Teagan holds my face in her hands as she kisses me. Her breath is still quick from whatever she did to get here. The desperation behind her lips surprises me, but I'm thankful for it. Thinking I had kissed her for the last time has been killing me.

Her lips slip from mine too soon. She looks at me with intensity. Her eyes are wide and wet with tears. "I love you."

The words hit me right in the chest, knocking the wind out of my lungs and the latte out of my hand. "I love you, too."

"Don't go," she adds.

As I hold her in my arms, I can't think straight. "Don't go? I just sold my car. I have a lease and a—" Her lips crash onto mine again. Yeah, I'll shut up.

She grabs the front of my shirt with both hands. "Stay here. We can still see each other all the time. This doesn't have to end if we don't let it."

I open my mouth to give a reason I can't, but nothing comes out. There is no reason good enough to make me want to walk away from her. "You love me?"

"Yes, dumbass," she smiles through her tears. She pulls me close and we kiss again. I can feel the passion behind her lips. The warmth and comfort I've missed. A sense of being exactly where I'm meant to be.

"Yo!" We both turn to the driver. "This is a sweet moment or whateva, but I ain't got all day. Are we goin' or not?" His heavy Bronx accent cuts the tension.

"Move in with me," Teagan says.

"Move—? What?"

"Jeremy is gone, I need someone to split the rent with me, and . . . I don't know, just . . . Move in with me. We can figure it out later."

I don't know if I want to laugh or celebrate. "You want to live with me? I just learned how to clean a toilet, like, two weeks ago."

She smiles. "I didn't say it was a good idea. But let's do it, anyway."

That's more than enough reason for me. "Let's do it."

. . .

Moving up the street is a hell of a lot easier—and cheaper—than moving out of the city. The movers have all my shit inside her apartment in less than an hour. My furniture looks ridiculous in her—our living room. Three couches, piles of bedding plopped on the floor, boxes stacked taller than me. But, as she said, we'll figure it out later.

The movers take their tip and leave. Finally alone, Teagan stands in the doorway with me, appraising the mess we'll have to sort out. I watch her lips twist to the side with annoyance.

"Regretting your decision yet?" I ask her.

She turns to look at me, and her sneer melts into a grin. "Not yet." She wraps her arms around my neck, pressing herself against me. She should be more careful when I'm feral for her already. "Are you?"

When her body is against mine, the only thing I can regret is being clothed. "Not yet."

I kiss her, soft and slow, shamelessly reaching down to grab a delicious handful of her ass. She breaks the kiss too soon.

"We should go over some house rules," she starts.

I sigh. "Should have seen this coming. Hit me."

"No outside shoes in the house."

"Got it."

"Clean up after yourself."

"Yep."

"Toilet seat down. No unwashed dishes in the sink. No dirty underwear on the floor."

"Unless we fell asleep after you took them off me?" I smirk. She doesn't look amused. "Okay, fine. What else?"

She ponders for a moment. "Cook me eggs on the weekends?"

"I can do that."

She gnaws her lip to pin her smile. "What about you?"

"I get to make rules, too?"

"Two parties doing life together should agree on the terms, right?"

I chuckle at what will always be our inside joke. "Right." I run my hands along her waist, ignoring the movement happening in my pants. "Well . . . When you come home from studying at 2 AM, only wake me up if it's for sex."

She laughs. "Okay."

"Clothing should be kept to the bare minimum while we're home. Bras outdoor clothes, not indoor clothes."

"Seriously?"

"Uh-huh."

"Are all of your rules sex related?"

"No."

"Okay. What else?"

I wrap my arms tighter around her, pulling her as close as possible. "Kiss me when you get home and every time you leave, whether you're mad at me or not. And . . . Talk to me. About everything. All the time."

She cocks her head to the side and gives me a knowing grin. "I can do that."

We kiss again, more passionately than before. I pull her in for another, then another, ready to show her just how happy I am to be here with her. She pulls away again, but I'm too happy and have missed her too long to hold myself back.

"So, what's the first thing you want to do as room—eek!" she shrieks when I pick her up by the back of her legs and toss her onto my shoulder. I kick the door closed behind us. "Heath! I need to lock—" She stops when I drop her onto the couch. I push up her knees and rip her panties up her thighs. Finally, she gets the message. "Oh."

"Oh," I tease her, then lower myself between her legs.

I taste her, smiling as I hear her giggles of amusement melt into sighs of pleasure. She's sweet and wet already. Clearly, she has wanted this as long as I have.

She blossoms for me and I can't take it anymore. I sit up. Drunk and breathless, she smiles down at me as she waits for more. I pull up my shirt and rip it over my head. She tugs at my fly, but not quickly enough. I take over, ripping it open and pushing my pants down my hips. She lets out a little gasp when I pull myself free.

I pull her hips to me, and with barely a pause, push myself inside her. Her head falls back with a moan, and I do the same. Her body welcomes me. Finally inside her, I inhale my first calm breath in days.

Her legs still tied together by the panties on her thighs, she's tight, powerless, mine.

She arches back with a moan, gripping the arm of the couch above her head. My cock strains in response. "Fucking hell, babe," I whisper in appreciation.

Skin against skin, I feel all of her, every inch of her soft center wrapping me in hot, wet heat. I could lose myself right now—fill her with everything I've been holding back since she walked away—but I want more. I want all of her.

I fall forward, her legs pressing up onto my shoulders. Her hips curl up off the couch and she lets out a loud moan. I drop my hips down harder, stroking deep, still drowning in her and the feeling she gives me.

We fall into a blur of ecstasy. My vision darkens. My desire to come is all-consuming. The air fills with our heavy breaths and the sounds of our colliding bodies.

"Don't stop," she mewls.

There's nothing I wouldn't give her, and I will do anything it takes to show her that. "I won't."

Her back arches, her fingers dig into my skin. "Ahh!"

My pace slows as I watch her come apart for me, feeling her body grip me tight. I shrug her legs from my shoulders, letting them drop to my waist. She looks up at me, speechless and panting. Lowering myself onto her, chest against chest, my face hovering above hers.

Her eyes find mine. I can tell she's in shreds, still high from the feeling I just gave her. With a moan, I lose myself, too.

As my soul leaves my body and spills into her, I thank every particle of the universe for bringing her back to me.

She pulls my face to hers and places a luscious kiss on my lips. "I fucking love you," she whispers before another kiss.

I smile against her lips. The words make me feel higher than my orgasm. "Say it again."

The front door clicks. I sit up and pull up my pants and she does the same with her panties. Jeremy and Chet walk in. Chet's little oh expression lessens the blow.

"Hey . . ." I awkwardly greet them, my fly still unbuttoned.

Jer's eyes shift between the two of us. "Just leaving my keys, don't mind us. Wouldn't want to interrupt your 'one-night stand.'"

Teagan lets out a little sigh. "I'll miss you, Jer."

"No, you won't," Jeremy jokes. On their way out, he stops and looks over his shoulder. "I'm really happy for you two," he says, then closes the door.

"One-night stand?" I tease her.

She drapes an arm over her eyes and laughs.

. . .

Feeling thirsty after round three, I pop the bottle of champagne I stole from the wedding, and pour it into two of my glasses that will definitely be in the recycle bin tomorrow. The sun went down an hour ago, but we still haven't made it to the bedroom. The pile of my throw blankets, sheets, and comforter is enough of a bed for us right now. I hand her the glass and curl up next to her under the blankets.

She looks exhausted, and so goddamn beautiful. The dim glow of some candles mixes with the halogen glow from the streetlights outside. It's some dreamy, romantic shit I hope I never wake up from.

"I know it's the first day," I muse, "but this roomie thing is pretty lit."

She turns to face me, her hand on my chest, her nose brushing against mine when I wrap her up in my arm. "So, about our situationship . . ."

"Yeah?"

"I still think my contract was immaculate. But regardless, it's void now."

"What are you saying?" I let out a sarcastic gasp. "Am I your boyfriend?"

She gives me a weak shove and lays back down. "You're lucky I love you."

"I am." I brush my fingers against her cheek, my eyes tracing every captivating detail of her face. "No breaks, no pauses. Just you and me, forever. We can make it work this time."

She nods, and her smile and soft kiss fill me with comfort. "Should I draft up some terms?"

_____

Can these crazy kids do it? Let's find out in the Epilogue!

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