"Move it a bit lower," Kitten says.

"Like this?"

She scrunches up her nose and tilts her head to the side. "I'm not sure. Let me step back and look."

I focus my eyes on the framed picture I'm holding. Leah and I are on the hot air balloon against the backdrop of bright orange clouds. My lips are on her cheek, and one of her palms is pressed to my chest.

"It's perfect."

I nod, grab the hammer, and drive the nail into the wall. More photos hang there. We took the picture on the right after Dad's birthday. I'm sitting on the pier by the lake with Leah in my lap. She's hugging my neck, grinning at the camera. In the image on the left, we're on the balcony of our new apartment when I showed it to Leah for the first time.

"It looks amazing." Leah's slender arms wrap around my waist from behind. She kisses my back through the cotton shirt I'm wearing and presses her cheek to it.

I turn around and squeeze her, kissing her lips. "It does. We'll have to add more pictures. How about adding some from Mexico?"

A frown flits across Kitten's face.

"Remember Diego? The Mexican guy I told you about."

"I do," Leah says.

"He invited us to visit him in Mexico after Christmas. Of course, I want to, but I needed to talk to you first."

Leah's eyes light up. "For real? Oh my God, I'd love to."

"Then it's done."

Kitten looks up at me. "But can we afford it? You spent a lot on the apartment stuff."

"Diego has a house on the beach he rents out. He said we could stay there. We only have to get the tickets, but it shouldn't be a problem."

Leah's smile grows wider. She kisses me on the lips and rubs her nose along my jaw.

"Anything else left to do?" I whisper, running my fingertips over the curve of her waist.

"Only the food."

"Let's do it, then. Jim and Ava will be here soon. Jim wanted to help."

Leah kisses me once more and drags me to our new kitchen.

We're making a roast for dinner. Kitten adjusts the temperature and shoves the tray with meat and vegetables in the oven, and I pay more attention to her than to the food.

It's her first day at our new place. We've been unpacking and adding finishing touches to it all day. We would've waited to have everyone over for dinner if our schedules were less complicated. Both Kitten and I are swamped with schoolwork, and it's going to get only worse.

The shrill buzz echoes through the apartment. "I'll get it," I say.

Leah smoothes her hair and the front of her dress.

"You look amazing, baby." I peck Leah's cheek and pad to the front door to let my brother in.

A few minutes later, Jim and Ava step out of the elevator. Their hands are full; Jim's holding grocery bags, and a potted plant is in Ava's hands together with a wrapped rectangular package.

"Welcome." I smile at my brother and hug him. Then, I peck Ava's cheek and step aside so they can enter the apartment.

After the greetings, the girls engage in a conversation about our new place, and Jim and I go to the kitchen to get the appetizers ready.

"This is for you," Jim says, handing me the bags.

My eyes widen when I peek inside - there's a selection of cold cuts, cheese, and a couple of bottles of wine.

"Jim, I told you we had everything."

Jim shrugs. "And I chose not to listen. You're gonna be feeding a lot of people; it's never too much food."

"Yeah, maybe you're right. Thank you."

"I need a cutting board and a knife," Jim says. He opens the faucet and washes his hands while I reach into a drawer to get what he needs.

When my brother's slicing the cheese, it's my chance to raise the topic of Chad.

"There's something I wanted to tell you," I say.

Jim's hand hovers over the board, and he swivels his head to look at me. "Yeah?"

"A guy I study with uploaded our picture to the college forum, so everyone knows who I am. Unfortunately, they also saw your license plates because the dumbass didn't think about covering them. I'm sorry. I know how much you hate that shit."

Jim returns to his task. "No big deal. I'm sure everyone has known what car I drive for a while, little fucker. Did that dude cause trouble for you?"

I grab a plate and arrange the cheese slices in a circle. "He's just jealous. I do my thing and avoid the fucking drama, but Chad seems to live for it."

Worry flashes in Jim's gaze. "Be careful, 'kay?"

"I am. I don't think he has the balls to do anything really crappy, but I've learned my lesson."

"Don't worry about idiots," Jim says. "Focus on your studies and projects. You're too busy to give that dude the time of day."

"Yeah. I know."

Ava and Leah enter the kitchen. Ava hugs Jim from behind and peers at the cheese over his shoulder.

"Take one." Jim gives her a slice and presses his lips to Ava's forehead when she thanks him.

I grab one for Kitten, but the doorbell rings again. This time, it's Mac and Annie. They give us another plant and a framed picture of the four of us. If Bast brings a flower, too, the apartment will turn into a fucking garden. Someone will have to water that shit. I hope Kitten remembers to do it cause I don't trust myself.

It turns out I'm wrong. Bast and Tara give us some expensive-ass wine and desserts, and cushions Kitten loves, judging by her grin as she props them up against the ones we already have on the couch.

The girls stay in the living room, having some wine while we, guys, keep an eye on the roast in the kitchen.

"You look great," I say to Bast. "Rooming with Tara suits you."

Bast punches my side. "The fuck it does. It's as if a dozen unicorns puked rainbows in the apartment. I haven't seen so many shades of pink in my life. And that's not all."

Out of the corner of my eye, I spot the grin on Jim's face. He's trying to bite it back as he crouches down in front of the oven and looks at the meat, but I know the fucker.

"What else?" I ask Bast.

"Guess what's on the living room wall now? A huge ass quote that says, Swans are also people. What the hell, dude? It's glittery. That shitty glitter's everywhere. I'm afraid to put on my boxers in case there's glitter on them, too, and my dick will sparkle."

Jim bursts out laughing as he rises to his feet. "She's fucking with you."

"Sure is," Mac says, nodding. "But it's freaking hilarious."

"You owe me a big one." Bast sighs, looking at me. "It's all because of you."

"Aw, Basti." The three of us turn our heads at the sound of Tara's voice. "If I'd known you were so sensitive, I would've painted the walls in your room pink, too."

She pads to the counter and grabs the plate with cold meat. "Leah asked me to get it. Cheer up, Basti. We have to behave in front of others. Save the sulking for later."

As soon as she's left, Bast groans. "I need a fucking drink."

***

The dining table looks fantastic thanks to Kitten - lit candles, linen tablecloth, and cloth napkins decorate it, and the food is just as great as the setting and the company.

We laugh at Bast and Tara's antics. They don't miss a chance to bug each other and be mean, contrary to my brother and his girl, who somehow manage to cuddle even when they eat.

After dinner, all of us settle on the floor around the coffee table as we drink coffee and eat tons of desserts our guests brought.

"I love your place," Mac says. "It's small but cozy. Right, Birdie?"

Annie beams at me. "We're so happy you decided to live together. It's so much fun."

Bast's face twists in a grimace at her words. I wink at the dude, and Tara sees it. She presses a finger to her chin as she studies the chocolate sweets in the box. Then, she chooses the one in a pink wrapper and gives it to Bast. "Cheer up, Basti. It's been less than a day."

This time, Jim isn't the only one to laugh. Ava does, too, and the rest of us join them.

I draw an arm around Kitten's shoulders and press a chaste kiss to her lips. She tastes like candy and smells like one. Is it rude to say bye to the guests right now?

As if he's read my mind, Jim glances at his watch. "Guys, it's been wonderful, but we gotta get going. You must be exhausted."

The fucker's eyes twinkle as he looks at Leah and me. He must see how desperate I am to have Leah all to myself.

"We'll help you with the dishes," Annie says.

"No way." Leah smiles as she rises to her feet. "We have a dishwasher."

Tara looks at her. "Are you sure?"

"Absolutely."

"Okay. Basti needs to help me finish unpacking, so I guess we'll be going as well."

The look on Bast's face says he didn't know anything about that. Mac and Annie also come up with a lame excuse. Everyone leaves and the two of us are alone at our new place for the first time.

I pull Leah into my arms. "Finally."

Kitten shakes her head. "Dishes first."

"What?" I grumble, following her to the kitchen. "Come on; we can do that later."

"We'll be lazy later. Do you want to wake up tomorrow with a pile of dirty dishes in the sink?"

"That's not what I was hoping for, babe. I thought living together meant unlimited sex and tasty food and cuddles, not tidying up and doing boring stuff."

Kitten crosses her arms. "Then maybe you have to grow up, O'Brien."

She opens the dishwasher. I hug her from behind and jostle her into my body. "Hey." She laughs. "You're supposed to be helping me."

"I am. It's called having your back."

Kitten wiggles her butt. How can I get hard so fast from that alone?

"Please," I whisper, kissing her neck. Pathetic? Maybe, but I've missed her too much.

Leah tilts her head back and kisses my jaw. The fingers of one of her hands wrap around my wrist, asking me to turn around.

My ass hits the kitchen counter. It takes me a moment to understand what she wants, but she unbuttons and unzips my jeans, and my eyes flare.

Leah lifts the hem of my shirt and yanks it over my head. The fabric lands on the floor. My pulse ramps up when Leah gets on her knees in front of me.

I swallow. She peers up at me through her long lashes, and my brain stops functioning. Kitten yanks down my boxers and licks her lips. "Hello, boy. Long time no see."

I'd laugh if I could, but her lips close around the head of my cock, and every drop of blood I have rushes to where she's kissing me. "Fuck," I moan.

Her gentle mouth glides up and down my length. My hands grip the edge of the kitchen counter, and my legs turn to jello. I have to remind myself it's the first time she's kissed me not to fuck her mouth like I want.

I weave my fingers into her hair instead, and she kisses me faster. She licks me and sucks me and drives me so wild I throw my head back and bite my bottom lip, squeezing my eyes shut.

Leah caresses my thighs. Her warm palms stroke my skin, and soon, her fingers are wrapped around me, too, amplifying the pleasure she gives me with her wet lips.

"Baby..." I fist her hair and move my hips, and she sucks harder. It's too much and not enough, all at once. I lose it. "Fuck. Baby, fuck."

My voice comes out raspy, and my skin tingles after she releases me.

I shuck off my boxers and jeans and scoop Leah up in my arms, palming her ass as she wraps her legs around my waist and her arms around my neck.

My lips latch onto her throat, and I kiss my way down to her breasts. Her breath quickens. There's an urgency to the way she hugs my neck, to the way she presses herself to me as I navigate our apartment to get to the en-suite.

Leah doesn't ask questions when I light a scented candle and leave it on the edge of the sink. She lets me undress her and clings to me when I stand under the warm spray with her in my arms.

We kiss. More than just kissing, we devour each other's lips. The water cascades over us, muffling the sounds of our moans. I grip the back of her thighs and hoist her up, pressing her to the tiled wall.

Our gazes lock. She moves my wet hair out of my eyes and looks at me with so much heat and tenderness my knees shake.

"I'm gonna fuck you like this, against the wall," I whisper, reaching for a condom. "And you're gonna be as damn loud as you want cause that's our home and our shower and our fucking love."

A smile appears on Leah's lips. She brushes them against mine and stills, feeling me edge forward.

I watch her close her eyes when I fill her inch by inch. Her lips part, and her fingers comb through my hair.

And she cries out when I bury myself inside her the way I've wanted to for weeks. I fuck her hard but love her a million times harder. Our wet bodies glide against each other. I kiss her, and she kisses me. I squeeze her ass and lick her skin and slam into her again and again until she moans and cries out from what I make her feel.

I keep her pinned to the wall with my hips and rub her clit. Her heat engulfs me. Leah tightens around me, almost ready to come. She owns me, and there's nothing better than our closeness when I'm inside her, and she's around me, and nothing, not a single thing matters other than our feelings.

"You'll come so fucking hard," I say against her mouth before kissing her deeply.

Leah's ragged breaths blow against my skin when she breaks the kiss. She digs her nails into my back. "So will you."

She trembles. I thrust several times, and we're both there. Together.

Our mouths seek each other as we come down from our high.

"I don't know if I can stand." Leah laughs, pressing her forehead to my chest as I hold her.

I smile. "I've got you."

We bathe each other. It's intimate and tender and so incredibly good. Leah takes the candle to the bedroom. I lean against the bathroom door and watch her pad to the bed, still naked. Her skin looks soft in the yellow glow. Fuck, her skin is soft. I know every inch of it by heart.

She stops next to our new bed and looks at me over her shoulder with a smile that promises more of her.

"Are you coming?" she asks, biting her lip.

I can't speak. But I close the distance between us and kiss her.