Mitch

Just a tiny black hole in his wrinkled forehead. His eyes widened in shock as he staggered backward. Stella had the presence of mind to drop to her knees.His gun fell to the ground with a thud as he took three sideways steps and dropped to the ground, dead before he hit.

I went to her, kicking his gun across the floor and far out of reach. Stella ran into my arms and held me so tight it knocked the wind out of me. We sank against the wall and I gathered her into my lap.

“It’s all right,” I said, smoothing the hair away from her face. She didn’t cry. She just trembled against me then cupped my face in her hands and kissed me hard. She was calm while I fell apart.

“God. Baby. I’m sorry. I never should have let you leave.” So close. If I’d been a millisecond slower. If she hadn’t bit the guy. If I hadn’t thought to install the security system. I could have lost her forever.

“No,” she said. With her hands cupping my face, Stella kissed me. Slow and deep, then desperate. My own need rose with hers. I could have lost her. Forever. She was everything. I’d been stupid. We both had. I didn’t care about all the reasons we shouldn’t be together. I didn’t care that she’d be better off without me. In that span of seconds, I saw what my life would be like without her in it. Bleak and empty. She was everything. She was mine. I would never let her go again.

“I love you,” I said, wishing I’d told her so many times before this.

“I love you too,” she sobbed against me. “Oh, Mitch. I’m stupid. I’ve been so stupid. It’s you. It’s only ever been you for such a long time.”

“Don’t make me live without you. Whatever it takes. I swear to God, Stella, I’ll do it. I’ll quit. They’re probably going to can me anyway. I’ll sell insurance.”

Stella reared back; her eyes went wide. Then a slow smile lifted the corners of her mouth and she let out a lilting laugh that melted me. She kissed me again. Over and over.

It felt like it had taken forever. But probably less than a minute passed since I walked in through her garage. My body stiffened as Stella’s front door shook from pounding on the other side.

“Miss Terry?” A familiar female voice made me smile.

“Wait here,” I said. “I called in a squad car. That’s probably them.”

Holstering my weapon, I went to her front door. Lori Walling and Pete Smalls stood on the front porch. Lori raised her fist to knock again. I swung it wide and let them in. Lori’s eyes widened as she looked from me, to the dead Russian, to Stella, and back to me again. Pete, cool and calm, turned sideways and spoke into the radio clipped to his shoulder.

I went back to Stella as Lori secured the scene.

Stella was already on her feet. Her face white, sweat broke out on her brow. She might have finally toppled over but I got my good arm around her.

“Are you sure you’re okay?” she asked, running her hands across my chest, feeling every muscle as if she needed to convince herself that I was here and I was whole. I wanted to do the same with her.

“Did he hurt you?” I realized it was the first time I’d asked her. God, my body went rigid. If he had … if I hadn’t gotten there in time.

Stella shook her head. “No. God. But almost. If you hadn’t gotten here.”

That’s when Stella lost it. She pulled herself together long enough to give a statement when Detectives Linley and Chapman arrived. Before long, her front yard turned into a circus and I just wanted to get her away.

I’ll forever be grateful to Linley and Chapman. They cleared Stella to leave in record time so I could get her away from there before the news crews arrived.

“Will you come home with me?” I asked her. We stood in her backyard. “They’re going to be a while processing the scene in there. And tomorrow I’m going to have to give a detailed statement to the review board. It might go badly, but you’re okay and that’s all that matters.”

I said other things. Tried to be calm. But Stella quietly went to pieces right there in her backyard. She slid her arms around me, looked up at me with those luminous gray eyes, and smiled.

“Yes, Mitch. Take me home.” Three simple words, but they held hope and promise that made my heart soar.

I don’t remember how we got from her house to mine. I barely remember walking in. But we found ourselves in the backyard again. I folded my arms around Stella and pulled her close as we watched the sunset. When the breeze kicked up, rustling through the branches of the weeping willow, Stella walked toward it. She smiled at me and sat on the swing.

Beautiful. Pure. Like a painting. Her platinum hair swayed as she kicked off her shoes and started to swing. I watched her for a moment, marveling at her ability to let it all go. She’d always been like that. It’s what drew me to her. Where I turned to stone, Stella was light and laughter. She was the sun. She was my everything.

“Were you serious about selling insurance?” she said; the sultry vibration of her voice skittered over me.

I went to her. “Yes,” I said simply. “I want you. Nothing else matters.”

She planted her feet and stopped swinging for a moment. “I love you. I like saying it. I never realized how badly I’ve needed to. But Mitch, I love all of you. Yes, I’m afraid. What you do is dangerous. But it’s who you are. And it’s one of the reasons I love you. Plus, this city needs you doing what you’re doing. It won’t always be easy, but we’ll figure it out together.”

“I love you too. What about Fort Myers?”

Stella cocked her head and smiled. “You know, I never officially said no to Collingwood Elementary. That front-page article about me got their attention. And I think I like the river a hell of a lot more than the beach.”

My heart melted and I went to her. When Stella swung toward me, I caught her, gripping her lightly by her calves. Her eyes flashed with dark lust as she wrapped her legs around my hips, pulling me toward her.

Her legs were bare and she still had on the pink skirt that went with the suit she wore today at the ceremony. I slid my hands up her thighs, pushing the skirt out of the way. Stella gasped as my fingers found her silk panties. I hooked a finger under them and found her wet and ready, like her body was born for mine. And maybe it was.

I slid my thumb over her slick folds and felt her open for me, just like a flower. Stella gasped as I entered her with two fingers. I held the swing steady with one hand as Stella trembled. I worked her, feeling that tiny bud grow hard for me. I was rock hard myself. It took everything in me to show restraint while I brought her to the edge of her own pleasure. I laughed to myself. Restraint. Ken would be proud.

Stella leaned back in the swing. Her thighs trembled as she struggled to keep them wrapped around me. I withdrew my fingers and brought them to my lips. She tasted like sweet nectar. Her eyes glowed with lust as I unfastened my belt and let my pants drop. I was huge and hard, and pulsing for her.

Stella spread her legs even wider as I came to her. Then she kicked backward, letting the swing fall. I pushed her when she swung back. Once. Twice. Then I couldn’t stand it for another second. I caught her by the hips. She gasped as she held tight, wrapping her legs around my waist again. Then I plunged my cock deep inside her, sheathing it all the way to the root.

Stella threw her head back and moaned. She was slick heat and heaven. Her walls pulsed around me. I held her at an angle while she gripped the swing’s ropes to keep herself in position. I pounded into her. With each thrust, she seemed to open even wider for me.

I fucked my Stella hard and deep. Each stroke a claiming. Each cry of pleasure a promise. She was mine. I was hers. Forever and always. I was home and so was she. And neither of us ever had to be alone again.

Stella cried out my name as her body gave into the explosive orgasm I gave her. Then I couldn’t hold back another second. I poured myself inside her as she quivered to receive it.

My Stella. My home. My love.