But my favorite parts are the tiny marks that paint my skin, faded hues of purple and pink, where Garrett’s taken his time loving on every inch of me with his mouth. My fingers flutter over every stain, igniting a spark deep in my belly, as if I can feel his mouth on me.
I smile as I touch the mark on my collarbone, the one Garrett left on purpose for Carter to see. He called it payback for being a dick but then shrieked at the top of his lungs as Carter chased him throughout the house.
My heart skitters at the sound of the dead bolt sliding, and when the door opens and closes, butterflies erupt in my belly. A heavy thud as a bag falls to the ground, then the quick padding of footsteps echoes in my ears, drumming along with my pulse. Garrett appears in the reflection of the mirror, pausing in the doorway, and a grin ignites across my face.
His eyes dance as he watches me admire all the ways he’s claimed pieces of me, and he slowly crosses the room, tugging on his tie, popping the first few buttons of his shirt.
Broad fingers slide along my waist, palms gliding over my belly, singeing my skin. Garrett’s chin hits my shoulder as he wraps his arms around me.
“Mine,” he murmurs, right before he skims my jaw and forces my face to his. His mouth covers mine and I open without hesitation, a soft sigh escaping my lips.
I reach back, fingers running through his blond waves as he trails wet kisses down my neck. Our gazes lock in the mirror, and his hand glides down my torso. My belly tightens as I watch his fingers creep closer, and my back arches, urging him there faster. He smiles against my neck, and when he dips two fingers between my legs, gathering my wetness, desire unfurls, shooting through me like flames.
Slowly, he works the tight bundle of nerves at the cleft of my thighs, drawing out each whimper, my fingernails clawing at his arms where he holds me. He sinks two fingers inside me, gaze heavy and heady as he watches me climb higher. I squirm, panting, and when his fingers curl, I come on a gasp, all while he whispers, “Mine.”
His palm lands between my shoulder blades as he pushes me forward, guiding my hands to the frame of the large mirror. I watch with rapt attention as his tie slides from around his neck, white shirt falling to the ground behind him, the rest of his clothes following.
Garrett urges my legs farther apart, cock pressing into my back as his hands roam my body, fingertips dancing over my belly, palms squeezing my breasts, thumbs scraping over my taut nipples. A lopsided smile blooms on his face before his lips press below my ear.
“I love you,” he murmurs. When he sinks inside me with one unhurried, deep thrust, he grips my throat and softly growls, “Mine.”
His eyes watch me carefully, hooded and heated, searing every place they touch as he moves inside me. His hips slap against my ass, hands gripping my hips as he moves faster, spurred on by each jagged breath, the moans, the whimpers.
I don’t want to leave. I want to stay here, right here with him.
“Your parents sealed the deal for the house today,” I manage, jolting forward with the weight of his plunge.
“Mhmm.”
“They move in four weeks.”
“Yup.”
“That means I can move back home soon.”
“You’re already home.”
“What?”
“This is your home.” The words lick at the skin on my neck, hot and sweet. “I’m keeping you.”
“Are you asking me to move in with you?”
“I’m telling you you’re not going anywhere.”
“Hmm. Feels very bossy of you.”
“Guess you’re rubbing off on me, sunshine.”
My head lolls forward with a soft cry when he brushes my clit. “It’s only going to get worse if I-I…mmm, if I stay.”
“I know. I’m dealing with it. We’re all dealing with. I’ve warned everyone to expect a new, growly Garrett.”
“But I like old, gentle Garrett.”
His pace slows to a torturous speed, fingers easing off my hips, out of where they’ve dug a home in my skin.
“Garrett,” I whine, slamming my ass backward. “Harder.”
“You said you prefer gentle.”
“There’s a time and a place for gentle, and right now isn’t it. Fuck me like you mean it.”
His tongue glides up my neck. “Say please.”
“Fuck me, please.”
“C’mon, sunshine. You can do better than that.”
A shudder rolls down my spine as he removes himself completely, then sinks back inside achingly slow.
“Please,” I whimper as his thumb circles my clit. “Fuck me, Garrett. I don’t want to be able to stand when you’re done with me.”
His hips still, keeping me full of him, and I feel his smile against my neck before he pulls out and drives himself forward with a single punishing plow that makes me scream, catching myself against the mirror. He tangles his fingers in my hair, pulling my head taut, keeping my gaze on his reflection as he pistons inside me with a ferocity he reserves just for me, just for the bedroom.
He yanks me off him and spins me around, lifting me up, winding my legs around his waist, and slamming me back down. My nails rake across his shoulders as he presses me against the mirror and fucks me, and every single inch of me trembles as pressure builds low in my belly.
My walls tighten around him, pulling him deeper as his thrusts quicken. His blue-green eyes stare down at me, shining with so much love, so much wonder, and I take his mouth, forcing him to swallow his own name when I come, soaking his cock.
“Mine,” Garrett whispers.
He sinks down to the ground, pulling me between his legs, holding me to him as I watch the reflection of his lips dot my jaw, my neck, my shoulder.
“Mine,” he murmurs with every kiss.
“Your what?”
His smile is so tender as he gazes at me in the mirror, beautiful and special, like it’s all for me. His nose nudges my jaw until I turn my face to his, and he presses his lips to mine.
“My best friend, my sunshine, and my whole heart.”
Fireworks erupt and my heart takes flight as I settle into the love I always wanted, the love I craved. I couldn’t have ever imagined it’d feel like this, so whole, so complete it makes my shoulders uncurl, makes me stand a little taller.
I might have been confident before, bold and self-aware, but the more I look back on it, the more of an act it feels like. Nobody took the time to get to know me, so I put up walls to keep everyone out, to avoid the heartache altogether.
In the end, all I did was lose bits of myself. I placed myself in a box and hid my most vulnerable parts, the pieces I was too scared to show, the parts that made me exactly who I was, because I was afraid people wouldn’t love me for me.
But maybe what I was actually afraid of was that somebody would love me for me. That they’d see all of me, the sharp, jagged edges right along with the soft, frayed ones, and still choose me.
And that’s what Garrett does.
He sees all of me, and he chooses me, day in and day out.
He says I’m his sunshine, but I think he’s mine.
I shine a whole lot brighter with that man igniting my sky.
EPILOGUE: OOPS
GARRETT
JULY
“Who the fuck’s idea was this?”
My gaze slides to my girlfriend. She’s wearing tiny spandex shorts the color of cranberries, showing off her long, golden legs. A matching sports bra covers her stellar rack, perfect tits bouncing with each stride she takes beside me, keeping my pace. The soft dips in her torso flex as she moves, glistening with sweat, and I mentally catalog our surroundings, trying to locate an alley in the general vicinity.