know if he was worthy of a chance with you.”
I wanted her to trust me with the hard stuff, to believe that she could tell me, and I wouldn’t freak the fuck out.” Mom leans in, saying out of the side of her mouth, “And then you freaked the fuck out anyway, didn’t you?”
People who love each other hurt each other, too. What matters is that they learn and they try their best not to hurt each other that way again.”
I let myself into the house as dawn starts to lighten the sky, closing the door quietly and watching for Freya’s shoes. But they’re stacked neatly on the shoe organizer. I almost pick them up and set them in the middle of the floor, right where they belong. Because the messy, beautiful woman I love is home.
I said the worst things I think about myself and put those words in your mouth, and that was unfair.
“I need you.” A quiet smile tips her lips. “I need you, too.” “Come here,” I whisper.
“I want you,” she says faintly. “I want you inside me.” Easing into her, I whisper, “I’m yours.”
“Faster,” she begs. “Slow,” I tell her. She laughs through tears, kissing me hard. “Even when you’re torturing me, I love you.”
“Thank you? For what?” “For wanting just me a little longer. I’m going to be so happy when we have a baby, but you’re right. I want to enjoy you first, just us, together.
“We can’t possibly hope to always live ‘happily.’ But ‘ever after’? That we can hope for and choose. Because ‘ever after’ isn’t an idea. It’s a person—an imperfect person who’s perfect for you.” Her eyes search mine as she gives me one soft, tender kiss. “You’re that person, for me. You’re my ever after.”
“You’re my ever after, too, Freya. Always.” She wraps her arms tight around my waist and smiles up at me. “I like that. Ever after always.”
30 FREYA Playlist: “C’mon,” Kesha
“‘This dark is everywhere’ we said, and called it light” — Orpheus and Eurydice, Jean Valentine
“You remember?” I nod, wiping away tears. “Our honeymoon.” “And the world’s most depressing story of Orpheus and Eurydice,” he says teasingly.
Aiden + Freya = 3,650 days 520 weeks 120 months 10 years 1 ever after always
“Mothers protect their children. As you will soon know.” I freeze inside her arms. “I’m not… We aren’t—” “I know,” she says quietly. “But it’s coming. And when you are, you will be a wonderful mother.”
“First time anyone would ever use ‘angel’ and ‘Bergman brothers’ in the same sentence,” Viggo points out.
“Okay,” Willa says, accepting from Oliver the basket full of folded papers we’re using for clues. She performs an impressive sleight of hand, extracting a paper from her sleeve that she almost convinces even me she’s chosen from the basket, before she hands it to Rooney. “You’re up next, Roo.”
“I’m getting better.” “Yes,” I whisper, before we share a quick kiss. “But even if you never did, I’d love you, just as you are.”
“It’s kiss,” Aiden whispers in my ear. I grin. “Oh, I know. We all do. You and the Bergman brothers aren’t the only ones who can meddle.”
Growling in frustration, Rooney swivels and faces Axel where he stands, leaning against the threshold, watching her. She marches toward him, throws her arms around his neck, and crushes her mouth to his. “Kiss!” I scream, right as time ends.
Rooney jumps back, as if hearing the word made her realize what she’s done. She stares up at my brother, bringing a shaky hand to her lips. “Axel, I-I-I’m sorry. I didn’t mean… That is, I shouldn’t have… I’m just viciously competitive and I…”
“I think…” he says hoarsely. Rooney leans a fraction closer. “You think…?” Ax swallows roughly as his fingertips brush hers. “I think…I have a new appreciation for charades.”
All I see is the man I wrap my arms around and kiss like my world is the space between us, this moment, loving him. There’s nowhere else I’d rather be.
