This one is better,” I say, sampling the dish carefully.

“Really?”

“I mean, they still all taste like…you know. Goulash,” I say.

“Worst,” Heath says, making a face at me— but then he kisses me on the top of the head and sweeps back toward the kitchen. He’s been trying to learn how to cook, but given his lifetime of military rations and microwave Hungry Man meals, it’s been slow going. Everything tastes the same— like a cabinet of spices thrown on potatoes, no matter what the actual ingredients are.

“I think it’s improving, though!” I call toward my kitchen. Well, no— our kitchen. Heath moved in several months ago, and it’s still bizarre seeing him here. He takes up so much space in the apartment, but rather than making the place feel overcrowded, it’s like he’s moved into open spots I didn’t realize felt so vacant before.

“I know you’re lying,” he calls back, then reappears a moment later, chucking a kitchen towel to the side as he does so. “You know better than to lie to me, Karli,” he says, his voice turning smoky and threatening, though the smile on his face betrays his actual feelings.

“I would never,” I protest in my most innocent voice.

“Sure,” Heath says, and takes my hand. He pulls me from the kitchen chair and sweeps me into his arms. I squeal as he then spins me up and over his shoulder like a little kid. He spanks me lightly, playfully, until I kick my legs in protest. “Apologize,” he says.

“I’m so sorry for lying. I’m a terrible person, and your cooking is phenomenal,” I say from behind his back. He spanks me again, and my laugh of protest becomes a sigh of pleasure. I love it when he does this.

“Lying again,” he says, tsk-ing, and he spanks me again, and again, until I’m finally straight up moaning at the sensation. I never thought this was the sort of thing I’d be in to, but then, Heath isn’t the sort of guy I’d ever have expected to be in to. He finally plants his hand on my ass check and squeezes lightly.

“How long do we have till your mother gets here?” he asks.

“At least a half hour,” I say.

“Not nearly long enough,” he grumbles, but he carries me to the bedroom all the same. He sets me down on the bed, and I instantly begin to wiggle out of my panties for him. He watches— he never undresses while I undress, like he doesn’t want to be distracted from watching me take my clothes off for him. I toss my panties to the side, then lift the sundress I’m wearing up a little, so he can see my bare body underneath.

“Beautiful,” he says deep in his throat. I smile as he leans over me, kisses me deeply. He lets one hand drift down my body, then rests it lightly against my pussy. I can’t bear the anticipation, and lift up against him, eager to feel his fingertips on my clit. Heath tangles his tongue with mine and gives me what I want, running his fingers from my entrance to wet my clit. I moan into his lips, and he pushes a finger into my pussy, massaging the front wall in a way that makes me feel drunk with pleasure. He’s so good at this— he’s so good at me. Aware of all my likes, all my triggers, all the ways to make me shout his name.

Heath stands up just beside the bed and drops his pants to the floor, revealing that amazingly big cock. I scramble to the edge of the mattress and close my lips over the head, because I know all his triggers now, too. He moans loudly, unabashedly, and puts a hand to the back of my head, encouraging me to take more of him into my mouth. I tilt my head up and back, just like he taught me, so nearly the whole length of him can slide into my throat. He pulses against my tongue, and I grow even wetter at the sensation. Heath fists his hands into my hair as he grows harder, then looks down at me as he begins to lightly fuck my mouth, sliding in and out of my lips. I moan on his cock as he does so, pleased at how much of him I can take now. It was a long process, learning to take his cock like this, but it was worth every second.

“Maybe we cancel tonight,” he growls at me, and I’d answer, but I can’t very well form words with him filling my mouth like this. He smiles at this fact, then, with his hands entwined in my hair, pulls my face away from him. “What do you think?”

“We can’t,” I remind him, panting, and he exhales, shaking his head.

“You’ll pay for this later, Karli,” he says with a lifted eyebrow, and then urges me to my knees on the bed. “But for now…” Heath sweeps me up against him, wrapping my legs around his waist, and I hold on to his shoulders tightly. It takes me a moment to realize what he’s doing, but then I feel the tip of his cock at my pussy entrance. Still standing, holding me against him, Heath lowers me onto his cock, and I cry out at the sensation, at the new position, at the feeling of being so, so full of the man I love.

“Hold on, baby,” he says, and releases me, so that I’m clinging to him as he repositions his hands to cup my ass cheeks. He begins to lift me, sliding me up and down on his cock, just a few inches each time. I groan and bite his neck, and he sets me down a bit harder, gravity forcing him a bit farther into me. I’m still tight around him— or perhaps it’d just that he’s huge in me— but there’s no longer any pain at all when we’re together. It’s all pleasure, all ecstasy, and it’s no surprise that when the orgasm rippling through me finally breaks, he comes too, filling my pussy as I cling to him and whimper “I love you” into his ears, shaky and drunk with the sensation.

“I love you too,” he murmurs back to me, setting me on the bed and fighting his own exhaustion. He comes harder these days, I think because he’s no longer holding back when we’re together. It’s more than a little satisfying to see a man so strong be so wiped out after making love to me. He withdraws from me and rolls to the side, cuddling me up against him, both of us panting. “Don’t think we aren’t doing that again later, Karli. You know how I feel about rushing things with you.”

“Believe me, I’m on board,” I pant. There’s less exploring in our relationship, now, but that’s not a bad thing— we know exactly how to work one another, exactly what signals to read, exactly how to understand what the other wants. I’m not nervous, anymore, but I’m still every bit as willing to let Heath have me however he wants me. I’m all his, after all— and I wouldn’t have it any other way.

We lie together for a few moments, catching our breath, and I drape a leg over him to steal his warmth. He kisses my head and plays with my hair, finally saying, “Alright— if we’re not canceling on your mom, we’ve got to get up. She may like me, but I don’t know if she likes me enough to be cool about finding us like this.”

“Fair,” I say, sighing.

“Up, up, get up,” Heath says, like he was reading my mind, and I laugh and search for my discarded panties— I never even took off my dress.

While I’m hunting, I hear Heath’s phone ring, and he walks out of the room to get it. I’m not sure who the caller is, but I hear Heath bring out his “professional” voice, so I assume it must be someone from the Navy. He took an honorable discharge from the SEALS, along with a Purple Heart and a Navy Cross, on account of his injuries. I know it’s been harder on him than he wants to admit, since so much of his identity was built on being a SEAL— and plus, he’s not so good at being bored. I run my fingers through my hair and walk into the main room.

“Yes, sir. Thank you. I’m glad to hear back. Thank you,” he says in that deep professional voice before hanging up the phone.

“Who was that?” I ask, curious.

He smiles down at the phone, like it’s something more wondrous than it is. “I applied for a job. I didn’t tell you, just in case I didn’t get it. But…I did.”

My eyes go wide. “You did? What job! Heath, that’s amazing!” I say, and run forward to hug him. He hugs me back tightly, and I can hear his heart beating fast.

“The Secret Service. I applied with the Secret Service, and I got it. They want me in Washington, Karli. They want me to protect the president and his family.”

I pull back, staring, shocked, thrilled, confused. “Washington? Like, D.C., you mean?”

He presses his lips together. “I should have told you— I’m sorry—“

“When do we leave?” I ask eagerly.

Heath smiles, and now he’s looking at me like I’m something more wondrous than I think I am. “When do we leave?”

“Yes! I mean, I assume we need to move there, right? It’s not like a deployment thing, is it?” I ask. “I know it’ll take some time to get Mom used to the idea and—“

“You’re going to come with me? Just like that?” Heath asks, stepping back from me, though he’s holding my hands in his.

I frown. “Of course I’m coming with you. You got an amazing job offer, and I can do my job anywhere. Why wouldn’t I?”

“I…” Heath takes a deep breath and shakes his head. “I love you, Karli.”

“I know. I love you too,” I say, smiling wryly at him, and then I lift up to my toes to kiss him. He kisses me back gently, sweetly, and when I return to the ground he’s still staring at me with that dazzled expression. “What is it?”

“I was going to wait for your mom to get here, but I…I think it needs to be just us,” Heath says slowly, and for a moment I worry he’s going to trot out some goulash-tasting dessert he’s made. But instead?

Instead, he gets down on one knee, and reaches into his pocket.

“Oh my god,” I say.

He smiles, but he’s nervous— Heath is nervous. “Karli Ackerman, will you marry me?”

“Oh my god.” My whole body is vibrating, and I’m pretty sure my heart is going to implode at any second.

“That’s not really an answer,” Heath says, and opens the small box in his hands. There’s a ring in it, a diamond ring that’s beautiful and perfect and I can hardly tell more than that, since I can’t really look away from Heath’s eyes.

“I know, I just— oh my god—“

“Karli, you’re killing me here,” Heath says.

“Yes!” I say— I shout. “Yes, yes, of course, I just—“

Heath exhales in relief and takes my shaking hand, then slides the ring on my finger. He stands and kisses me again, pulling me against him, hugging me tightly.

“You’re perfect,” he whispers into my ear.

“So are you,” I answer, and we kiss again, and again, and again, like it’s the first time.