Without a Hitch

by Avery Maxwell

It doesn’t seem fair that my longest dry spell since I started having sex ended ten seconds ago with a ten-inch torpedo bitch-slapping not one, but both cheeks.

“It can be tough not to lose sight of what matters in this world, Loch. But not everyone is out to get you. Not everyone wants you for your bank account.”

He is studying me like a final exam, and I’m pretty sure I want to pass his test.

Tilly: How do we feel about one-night stands? Eli: Get it girrrrl! (Fire emoji, salsa dancer emoji) Delaney: Whoa. I just sprayed iced coffee all over our couch. Hadley: Time out. Hadley: Where are you? How do you know he’s safe? Do you have an out in case he tries to tie you to a bed in the red room of pain?

Hip hip hooray, my pussy’s here to play!

“Yes. A cinnamon roll. You’re crusty and a bit rough on the outside, but all ooey and gooey sweetness on the inside.” My mouth drops open in horrified amusement. “I am not ooey and gooey, Mrs. Moore. And just what types of books are you reading in this book club of yours?” “The good kind.” She winks.

Why do my lips write checks my heart can’t cash?

“It’s settled then,” my father announces happily. “Lochlan is going to get his girl.” “What?” I demand, snapping out of my daydream. “And we’ll all help,” he continues. “No. No way.”

“And we essentially grew up orphans, Tilly. There’s no getting around that. Sure, Dad was there physically, but we raised ourselves. I know you’ve viewed this commitment, marriage, as the thing that will force someone to stay. But you know that’s not the truth. I think you’re putting so much stock in marriage because you’re scared. You’re scared of being left behind.”

I only regret that I held out on him for so long.” She smirks, and my stomach rolls with worry. I really don’t think I can handle a sex story from Mable right now. “He asked me out for two years before I finally caved. That’s two years I missed out on his god-awful dirty jokes. Two years I missed out on his love. You’re not guaranteed a future, but you do have today. Start livin’ for today and build a future on the happiness that brings.”

“You’re going to crush me.” My words are barely a whisper. They’re as fragile as my heart, and he knows it.

I trip over my own feet when I realize that Tilly Camden is the magic. Moment by moment, she’s giving me hope. In life, in her, and in love. Magical. Bloody fucket magical.

She’s cast a spell over me, and I quickly realize the walls I’ve built around my heart are no match for her.

The bloody floating bed of doom has its uses, after all.

“It’s not about accepting a quirk, Lochlan. It’s about accepting you as you are. A stiff, rigid, candy-sorting, pain in the ass with a heart so big, even if he forgets to let people see it.”

“I think there are many layers to you, lover. I think some of them have been burned so badly that after the scars healed, you forgot to undo the bandages to let the light in again.

“I’m not giving you anything. You haven’t asked for anything, Tilly.” “But I did. I asked for your time, and you’ve given it freely.”

“That’s a choice too, Loch. Choose to be the man she deserves every day, and that will never happen. People change as years go by, sure, but choose to change with her. Make her the number one priority in your life every single day, and love will bend and shift with you.”

Preston’s stern face comes into view. He has a smile in place, but his eyes tell a different story. Bending down, he doesn’t even try to whisper. “Tilly is my wife’s baby sister. If you hurt her, I will ruin you. Their other sisters will rip off your balls and then watch you choke on them. Don’t fuck this up.”

Loving you is my greatest joy, and I will thank you for that every day of my life.”