The party winded down thirty minutes ago, and now it’s just Mindy and me as I help her clean up. It’s the least I can do after arriving late splattered in someone’s blood. The incident earlier feels so far away as I tighten the strings on a trash bag, ready to burst. I glance over at her, and she’s peacefully wiping down the countertops with a sponge, oblivious to the danger that just fell into her lap. 

But how did it land there?

Did the Sisters approach her in person? Was she summoned to their home? Or did they send their watchdog Kay after her?

The latter option causes my spine to ripple with a quiver. 

I don’t want that giant oaf anywhere near her, and I’ll climb up that damn tree trunk he calls a torso to choke him out MMA-style if I have to. 

But that can wait for another day.

Right now, it’s just Mindy and me in the apartment since Neal, Chloe, and Evan decided to head over to Park Chow for some ginger cake with pumpkin ice cream. I’m also having a bit of a sweet tooth, except it’s not for cake.

Well, not cake, cake. But definitely Mindy’s cake. 

So I set the trash bag by the front door and saunter over to her. She’s still wiping down the kitchen when her eyes catch me, and a smile spreads like ink in water across her face. It’s cute that she tries hiding it by turning away to dry her hands. However, it's even better for me because I slide my arms around her and press against her backside.

“I think this place is spotless enough.” I kiss her shoulder.

“What are we doing?” she whispers.

“Cuddling.”

“No, I mean, what is this between us?”
She eyes me over her shoulder. I'm about to say something naughty when she rotates and covers my mouth with her soft hand, which smells lemony from the dish soap. “Don’t you dare say something perverted!”

“You know me too well,” I say, the words muffled behind her palm, so she retracts it but averts her eyes to fuss with the hem of my borrowed shirt.

“So… what is this? Because I feel like we leveled up today. Or am I wrong?”

“Not wrong.”

“So, what are we?” She dares a glance at me through her long lashes.

“I think we’re complicated, and we have a lot of shit we’re still working out, but I think we could be amazing together.”

“So what you’re saying is, we can’t be together now, but later.”

“Do you want us to be together?”

“Yes.” She nods but glances down at our hands as I thread mine through hers. “Except, I know we both have baggage, and I worry it’ll ruin things if we rush.”

“Ok, so we’re not changing our Facebook status then. Nor are we becoming Instagram official.” I grin.

“No, we’re not, but…” She toys with my fingers, and I don’t know if she’s purposely stroking them in a sexually suggestive way or if I'm just super horny. 

“But?”

“I…” she swallows. “Would you…” she swallows again, but this time looks me in the eyes, and my balls tighten. “I was talking with Chloe, and she made some great points, and I value her advice, so I don’t see why we couldn’t just be friends who occasionally have sex?”

“In my experience, that always complicates things," I say.

"We're already complicated."

"True, but are you sure you want to complicate it even more?” I ask.

Her hazel eyes search mine, and her throat rolls with a gulp, but she nods. “Yes.”

“I dunno. That didn’t sound like a confident yes.”

With the curl of her fingers around my shirt collar, she tugs me forward, so we're eye level and takes a teasing bite of my lip. “Yes.”

“Then say no more.” 

Wrapping my arms around her waist, I lift her off the ground with our lips crashing, and my mouth fills with the sweetest taste of her tongue. I take a few paces toward the counter and set her down to yank off her pants, but Mindy pulls away, panting.

“Down the hall. The door on the left!”

"What?" I answer breathlessly.

"Take me to my bedroom. Now!"

“Yes, ma’am.”

Without delay, I charge over there, and she hangs on tightly, giggling in my ear as we push through the door. The scent of a Febreze wall plug hits my nostrils with citrus, and my eyes dart about, searching for the bed in the semi-darkness. Thankfully, a small table lamp lights the way, so I set Mindy down in front of the perfectly made bed we're about to do filthy things on. She makes frantic work of my belt and unzips the fly between eager kisses while I yank her shirt over her head. There is no stopping as she shoves my pants down and starts stroking my dick with her hands.

"You're so big..." she whispers, and at this point, my cock is so hard it's becoming painful.

I need to release—preferably inside her. So, I kick the jeans aside and pull her in close by the ass cheeks, pressing our naked bodies together. Mindy stares at me, her eyes heavy with craving as her pupils dilate and expand across her hazel irises. Even her breathing is faster as she glides my erection across the slickness between her legs before snatching my lips with hers again. 

I like Mindy like this. She's hungry.  Probably even more than me.

But not likely.

We ease ourselves into the bed, and she scoots onto her elbows, positioning herself in the center of the mattress while I slowly kiss my way up her firm, juicy thighs. I can already smell her arousal, and if I thought Angie was napalm, then Mindy is an atomic bomb as I press my mouth between her legs. 

It’s a taste that never gets old. Maybe it’s an ego thing, knowing I caused all that heady, drippy wetness? 

I’m just a few tongue strokes in, yet Mindy is already writhing as her thighs tighten around my face, and her fingers clutch my hair. She bites down on her lower lip with her eyes closed—fighting the urge to moan, and it’s sexy as fucking hell.

“Just let go, baby,” I say, but she shakes her head, so I place more pressure on her clit and stick two fingers inside. That encourages a whimper. “There you go. Give me more.”

“Mmm.” She shakes her head as her hands shift to grip the pillows. But then she utters, “I… I want you inside.”

“Say no more.” I nudge her thighs apart and ease my dick inside her. It's warm, wet, and a space so snug I never want to leave.

Mindy is perfect. Absolutely perfect as her warmth hugs me with each slow stroke I make to savor this moment.

Being inside her is like going home and nirvana all at once. It's as if she has belonged to me all along, and even though it has taken months to get here, the wait was worth it, yet overwhelming at the same time. Mindy places her hand on my cheek, forcing me to look her in the eyes while I begin moving in and out, in and out, at a steady tempo. Most people think missionary is vanilla, but I rather enjoy any sex where I get to look at the beautiful woman in my embrace. 

However, staring into Mindy’s eyes is too much, so I glance away and stimulate her nipples by sucking one into my mouth.

But Mindy won’t have it.

“Look at me,” she demands, cradling my face.

There’s no way I could ever deny anything she asks of me, so I bring my gaze back up. This time I can’t look away. Instead, I take in the quiver of her lips as her breaths intensify and the hooded look of her eyes as the dilation of her ebony pupils expands in arousal. 

“I… I’ve wanted this for… for so long,” she pants with my quickening pace.

“How badly?” I glide my palms up her arms, guiding them above her head, where I pin her wrists with my left hand. 

“Bad.” 

“Tell me how badly you want me to make you come.” I trail my right hand down the slope of her bare chest, down her stomach, and to the wettest spot between us. 

With two fingers, I place pressure on her clit, and she whimpers. But I don’t want just a whimper. I want her to scream my name so fucking loud that everyone in the damn building and neighborhood knows I’m claiming her with my cum. So I stroke and pulse my hips even faster. It might be too much because she looks away and bites the pillow, and it’s so fucking hot watching her writhe beneath me. 

However, I want this to last, so I slow my tempo and take advantage of her exposed neck. I take a bite and run my tongue in circles, encouraging a whimper.

“Don’t stop,” she breathes and begins meeting my thrusts with her own. I don’t need to be asked twice, so I pump harder and faster and feel her spasming around me. She’s on the brink. 

“Tell me how badly you want it,” I say through heavy breaths.

“I… want,” her lips tremble with every word, but she tries again. “I want.”

“Come for me, baby. Let go.”

“Fuck!”

With one cuss word, I’ve become her bitch because that dirty word tumbling from her tasty, beautiful, sweet mouth makes me want to hand over my kingdom. Like a maniac, I pound harder and pin her wrists beneath my hands. Her taut nipples graze my chest as her boobs bounce, and it’s like they’re cheering me to go even faster. So I do, and Mindy is taking what I’m giving like a champ.

And then it finally happens.

Almost.

The knock at the door, followed by Neal’s voice, has her eyes widening and her expression sobering as the arousal vanishes and is replaced with panic.

“Mindy, did you go to sleep?”

“If she’s asleep, let’s just leave her alone,” Chloe says.

“But I brought her some ginger cake. You don’t know how much she loves ginger cake!” Neal slurs and begins knocking again.

“Wait, wait,” Chloe gasps and begins slurring as well. “What if she’s not alone?”

“What do you mean not alone?”

“I mean, what if she’s in there with Miguel?” 

“Mindy Maira Reddy!” Neal squeals.

“It’s Arora!” Mindy shouts back.

“I knew you were in there!”

Her eyes find mine, and she cups my face. “I’m so sorry.”

“No, I’m sorry I didn’t get to make you come.”

“But I was definitely going to.” She kisses me, but I groan in defeat as my arms give out, and I collapse onto her. A giggle escapes as she squeezes me, then pumps her hips into mine. “Try again.”

Leaning up on my elbows, I stare at her and brush aside the dark waves haloing her head. She bites her lower lip and bobs a brow. I’m still deep inside her, and that one thrust has reawakened little Miguel. So, she gives another roll of her hips, and her wetness glide over my dick. 

The lion in me lives. 

Taking claim of her mouth, we resume from where we left off as she meets each stroke with mine. Soon, we're panting again—our climax building while staring into each other’s eyes. Mindy's face gorgeously contorts in pleasure, but I’m positive I look like a damn gremlin because the sensation of her is taking me to embarrassing places. 

Even the words, I love you, are on the tip of my tongue as it all hits me and flows through me and dumps into her as I come. She exhales a delicious moan but bites my shoulder with her release, and I don’t mind the sting. I’m even ignoring the giggling on the other side of the door from a very drunk Neal and Chloe. 

It’s also when I realize I never put on a condom.

Faaaaak.