The first time work required me to leave Evelyn was a lot more difficult than I expected. I tried very hard to compensate for it with rapid-fire dates and spending as much time with her as possible, yet it didn’t help.

If anything, it backfired completely. The more times I slept beside her, the harder it was to fall asleep in an empty bed. The more frustrating it was to wake up and not see her smile first thing.

The most luxurious room in the best hotel in London couldn’t make up for the fact that she wasn’t with me.

The week passed at a glacial speed. Every day I missed her more. Was it true what they said about absence making the heart grow fonder?

No. I knew I couldn’t possibly be more fond of Evelyn than I already was. Her absence was just an ever-growing torture.

In my hotel room, I scanned over the last texts we’d exchanged before sighing heavily. I opened the gallery on my phone, smiling sadly at the collection of selfies I’d acquired since we started dating.

I wasn’t really into it, but I never stopped Evelyn when she grabbed my phone and snapped a shot of us. I trailed my finger over the photo she took while curled up on my chest just last week, my stomach clenching tightly at the memory.

“This is bullshit,” I muttered irritably, closing the app and bringing up my contact list. It only rang once before she answered. “Fiona. Get me a seat on the next plane to New York.”

“Sir, the meeting—”

“We’ve signed the contracts, all that’s left is the fluff crap and a tour of the facility. Take notes and e-mail me anything I need to know.”

There was a short pause before she sighed and said, “Yes, sir. I’ll send you the flight details as soon as possible.”

“Thank you. If you can get me back to New York tonight, you’ll be getting a hell of a bonus.”

“I’ll do what I can.”

I scrolled through my phone to kill time while I waited, my eyes widening when I looked at my calendar. Our last date was number twenty-nine.

Date number thirty seemed like a good enough milestone for the next logical step in our relationship. I was certainly aching to go there—I had been since the twentieth.

As I began to plan it out in my head, my phone chimed with a text.

- No commercial flights arriving in NYC tonight.

Fuck! As my fingers started to type out an angry response, another message bubble appeared.

- I chartered a jet. Get to LHR as quickly as possible.

Fiona once again proved her worth. I didn’t like to be completely careless with my spending no matter how big my bank account got, but this was definitely a problem I was willing to throw money at to solve.

- Thank you. On my way.

More details came in while I was hastily packing, including a note that a car was already waiting for me downstairs. Jonas was standing outside my door with his bag in hand, nodding at me with a smirk as we silently made our way to the elevator.

I could practically feel his judgmental stare in the small space and I snapped, “What?”

“You really love her, don’t you?”

The tension left my body and I scanned his face, finding nothing but kindness in his eyes. Damn it. Teasing would have been easier for me to handle.

“I won’t answer that. Not until I get a chance to tell her first.”

“I’m looking forward to the wedding.”

God, so was I. But I didn’t even want to think about our future, let alone talk about it. I feared I would end up pressing Evelyn for too much way too soon. I needed to slow down and take things one step at a time.

“Noted,” I replied as the elevator doors slid open. “Now, let’s get the hell out of here.”

* * *

It was just past ten o’clock eastern time when the jet touched down in New York. Jonas accompanied me during the ride to Evelyn’s apartment, wishing me luck before my driver carried him back to his own home.

It was the first time I got the chance to use the set of keys she had given me. I raced up the stairs and right to her front door, moving quietly inside so I wouldn’t disturb her.

As I suspected, she was already asleep. I gently placed my bag on the floor and partially undressed, unable to tear my eyes away from her angelic form. Her blonde hair was fanned out on the pillow like a halo and my heart ached at the mere sight of her.

I’m finally home.

The last thing I wanted was to scare the shit out of her, yet it seemed unavoidable. Instead of climbing into bed, I knelt down beside her side and softly swept the hair from her face before pressing kisses to her forehead and both cheeks.

“Kitten, it’s me,” I said softly as her eyelids fluttered. “It’s just me. I’m home.”

Her eyes opened wide in surprise, but the fear I expected never came. Instead, she gave me a sweet smile that made my pulse race.

“You’re back,” she sleepily murmured as she reached out to touch my face. “I missed you.”

I captured her hand with mine as I said, “There’s something I need to tell you, Evelyn.”

Alarm flashed in her eyes and a confused frown appeared as she began to sit up. I softly shushed her and shook my head, watching the frown deepen as she laid back down.

“I came home early because I missed you as well, but also because I have to tell you something very important.”

“What is it?”

“I’m in love with you.”

She blinked—once, twice—before breaking out into a huge smile and springing off the bed to tackle me with a hug. I chuckled as I caught her, balancing the additional weight by leaning backing against my shins.

“I love you too,” she whispered against the shell of my ear. I cocked my head to the side as she pulled back and stared me in the eyes, blushing as she admitted, “I have since date fifteen.”

It took me a moment to recall which date that was, but the memory was crystal clear.

“The night I showed up to sleep beside you.”

“Yes.”

“Oh, kitten,” I breathed out as I hugged her tighter. “Fuck, I missed you so much.”

“Show me,” she whispered urgently. “Show me, Chase.”

I raised us up and sat her on the edge of the bed, my eyebrows furrowing together in concentration as I undressed her. She pulled my shirt over my head and I stood up to push down my boxers before crawling over her.

I tried to convey just how much I missed her and how deeply my feelings for her ran with my touch and my kiss, thankful to feel her responding in kind. She was as soft and warm beneath me as always and for what felt like the thousandth time, I thanked whatever higher power was listening for allowing me to have her.

“Chase,” she gasped against my lips as her hot little hand wrapped around my cock and squeezed. “Please.”

When I tried to pull away to reach for a condom, her legs wrapped around my waist and halted me. I cocked an eyebrow as she shook her head, a slow smile pulling at the corners of my mouth.

I knew she was on the pill—had been since long before I met her—but I never even hinted at wanting to do it without a condom. I refused to pressure her over something so unimportant to me.

But now that she was giving me permission to take her raw, I felt equal parts awed and panicked. I could scarcely believe my luck. With a dazed nod, I leaned down and positioned my cock at her entrance.

“Are you sure this is what you want?”

“I’m sure. I love you, Chase.”

“I love you too. I love you so fucking much.”

I rolled my hips slowly, savoring the feel of her walls surrounding me without the latex between us for the first time. The way she moaned and clawed my back during the initial stretch was nothing new—but the way I moaned and shuddered certainly was.

So hot and wet. Feels way too fucking good.

“I won’t last long like this,” I warned her, snapping my hips harshly in a vain attempt to repair my dented sense of pride. “If I come—I promise I’ll get you right after.”

Evelyn bucked her hips up to meet mine on the next thrust and I groaned harshly against her neck.

Yep. I definitely wasn’t going to last long enough to get her off. All I could do was take it slow and pray that she would recognize the fact that I was truly and completely making love to her. That had to count for something.

The way she kissed me while I languidly rolled my hips led me to believe she understood. She was uncomfortably good at reading me, after all.

It took a great deal of effort to maintain my concentration and keep it slow. Evelyn moved with me as I thrust and the rhythm we set was somehow too much and not enough at the same time. Perfect for what I was trying to achieve.

At least until Evelyn started writhing around below me and crying out my name. I had angled my hips in a way that I knew would at least partially stimulate her clit.

It worked a lot better than I expected.

She was getting wetter, hotter, and a hell of a lot more aggressive. Her nails dug into my ass as she ground herself against me and I let out a startled grunt.

My concentration wavered, replaced by a steady stream of incomplete thoughts.

Soaking wet. Hot. Tight. Slow down, slow down, slow down! Oh God, I need to come. She’s so close, I can feel it. Fuck, I’m gonna pop I’m coming I can’t I can’t I can’t I—

“Can’t stop,” I panted as the pressure on the base of my spine overruled the last bit of rational thought. “Evelyn. I need—Can I—”

I felt her hand snake between us and she frantically rubbed her clit as she moaned, “Yes, yes, yes! Chase, I’m coming!”

Thank you thank you thank you thank you.

I froze the instant her walls tightened. Luckily, I had the presence of mind to drop my face against the pillow as I roared from the sheer force of my release. After I felt the first two spurts leave my body and flood hers—I jerkily pumped my hips and moaned at the wet sensation created by our combined juices. My cock continued to throb and pulse as her walls spasmed around me.

Holy.

Shit.

I raised my head and panted, “I’ve never come that hard. Christ, it felt like my dick exploded in the best possible way.”

“We should do it like that more often,” she breathlessly responded, laughing lightly as she clutched my hips with her legs. “It feels… nice.”

“Gonna be a mess when I pull out.”

“Worth it.”

“Sexy girl,” I growled. After a long, lingering kiss, I pulled back and whispered, “I love you.”

“I love you too.”

In the back of my mind, I wondered if there was anything I could possibly do to top date number thirty.

As she purposely flexed her muscles around my semi-hard cock and asked if I was up for another round, I silently vowed to think of something even more special for the next milestones.