“Let me hear you,” he said, sliding his hands underneath my arms and gripping my shoulders tightly so he was grinding into me. No longer able to hold back, I came with his name on my lips. I saw the effect of my orgasm as his hooded eyes slid shut before he turned me on my back, pushing my thighs farther apart and burying himself to the hilt. I gasped at the feeling as he lifted my leg, forcing himself in deeper as I struggled with my breathing, emotion rocking through me.

“Jayden,” I praised through trembling lips as he threw his head back and let go.

I picked up my phone with a “Hey, woman!”

“I miss you.” I smiled. It was Gerri. We had barely seen each other in the last month. I had been completely wrapped up in Jayden, and now that Gerri and I no longer worked together—not to mention Gerri and Mike had a budding relationship of their own—we barely saw each other. On days where Jayden wasn’t keeping me prisoner at his house with his amazing food, endless conversation, and immaculate body, I was helping my mother finally pack up my father’s belongings. She had taken great strides to start clearing out some of the clutter of thirty-six years of marriage. Some days she would pack up an entire room only to break down and unpack half of it, claiming she couldn’t part with it. I understood, remained patient, and even with the setbacks, we were making progress. This was hard for my mother, but it was healing for her, so I would do whatever it took to help her. I told her of Jayden and how I had hopelessly fallen for him in less than two short months of dating. She thought the news wonderful and was only short of demanding to meet him. We were still new and I wanted to wait a little longer, so I assured her I would bring him eventually.

Today I was in my father’s office packing the rest of his sports gear while my mother prepared Sunday brunch. I was thinking about the last few months and smiling to myself when Alexis walked in.

“Hey!” she said as she assessed the situation and immediately started helping.

“Hey back, sis. When did you get here?”

“About half an hour ago. I wanted to make sure you were close to finished before I came up and half-assed helped.”

“Gee, thanks,” I said, rolling my eyes as I packed some golf balls in bubble wrap. “Why even bother?”

“I want you to love me more than you love the others,” she spewed as I turned to look at her.

“You give me no choice,” I said with a smile. “How are you, Lex?”

“Good. Tired all the time. I’m getting burnt out.”

I looked at my sister. She was thirty-three, beautiful, rich, and one of the most successful lawyers in Columbia. She had started her own firm at the age of twenty-four, and on a wing and prayer in a world where you could throw a stone and hit a law firm, hers had grown large to her surprise. But it was no surprise to any of us. She had always been the queen of debating in our household.

“Aren’t you the boss? Can’t you take some time off when you need to?”

“Never,” she sighed heavily as she picked at her manicured nails. “But I’m thinking of cutting down on my case load and letting the younger hungrier lawyers work the ninety hour weeks. I’m over it.”

“You have nothing left to prove,” I pointed out as she held up a picture of Dad’s bowling team from the night they had won league. She stared at the picture and held it up for me. “Remember this night? He was so proud.”

“It feels wrong to get rid of that. We’d better ask Mom.” Alexis hesitated and then nodded in agreement as she put it down.

“I miss him so much,” she said on a whisper. “I even miss him bitching at me that I was going to be an old maid.”

“Well, his prediction came true,” I replied, poking at her.

Waving her hand in the air in a Z formation, she glared at me. “I get laid plenty, if I need someone to make me miserable I’ll get committed.”

“Is that how you see it?”

“Lots of years of practice,” she admonished. “I’m good, sis, really. You have the kids, I’ll take the vacations.”

“And when will that be exactly? After your first heart attack? You have got to slow down, Lex.”

“I’m working on it,” she snapped, my heart attack comment hitting a nerve. We had all lived mostly carefree lives until our father’s sudden death. Coming face to face with mortality had left a permanent mark on us all. Priorities started to change slowly for each of us, whether we realized it or not.

“I love you sister, that’s all, and I don’t need you dying on me, too,” I murmured, staring at a photo of Dad and his golf buddies. “Then again, who am I to give advice? I still share a crummy apartment, drive a ten year old car, and work for an hourly wage.”

“You’ll be an old maid too and we can vacation together.”

I laughed as I argued against it. “I’m going to marry Jayden Monroe as soon as he asks me.”

“Wow,” she said, eyeing me over a tall box as she took a seat in the office chair. “It’s that good, huh?”

“It’s real, and it’s happiness, and it’s love,” I said, thinking of how close Jay and I had become since our first night together. We were inseparable, sharing a meal and a bed almost daily. We had long since finished our first Netflix series and were currently in our fourth season of Lost. Jayden, I had learned was mostly a homebody. I didn’t mind it much since we were still in the honeymoon phase of our relationship, and both insatiable for each other. When we weren’t skin exploring, we were sharing amazing food or keeping ourselves entertained. It was the best time I’d ever spent with a man and I couldn’t get enough.

“Have you told him that?” she asked as I smiled into space.

“No, of course not. It’s too soon,” I said, taping shut the last box. “I don’t want to scare him away.”

“So, it’s not too soon to feel it, but it’s too soon to say it?”

“I think it was instant for me, which is scary. But the more time I spend with him, the more I feel it’s justified. He’s really good to me, Lex. Like he takes amazing care of me.”

“That’s awesome, sis, really. I’m so happy for you.”

“Yeah, well ...” I lifted the box, putting it in a stack by the door. “I wish you the same and soon.”

“I’m happy, really. There’s someone, and only one, right now, actually.”

“Really?” I asked, excited.

“Hell no. I’m not that stupid,” she said, cracking up as I threw packing tape at her. “Well, I’ll take Jayden, you keep your boy toys.”

“Gladly. Shall we join the crazy tribe?” she asked as I clicked off the light.

“Let’s.”

Alexis put her hand on my shoulder and I looked over at her. “I’m happy for you, Hilary, really.”

“Thanks,” I said as she gave me a quick squeeze.

“And I’ll be there in a few weeks to check him out. Set it up.” I gave pause at the top of the stairs. “Wait, what?”

“You should have known better than to yap about him. I think it’s time one of us had a hand in this decision of yours to marry a man you just met.”

“Oh, well in that case, HELL NO!”

“I’m coming, kid, make way,” she huffed, trampling down the stairs in front of me. I stopped when I saw a beige box at the foot of the stairs. Alexis caught it and looked up at me and winked. “Consider it an early birthday present.”

“Alexis, you didn’t—”

“I love you. Thanks for taking care of Mom,” she said, rounding the corner and quickly disappearing into the kitchen. I sat on the stairs, opening the box and cradling my brand new pair of heels. My sister might have bought me these seven hundred dollar shoes out of guilt, but I was happy to take advantage, and I knew just how I would debut them.