He didn’t bother to wash himself off before going on a run, and he quickly regretted it. It didn’t take long, even in the snow, for the heat to build up.

He could smell her on him, stronger than ever. The scent of their sex mixed with that rosy scent that always flanked her burrowed into his nostrils.

Focus, King told himself, but he couldn’t think straight.

He tried to concentrate on the sound of his Hokas in the crunchy snow, but all he could think about was her. And Thorne. And what his whole family would say—or do—once Thorne got to them.

Hell, for all I know, he already did.

King couldn’t get over his rage for Thorne, but he’d managed to somewhat hold it together in front of Effie. If she hadn’t been there, there’s now way in hell he would have let Thorne lay into him and just taken it.

But as soon as he saw Thorne was going to turn on her, he had to set him straight. King didn’t get a really good look at Thorne before he barreled out of the cabin, but it was a good enough look to tell that he wasn’t going to be looking pretty much longer.

All Thorne has to do is show up to mom looking like that and she’ll disown me. That might be true, and it wouldn’t surprise him. What did surprise him is that he didn’t seem to care much. What difference does it make if I’m the outcast again?

That animal urge to protect Effie had shocked him, especially after the kind of sex they’d been having. It wasn’t like him, and he knew it wasn’t like her.

It didn’t matter that they’d only been together once before, and they were kids at the time. That’s why he’d tiptoed carefully into it and tested out her responses.

King never would have guessed that she liked that kind of domination, dirty talk and shaming. He didn’t think he was into it himself.

After all, it’s not like he’d done much in that realm with anyone else he’d been with. It had just seemed right with her.

But that was the other thing. He sucked his breath in as he rounded a bend and nearly slipped on a layer of ice.

Yeah, it was good. Fucking amazing. But does this mean we can’t do anything besides that?

He was falling for her a bit, he had to admit it. But he wasn’t hopelessly lost in her yet. There was still time to pull away and cut it off, or at least he thought so.

That might be exactly what needed to happen. Maybe they’d gotten themselves caught up in this kind of rough sex that might quickly spiral into dangerous territory.

“Fuck,” he said aloud as a pristine white rabbit darted in front of him.

It blended in so perfectly with the landscape, he’d nearly tripped over it.

Just like Effie, he thought.

He could still picture her how he’d left her back at the cabin. She’d fallen fitfully asleep after their last session, eyes squeezed shut. But even like that, with that incredible morning light, she pulled him in.

Fuck, she was beautiful.

In an ideal world, he’d just take her away from all this. Who cared what anyone said? King knew it was kind of bullshit that she clung to her mom and Yaya, adamant that only she could take care of them.

Her grandmother, that he could understand. But her mother? Her mom was perfectly able to handle things.

But she burned you before, he reminded himself.

It was the same voice he always heard whenever he thought of Effie. For years, he thought it was just him, his inner voice.

Now he started to wonder if it was the old him. The rebellious, grudge-holding teen who still licked at age-old wounds.

Something had changed in the past few days. Thoughts and hurts he thought he’d buried long ago had crept to the surface. In this new light, they looked different.

Yes, he was still angry at her for not saying yes and taking off with his brother. How could he not be? But he hadn’t realized until now that he was equally mad at himself for leaving her.

She was barely eighteen years old, he thought. And what did you expect? That she’d just up and leave her family? Her last year in high school? Everything she’d ever known to follow a boyfriend to California?

Hell, the more he thought about it, the crazier it sounded. What kind of girl would do that, anyway? Why couldn’t he have just waited for her, done the whole distance thing?

It’s not like you were going to be hurting for money to visit her, or to fly her out to see you, he told himself.

King had always been a romantic deep down. Even his mom had said so when he was little and he demanded to be told fairy tales while Thorne rolled his eyes and flipped to the Cartoon Network.

There were definitely some Romeo and Juliet elements between him and Effie back then. But expecting a kid—because that’s what they both were—to throw away her life and follow him on a whim? That was foolish.

And selfish, he thought.

And throwing that ultimatum at her? He’d never really thought about it before, but that was the ultimate dick power move.

It’s just that I never thought she’d say no.

For him, it wasn’t really an ultimatum because he had no doubts what her decision would be. It was meant to be a romantic gesture, but then it went terribly wrong.

Then you were too stubborn to back down, he told himself. He shook his head and tried to clear all the mess out, but it was there to stick. Why keep rehashing the same old shit?

Sure, he’d come up with some different revelations in recent days, but that didn’t change anything. They were older now. Things mattered more now. Family mattered more.

Right?

King didn’t know. He slowed to a jog and finally stopped at the crest of a small hill. As he stood above the perfect snowy embankment, he closed his eyes and tried to see into the future. He could picture himself, old and gray, in a rocking chair on a porch.

But who’s beside me? He tried to turn in his mind’s eye and look, but it was like he was held captive. He had no idea.

King opened his eyes and resumed a gentle pace. For half a mile more, he tried to gauge who was beside him.

Is it that you can’t see, or you don’t want to?

As he ran, he forced himself to look into the chair next to him. Part of him, the scared and lazy part, tried to picture a lovely older woman he couldn’t place in his real life.

He could come up with the basics. The perfectly curled silver hair and the lightweight cardigan, but they were all caricatures.

All he could see was Effie. King moaned in frustration.

Maybe you can’t trust her, he told himself. But she thinks the same about you. And how do you even know, anyway? She was a kid, we both were. People change. Don’t they?

He had to stop even trying to deny that he still had feeling for her. The fact that they’d slept together multiple times proved that. It showed that it was more than just desire.

Long legs and amazing tits aside, there’s something about this girl that I just can’t quit.

What did that mean for the two of them? He didn’t know. But at this point, he knew he was willing to fight for a chance to figure it out. Try for that future in the rocking chair that was in his head.

Okay. So what now?

King could see the cabin’s chimney appear on the horizon. He had to figure out what was next, but he couldn’t see into the near future. The steps required to get to those rocking chairs was a mystery.

Shit, I spend my entire life being organized. Staying organized. And I can’t get my shit together for this?

King was hit with a blast of heat when he opened the back door. He could smell something sweet baking and Effie clanged a pan in the kitchen.

“Hey,” he said, and draped himself in the doorway.

She looked over her shoulder at him and grinned.

“Feel better?” she asked.

Effie wore nothing except one of his old college tee-shirts. It barely covered her ass. Even though they’d gone at it non-stop for the past couple of days, he stiffened at the sight of her.

“Uh, yeah,” he said.

“I made pancakes,” she said. “Hungry?”

He watched as she flipped two pancakes in the cast iron pan.

Seeing her like that, so at home in the kitchen, King knew for sure. He had it bad for her, and it was more than just lust.

“Always,” he said as he swooped in on her.

Effie laughed as she dropped the spatula on the counter.

“Stop!” she cried. “You’re going to make me burn them.”

“Let ‘em burn,” he growled into her ear.

King flipped her around to face him and hoisted her onto the counter. He could hear the batter sizzle as she wrapped her legs around him. As he kissed her, he let one hand travel down to her center. He grew harder as he felt that now-familiar wetness.

“Dirty girl, I knew you weren’t wearing anything,” he said.

She blushed. “It’s not like I exactly have a ton of—”

“Don’t make excuses,” he said. King gripped her jaw and made her look at him. “Admit it, you do it because you’re hoping to get fucked again.”

“Maybe,” she whispered.

Those other-worldly blue eyes got him every time.

He flicked at her wet opening and made her let out a small gasp.

“If you want me to fuck you, you’re going to have to admit it.” King slid a finger partially into her and made her squirm.

“Okay,” she breathed. “I did it because I wanted you to fuck me.”

King grabbed her ass and pulled her to him. It was just a few steps to bring her to the massive breakfast table—the same one where he’d had eggs and toast as a child.

He held her with just one hand while he reached down and pushed the wooden carousel filled with seasonings to the floor. Neither of them reacted to the crash.

He set her gently on the table. Effie pressed her heels into the tabletop and spread her thighs to present herself to him.

“Lift the shirt up,” he said. She obliged immediately. “Play with your nipples.”

Effie bit her lip and began to circle her areolas with her fingers. King felt his erection press against his running pants. As he watched her, he ran his hand beneath the material, amazed at how hard she got him.

“Turn around. Get on all fours,” he said.

There was a question in her eyes, but she didn’t hesitate. Effie perched on the table, knees wide. King approached her and slapped her ass. He watched as her entire body, all the way to her breasts, responded with a delicious shake.

King slipped his hands between her thighs and teased her clit. Effie started to pant and pressed back into him.

“Here,” he said, taking her hand and bringing it to her clit. “And don’t you fucking come until I tell you to.”

“What… what are you doing?” she asked.

Effie looked over her shoulder at him. Curious, but she didn’t stop rubbing herself.

“Exactly what you want,” he said. “You like it dirty, don’t you?”

Before she could respond, he bent down and lightly bit one of her round cheeks. Slowly, he kissed his way to her ass. He felt her bristle at the touch, but she didn’t pull away.

The second time he kissed it, she leaned slightly into him. When he flicked the tight opening with his tongue, she let out an audible gasp and he felt her increase the speed that she worked herself.

“You like that?” he asked.

“Yes,” she said quietly.

“Has anyone ever ate your ass before?”

“… no,” she said, quietly. Nearly embarrassed.

“Do you want me to?”

“King—”

“Do you want me to?” he said, sharper.

“Yes.”

“Say please. Beg for it.”

“Please,” she said, her voice high. “Please eat my ass. I want it so bad—”

Satisfied, he grabbed a cheek in each hand and spread them wide. King probed her with the tip of his tongue between kisses and while he kneaded her round cheeks.

Effie started to quiver. King saw her increase the speed on her clit and stopped short.

“Not like this,” he said.

She let out a grunt of frustration. “Why? I was almost there—”

“I know. Stand up.” Gingerly, he stepped back and pulled her off the table with him.

“Get on top,” he said as he sat on the straight-backed chair.

Effie grinned as she mounted him. She started to ride him eagerly, so wet she dripped down his thighs.

On the stove, the pancakes burned, but King and Effie were too far gone to even care.