The smiles, laughs, and dedication make everything better until it’s time to do our circle goodbye, and the last little, pink tutu scoots out the door.

I laugh as I change into shorts and a tank top. It’s hot and humid in New York City in the summer.

My life is busy, and I love my work and am dedicated to Memphis and my relationship, yet I have never been lonelier.

I gather my things and look one last time at my phone. Still no reply.

He’s busy, I keep reminding myself. It’s less than two weeks from his very first concert as a headline band, right here in New Jersey. My heart swells with pride, but it also aches, something I need to get used to, and for him I know I will.

I lock the studio door behind me and start walking to the train station. A year ago, I was here and scared out of my mind when walking alone, but now I know I am not alone in the city. There is a cop on every corner and dozens of people walking in the same direction I am.

I walk to 49^th Street to catch the N, taking in the lights and the people around me. My timing is perfect, and I get on the subway and find a seat with no one sitting on either side. In three minutes, I am at 34^th Street in Herald Square. From there, it takes one minute to catch the train back to Hoboken in less than fifteen minutes. After twenty-six minutes, I am off the train and walking the two blocks to my little apartment where I can soak my aching feet and shower off the day.

I walk into my apartment to find a note. Mom is anti-cell phone, so notes are a common thing to find on our little table.

I pick it up and read that she is with Susan, a woman from our church, at the hospital. Emergency appendectomy and she will be home in the morning.

I kick off my sneakers, and I’m pulling my hair out of the elastic band holding up the not so perfect ballet bun when a knock on the door startles me. I quickly walk over and peek through the hole.

Three locks later, I am ready to jump on Memphis when I notice him looking at me strangely and realize I am a complete mess.

“Rough day, sweet cheeks?” he asks as he hands me one single white rose.

“It was, but it just got better. Come in.” I step back. “Are you hungry?”

“Hungrier than Gandhi on day twenty-one.”

I laugh. “That’s hungry.”

I turn to walk to the refrigerator, and his arm wraps around my waist and pulls me back.

“Tales.” His voice is deep and rough.

“Oh … oh … um, shower.”

“Perfect.”

Once I turn around, his eyes are penetrating me. I seriously feel them everywhere. He wants me as much as I want him.

He leans down and kisses me, a growl escaping his throat, and I feel him against me. I suck on his tongue the way I want to suck on him, and then I pull back slowly as I hook my thumbs in his waistband and feel the steel of his piercing twitch against my touch.

“Oh, wow.”

“I am going to fuck you so good, Tally.”

I can’t respond. The look of desire seems more intense than ever before.

“Once I’m in there again, I’m never coming out, you feel me?”

“Can’t wait to.” I scramble to unbutton his pants as he pulls my tank top over my head. I pulls his tank top off, and he immediately yanks my shorts and underwear down.

“Pill?”

“Shot.”

“Aw, fuck, Tales.”

“Please.” I have him in my hand, carefully stroking him up and down as he walks me backward to the bathroom.

“You miss me, Tales?”

“More than I can even—”

“Show me, Tales.” He reaches around me and starts the shower. “Stroke me harder.”

I squeeze him, and he rocks his hips into me.

“Fuck,” He hisses. I tighten my grip even more and feel the steel running through him. “Fuck!”

I want him so badly I set my foot on the side of the bathtub and rub him against me. He hisses, and I moan when he pushes against me, sliding up and down the lips of my vagina.

“You’re soaked, Tally. So fucking wet.” He nudges me, and his piercing hits my clit.

“Oh, yes.”

“Yeah, Tales.”

“Yeah, oh, yes.” I feel the metal of his dolphin piercing rub up and down me, and I push against it, trembling.

“Fuck.” He does it again, and I come from the friction alone.

He then lines himself up and pushes inside of me. I feel his heat, the metal, the pressure of his size. He reaches underneath my leg that’s still on the side of the tub and pushes slowly in.

“Easy,” I cry.

“Fuck, Tales, does it hurt?”

“Just different.”

“Sorry. Fuck, what was I thinking?” he says, starting to pull away.

“No! No, don’t pull out. Different isn’t bad, just different.” I wrap my leg around him and push against him.

“Better?”

“Yes,” I whimper.

“I’ll rock you slow, Tales.” His hips circle, and then he pushes in a little. Circle and more, again and again, as he cups my breasts and kisses my neck. “Wrap your legs around me,” he says, and I do.

With one hand, he holds me, squeezing my ass. I feel his finger rubbing from the back side of my opening and around my back entry.

I open my eyes, trying to decide if I will tell him no, and then get completely lost in the reflection of his ass with my legs wrapped around him as the warm water cascades down his back.

OMG! His piercing isn’t the only thing that’s different. Forever Steel and… I look closer, an emerald. I can’t believe he did that. Wow, just wow. Absolutely beautiful.

The water changes course at each ripple of muscle and in the dimples above his very round, hard, muscular ass.

I begin to meet him, delicious thrust for delicious thrust, as I watch our entwined bodies in the mirror.

Beautiful, erotic, sensual, stimulating.

“I love you, Memphis,” I moan into his neck, still watching us.

“I love you, Tallia,” he growls.

“Right there?” I ask as I push into her, and she moans. “I’ll take that as a yes.”

“More,” she begs.

I’m kneeling in front of her with her legs wrapped around me. I pull one leg up and rest it on my shoulder.

“No, no, no, no—”

“Okay, damn girl, the view from up here was fine, though.”

“Too much pressure.” She wraps her long, lean leg back around my waist as I hold her hip in my hands.

I lean down and suck hard on her left nipple, making her back arch. I keep sucking as I slowly lift her leg to put it back on my shoulder, and she opens her eyes.

“Really?” She laughs as she pulls it back down.

“Get out of your head, Tales. Just enjoy the feels, babe.”

We’ve been at it for hours, trying different positions with the new and improved steel. Some, she clearly likes better than others.

“I’m enjoying. Are you?” She sits up and wraps her legs securely around me as she grabs my face. “Tell me we can stay like this forever.”

“Do that again.” I smirk.

“What?”

“Sit up while you’re impaled.”

She kisses me. “See?” She leans back then sits up again. “Don’t even need a gym. I have you.”

“You’ve got me, all right, by the dick, by the balls …” She rolls her eyes. “By the heart and by the soul.”

That gains me a sweet, little look and some lip action. That lip action gains her missionary position with a happy ending had by all.

I flop on my back, panting while holding her hand as she does the same.

I glance over at the clock. “Tales, it’s fucking three in the morning,” I groan as I sit up.

“Don’t leave.”

I look back down at her, totally naked with marks from my mouth still on her tits. “I have to be at an interview at seven in the—”

“Please,” she whispers, closing her eyes.

“You do know the reason I can’t stay is because waking up with you in Miami was amazing, and I know damn well I won’t be able to leave this bed with you draped over me.”