I could see how nervous Sabine was, and I knew part of it was because she thought I was leaving.

At first, I hadn’t planned on setting a departure date, simply because I’d used this time to recoup from traveling. But I also knew I couldn’t stay at Leo and Annabelle’s house for an indeterminate length of time.

But I did not intend to leave her, not after I’d made her mine.

I cupped Sabine’s face and leaned in to kiss her. I didn’t deny the proprietary desire to mark her in front of whoever the fuck saw rode me strong. Leo and Annabelle where just a few feet away, and after we’d told them of our relationship, and I explained I wasn’t going to stop seeing Sabine, even if they disapproved, they seemed to accept what was happening. They were unconformable about it at first. I could give them that, could understand it, too.

I was so much older, and I was a family friend. But I didn’t give a fuck about any of that. They were my family … but Sabine was my life.

Sabine. Was. My. Life.

“Are you sure you want to come to the city with me?” I had no issues throwing her over my shoulder like a caveman staking his claim. But I wanted her complete devotion.

And when I looked into her face, into her eyes, I knew I had it.

“Wherever you want to go, whatever you want to do, I’ll follow you.”

I cupped her face in my hands and leaned down so we were eye-to-eye.

“But your work, your travels.”

I shook my head. “It’s my company. I’ll do whatever I please, and if that means being here with you while you go back to school, or you coming with me and traveling, so be it. I can work from anywhere. I won’t lie and say I may not have to travel on occasion, but my life is yours, Sabine.” I smoothed my fingers along her jaw. “This is about you, about us, and I’ll make it work.” I kissed her again, swiped my tongue along her bottom lip, and wanted her to know this was the truth. “You’re my life.”

And she was, every aspect of it.

“You know I want to be with you.”

I felt this surge of pleasure and testosterone move through me.

We were staying in the city alone for the next few days. I would work out my schedule, switch things, rearrange appointments, and make this work.

Failure wasn’t an option when it came to Sabine.

“I want this to work, Hugo. I’d never ask you to change for me. Where you go, I go. I’ll make this work, too.”

I smiled, feeling so fucking happy right now.

“For me it’s just you, Sabine.”

There was nothing else in the world that mattered more than the woman in front of me, and I was going to spend the rest of my life proving that to her.

* * *

We’d just stepped into the hotel suite Hugo had reserved for the next few days. He’d told me he’d work out his schedule so he didn’t have to travel so much. But the truth was I didn’t want him to change for me. I could finish a lot of my graduate degree online if need be.

But I wasn’t going to worry about that right now. Hugo was here with me, we were together, and things would work out.

I wouldn’t allow it not to.

This was my life and what I had always wanted.

I watched as Hugo went into the kitchen and got a couple of glasses out of the cabinet, and a bottle of wine from the fridge. I took that time to look at the hotel room. It wasn’t standard, of course, but more of a suite, with the small kitchen, living room area, and a private bedroom down a short hallway. I walked over to the floor to ceiling windows and looked down at Times Square, which was right below us. The area was crowded with people. From this high up, it looked like a flow of colorful ink along the ground.

I felt Hugo step up behind me, his body heat seeping into me and sending this shiver racing up my spine. He didn’t even have to touch me and I was affected. When I heard glass lightly clanking, I looked down to see him setting the wine glasses, now filled with ruby red liquid, down on the small table beside us. I started to turn around, but he placed a hand on my lower back, stopping me. Nothing was said as he pushed my hair off my neck, pulled my shirt down to expose my shoulder, and proceeded to kiss my bared flesh.

I placed my hands on the cool glass, closed my eyes, and just absorbed the feeling of Hugo kissing and licking my flesh. I was already so wet for him, and I felt my nipples stab through the material of my shirt. It was hard to breathe as he placed a hand on my waist and pulled me back. I felt the hard outline of his cock along my lower back, and a soft moan left me.

Still we said nothing, but words didn’t have to be spoken for this moment to be loud.

He lightly sucked at my skin, the little spot where my neck and shoulder met. A wave of pleasure slammed into me, and I moaned again. Curling my nails against the glass, I leaned forward and rested my forehead on it. I wanted so much right now, and it all had to do with the man currently making my knees feel weak.

He clenched his fingers along my hipbone and pulled me even closer to his erection.

“Hugo…” I whispered.

He didn’t say anything in response, just licked, sucked, and gently bit my flesh. The hand not holding onto my waist was now in my hair, lifting the heavy fall of the strands and holding them at the crown of my head. He alternated between both sides of my neck, running his tongue along the flesh, teasing me, tormenting me. But still he said nothing. He just touched me—almost innocently, but so erotic in the same breath.

And when I couldn’t take it anymore, when I was about to beg him to take me, he pulled away, turned me around, and held my throat in a loose, controlling, and arousing hold. He kissed me like my life depended on it, and at that moment it did.

“I love you, Sabine,” he said against my mouth, and my heart jumped to my throat.

“I love you, too,” I whispered back.

He went to his knees in front of me, pulled my pants and panties down, and tossed them aside. I took a deep breath in, placed my hands behind me, palms flat on the chilled glass, and let this man—my man—pleasure me. Hugo looked up at me, his focus trained solely on me, and I had no doubt I was his world. It was the look in his eyes, the devotion I saw on his face that told me I was it for him.

Without saying anything, he lifted my leg, bent the knee, and placed it over his shoulder. I was spread for him, my weight resting on the glass, my focus on this man. And without any more waiting, Hugo leaned forward and ran his tongue up my cleft to my clit. A groan spilled from me, he grunted deeply, and I felt the world fade away.

But I forced my eyes to stay open. He pulled away, but a line of saliva came with him. I nearly came right then at the sight.

“This will always be about you, Sabine.” He licked me again, right through my center, and a shiver worked its way through my whole body. “It’ll always be only about you until I take my last breath.”

And I knew he meant that, just like he was it for me.