“When are you coming back to Detroit?” Noah asks.

“Not for another three weeks, for the launch of our next video game,” I answer into my phone.

“You know if you come back and work here, you could have a nice cushy office.”

“And why would I want that? I’ve never wanted a nice, big cushy office.” I glance around my cave in the back of Skye’s veterinarian clinic. It’s barely bigger than a closet. I’m pretty sure that Skye used to use it as a supplies closet before she let me make it into my office.

“I don’t know, so that you would have windows and get to be with the rest of your team.”

I laugh. “I hate windows and people. Seeing you every couple of weeks is plenty.”

“Fine, fine. Tell Skye I said ‘hi’ and that she better be coming to the next launch with you.”

“She is. She wouldn’t miss it.”

I end the call and lean back in my chair, taking a deep breath as I glance at the clock. It’s six o’clock. Usually, Skye likes working late, and I do too. But it’s Friday night, and one of the new vets is coming in early, so we should be able to take off soon. Plus, I have plans in store. I even spent my lunch break setting up for tonight.

I close my laptop and decide to leave it at work, rather than bring it home where I could end up working more. This weekend is all about relaxing together without work.

I look down at Grump, who is lying at my feet. “Ready to go home?”

He wags his tail and I smile, petting him on the head before standing up and walking out of my office to go convince Skye that we should go home and let the vets she hired handle the rest of the cases for today. It will be easier said than done.

I walk down the hallway toward Skye’s office with Grump at my heels, following me.

I stop at the door, knocking softly, when I see that she is on the phone.

She smiles when she sees me, and I smile back, leaning against the doorframe while I look at her. She’s the most beautiful woman in the world. Especially when she’s doing what she loves. Her hair is currently a dark purple. Her piercings are back in her nose and half a dozen on each ear. And she just recently got a new tattoo on her hip that represents the charity that she started. She’s back to who she really is, and I love watching her. I thought that after everything that happened she might live in fear, but she doesn’t. She’s the strongest person I know.

Grump doesn’t care that she is on the phone. He walks over to her and paws at her leg until she gives him attention. She pets him lazily on the head while she talks.

I keep my distance, knowing I will have a better chance at getting her to leave if I’m patient. She talks for a few minutes longer and then ends her call.

“I still can’t believe how much Grump likes you. I think he might like you even more than I do,” Skye says, giving Grump better attention now.

I shrug. “We are just a lot alike. I like my space and being alone. He’s the same.”

I walk over to her, wrap my hands around her neck, and kiss her firmly, letting her know that she needs to be done working. Now.

She moans a little as I kiss her. And I know if I keep kissing her, and no one comes in to interrupt us, that I can convince her to go home, where I can fuck her. We’ve tried fucking here before, but it never works. Her desk is too flimsy and if she’s here, people are constantly coming to talk to her about a case, since she’s the best.

I hear a knock on the door, and I’m about to curse whoever it is that is going to prevent me from being able to take Skye home.

“Sorry to interrupt,” Alicia says with a tiny grin. She’s not sorry at all.

I glare at her while still holding Skye in my arms, not letting her go for anything.

Skye laughs when she sees my expression. “What’s up?”

“Jake is in surgery and could really use your help with a case. He’s tried realigning the bone with pins but he just can’t get it to work. Do you have a few minutes to help him?”

I roll my eyes. I’ve lived with Skye now for over eight months. I know that orthopedic cases like this take a lot longer than just a few minutes of her time. They take hours upon hours. If she steps in to help, she won’t be home until midnight or later.

“No,” I answer for her.

“Excuse me asshole? I can make my own decisions,” Skye says, pulling out of my arms.

“I know you can and your answer is no.”

Skye folds her arms across her chest and gives me that look like it’s going to be a long fight that I’m not going to win. I never win.

But tonight is the one night that I could really use a win. I’m not patient and I have big plans for this weekend.

Skye turns back to Alicia, a woman who I thought was my friend, but definitely isn’t. “Of course, I’ll help. I’ll be right there.”

I glare at Alicia, annoyed with her for not sticking with the plan.

Alicia starts bursting out into laughter.

“I’m sorry. Jake isn’t in surgery and he doesn’t need Skye’s help. But watching your head explode like that was worth the teasing,” Alicia says.

I frown. “Seriously? That was a joke?”

She nods.

I roll my eyes and grab Skye’s arm. “Can we go home now, before Alicia decides to pull any more pranks on me?”

“Fine, grump,” Skye says.

Grump’s ears immediately perk up.

She laughs. “Not you,” she says to the dog. “You,” she says pointing at me. “You are much more of a grump than the dog.”

I frown, not sure I like her new nickname for me. One, it’s not practical with the dog being named that. And two, I’d much rather her call me an ass or a prick. It’s much more dangerous sounding than ‘grump.’

“I thought I was an ass?”

She rolls her eyes. “You’re that too. But first and foremost, you’re a grump.”

I chase after her and scoop her up in my arms, tickling her sides as I do to make her laugh, before setting her down slowly and kissing her softly on the lips.

“You’re also sweet, and romantic, and handsome, and intelligent. And mine,” she says, as she opens her eyes recovering from the kiss.

“Good, now can we go?”

“Yes,” she laughs.

I grab her hand and yank her hard, pulling her through the hallways and out of the building. I make sure to walk as fast as I can out of the building, so she doesn’t have time to talk to anyone.

She takes her time climbing into the front seat of the pickup truck, that I’m not allowed to drive for some reason, while Grump and I climb into the passenger seat in record time. I give her an annoyed look as she slowly starts up the engine. It doesn’t start at first. Instead, it makes a weird clicking sound. We live just down the road from here, but I’m afraid it’s going to take hours to get home at this rate.

“Can I buy you a new car yet?”

“No, I don’t need a new car. This one works fine. And when I need a new car, I’ll be buying it myself.”

I sigh. We’ve had this fight a dozen times. The first video game that we launched is exceeding our expectations and I’m earning a ridiculous salary. Skye makes more than enough money on her vet clinic. She needs a new car, but she won’t spend a penny on anything until it actually breaks.

She tries to start the car again and this time it starts up. At least we aren’t walking home, although at this rate, it might be faster.

She starts driving again.

“Care to go a little faster?” I ask, as I look down at the ten miles an hour reading on the dash.

She laughs. “In a hurry for something?”

“Yes, in fact.”

“And what would that be?”

“I have two things in mind. One, fuck your brains out.”

She grins and nods. “Of course. And two?”

“You’ll have to wait and see.”

She raises an eyebrow, but doesn’t question me.

She has barely parked the car when I throw my door open and let Grump out. He, at least, moves quickly. Then I race to her door, throwing it open as well, and pulling her into my arms.

She squeals as I carry her inside.

“You really are in a hurry, aren’t you?”

I nod, as I pull her bottom lip into my mouth. “I’ve struggled to work all day while I was thinking about what I would get to do with you tonight.”

Her eyes darken. “What plans did you dream up this time?”

I smirk. “You’ll see.”

I step inside the house and immediately get swarmed by all of her pets that have somehow multiplied since I moved in. I will never admit it to her, but I do love being around all the animals. But right now they are not a priority. If I put her down, our entire night will be spent giving them attention and I’ll never get her back.

She sees the look in my eyes and wraps her arms around my neck as she starts kissing me again. “Fuck me. I want to know what mischievous thing you have in mind.”

I kiss her lips, shutting her up, as I head to the bedroom. When I get inside, I kick the door shut keeping our pets out, so that I can have Skye all to myself.

I watch as Skye’s eyes widen when she looks around the room at the rose petals around the room and the swing attached to the closet doorframe.

“What’s this?”

“A new toy.”

“And the rose petals?”

“I thought we could mix a little romance with our dirty sex.”

She grins.

I don’t wait for her to ask more questions or figure out anything more about what’s going on. I grab the hem of her shirt and lift it over her head. She shimmies out of her scrubs and my eyes burn into her black lace panties and bra that she wore beneath her scrubs just for me.

“Like what you see?”

“Love.”

She bites her lip and blushes. She does every time that I use the word love. She’s about to blush a lot more tonight.

I push her body against the door, where the swing is and kiss down her neck, loving the taste of her skin. She smells like heaven when I kiss her. A mix of sweat, lavender, and sex.

She eyes the swing behind her with a nervous glance. “Have you tested this out to make sure that we don’t break my door?”

I bite her bottom lip to shut her up from asking stupid questions. Then I lift her body up, slip each of her legs into the swing, and then tie her hands up at the top so that she can’t move.

Her eyes go up to her hands and then down to me.

“Did you want me to test it out first?” I ask, knowing that she really didn’t. She loves the thrill and excitement. Of course, I made sure that she wouldn’t break the door, but she doesn’t need to know that. She’s a thrill seeker that lives for this.

I don’t let her answer the question. Instead, my lips push aside the lace covering her pussy and I lick her clit, then slide into her already dripping pussy.

Her body clenches around me as her moans fill the room.

“God, I love your pussy.”

I watch, as she struggles against the restraints in the swing. I love watching her body spread wide for me.

I take a step back and remove my shirt, loving the look she gives me when she sees my shirtless body. I take my time removing my jeans and boxer briefs. At least, I attempt to move as slowly as I can. Usually, I can be patient; take my time and really savor her. Not tonight.

Tonight, I need to make her mine.

I walk back to her and loop my finger between her panties and skin and rip them to pieces.

“You owe me new panties.”

I smirk. “It was worth it,” I growl.

I grab her hips, as my cock hardens at just the sight of her naked pussy. My cock rests at her entrance as our lips collide and I push inside her. She feels tight and slick and welcoming. She moans, as I thrust in and out of her.

“Harder,” she moans.

I do. She may be tied up and unable to move, but she still has control, even if she doesn’t think she does.

I fuck her harder and harder, her body easy to move in the swing. Her eyes roll back in her head, and she bites her lip harder before she screams my name.

I come inside of her, filling her with my cum.

“That was amazing,” she says with tired breath.

I grin. “You like that?”

She nods.

“Now help me down.”

I hold up one finger as I slip out of her and walk over and pick up my boxer briefs. I slip them and my jeans back on before I walk back to her.

“Down. Now.”

I grin and cock my head to one side. “And why would I do that?”

She frowns. “Fuck me again or help me down. You’re not leaving me like this.”

I sigh and help her remove her legs from the swing, leaving her arms tied.

“And now my arms.”

I take a deep breath and then kneel down in front of her.

“What are you doing?” she asks, sounding annoyed.

I reach into my back pocket and pull out a small box. “I’m proposing.”

She snickers. “You are not proposing with me still naked and tied up.”

“I am too, it’s the only way you will let me propose.”

She frowns.

“Now…Skye, I love you with everything I have. I’ve wanted to marry you since the first time I fucked you. I know I’ve screwed up and that you deserve better, but let me spend eternity making it up to you. Marry me?”

Her eyes widen.

“No.”

I sigh. I knew this would be a fight. It’s why I proposed with her tied up.

I stand back up. “No? I thought you loved me?”

“I do.”

“Then why won’t you marry me?”

“Because I don’t want to.”

“That’s not a reason.”

“Because technically, I’m still married to Gabe.”

I roll my eyes. “He’s in prison and you can easily get that annulled. That’s not the problem. What’s the real reason?”

She sighs. “I don’t want to get married, ever.”

“Why?”

“Marriage doesn’t mean anything. I married Gabe and you saw how well that worked out.”

“That’s because he coerced you.”

“And what are you doing?”

“Asking, very persuasively.”

She frowns. “I’m not a normal woman. I don’t want normal things. I don’t need kids, I’m happy with my pets. I don’t need a husband, I’m happy with my partner. Why can’t you get that?”

I run my hand through my hair. “I can. You’re right. I shouldn’t pressure you.”

I walk over and place the box on the nightstand and then I start walking to the bedroom door. I open it and start walking out.

“You can’t leave me like this!”

“I’ll be back when I’m ready to fuck you again.” I’ve left her tied up plenty of times before. It only makes the next round better.

“Wait!”

I stop. Is she going to use her safe word? She hasn’t the entire time I’ve been with her and I’ve pushed her limits pretty far.

I turn around and walk back into the bedroom, standing in the doorway and loving looking at her standing naked.

“Why is marriage so important to you?”

I think for a moment. “Because it’s getting married to you. I love you. I want every experience possible with you. I want the world to know that over all the other assholes in the world, for some reason, you chose me. I want to call you my wife. I want to celebrate you with all of our friends. I want to marry you because I love you.”

She sucks in a deep breath, and I think maybe, she might change her mind. Maybe, she’ll say yes.

“You’re a dick.”

I smirk. Wrong as usual.

She opens her mouth again and her lips curl up into a grin. “But I love you. I want to spend the rest of my life with you. And if you want to get married then…yes, I’ll marry you.”

I grin and run back over to her, kissing her firmly on the lips.

“And I’m not saying yes because you tied me up and forced me to talk to you about it.”

I laugh and undo the ties on her wrists, releasing her.

She wraps her arms around my neck as she eyes the box on the nightstand. “And if that is a diamond ring, I’m not wearing it.”

I shake my head. “Well, open it.”

She lets go of my neck and walks over to the box and opens it. She takes the piece of paper out and begins to unfold it.

“What is it?”

“I didn’t think you were much of a diamonds person, so this is a picture of a tattoo that I got designed that I figured we could both tattoo on our bodies in lieu of wearing a ring.”

She stares down at the picture a tattoo that represents everything she is. Fierce, loving, and strong.

“I love it.”

“I love you.”

I kiss her again.

“You’re still an ass, you know.”

I grin. “I know. And tomorrow I’ll be a prick, or a romantic, or a jerk, or whatever you want to call me. But I’ll always be a man that loves you.”