“Can we come out now?”

I turn to see Mina and Mel poking their heads out of the kitchen.

“You both came out a long time ago,” laughs Hailey.

Mina looks at Mel. “She’s in a good enough mood to make lesbian jokes. Things must have gone well.”

The two of them come to join us in the seating area.

“So, how do things stand?” Mina asks. “Was sacrificing an hour of my potential income worth it?”

“I think so,” I venture, glancing at Hailey.

“Yes,” she affirms, “it was, although I don’t remember giving you two permission to meddle in my love life. How did this even happen?”

Mel chuckles and takes a seat on one of the couches. We all follow suit.

“Well,” she begins, “Loverboy here came looking for you at Cuppa Joe and, as many have done before him, ended up spilling his soul to me over a cup of coffee. I heard the whole story and I agreed with what he said at the end: he didn’t deserve you.”

“She’s a harsh critic,” I admit.

Mel shrugs her shoulders in a ‘guilty as charged gesture’ before continuing her explanation. “But I saw the way you two looked at each other when you were here together, and I know what it’s like to screw things up with the person you care about. I told Jordan the only way he could get another chance with you was to prove he’d changed with actions, not words. I said if he found a way to do that, I’d see what I could do about helping him out.”

“I quit my dad’s company that day,” I tell Hailey. “It just took me a few weeks to get everything sorted out.”

She’s sipping her latte again and smiles at me over the rim of the mug. Just the sight of her sitting next to me after thinking I might never see her again is enough to make me feel like sticks of dynamite are exploding in my chest. I find myself wishing Mel and Mina would just get the hell out of here, because all I want to do is take the mug out of Hailey’s hands, push her back against the couch, and spend the next few days kissing every part of her body.

She must be following my train of thought, because she gulps down the rest of her drink over the next two minutes of conversation and then announces that we better get going.

“Wouldn’t want to infringe on your income anymore, Mina,” she jokes, getting up from the couch.

“Who knows?” counters Mina. “Maybe the ‘Hailey’ will end up being a bestseller and this will all have been the best business decision I’ve ever made.”

We say our goodbyes before leaving the cafe and head out onto the street. I feel like I’m floating an inch above the pavement, and I glance over at Hailey so often I must look like I have a nervous twitch.

“I’m still mad at you,” she says, after we’ve been walking in silence for a few minutes.

“You have every right to be,” I tell her.

“Mostly I’m just furious you didn’t tell me about your mom. Do you know how much of this we could have avoided if you’d just told me? I know what it’s like to make sacrifices for your family. We could have worked this out together.”

I swallow the lump in my throat and try to give her an adequate response. “I was so ashamed of how selfish I’d been. I didn’t know how to tell you that I let my mom have a—”

She cuts me off by stopping in the middle of the sidewalk to place a hand on my chest. When she looks up at me her eyes are blazing. “Jordan, you weren’t selfish. You didn’t let your mom have a stroke. She was sick. It was bound to happen. You’re not responsible for that and your dad is a borderline evil person for making you think you are. Tell me you understand that.”

I stare into the blue pools of her eyes, her gaze unblinking and impossible to hide anything from anymore.

“I will,” I tell her. “It’ll take me some time, but I will.”

“Then I’ll help you do it in whatever way I can.”

I can’t hold back anymore. I take her face in my hands and bring my lips to hers, needing to give her something that can measure up to what she’s just offered me. At first I kiss her like she’s fragile, something precious that I might just break apart, but then her hands grab at the back of my jacket and her tongue lashes against mine. I tilt her head back and dig my hands into her hair until she whimpers against my mouth.

“I need to get you alone,” I pant. “Now.”

“Take me home with you,” she breathes against my lips, her eyes still closed.

I can’t help but laugh at the suggestion. She opens her eyes and gives me a quizzical look.

“Um, about that,” I explain. “I don’t have an apartment anymore, or a car, or much of anything, really. It was all in my dad’s name and he took everything away.”

She jerks her head back in surprise. “What? Where are you living?”

“One of my friends from design school moved out here,” I tell her. “I hadn’t really kept in touch since starting at the company, but he was the only person I could think to call. He’s been letting me crash on his couch until I find a place.”

“Well you can’t very well ravish me on your friend’s couch.”

I raise an eyebrow. “You want to bet on that?”

She gives me a dirty smile and I can feel my cock pressing up against my zipper.

“As much as I’d love to,” she croons, “I have a new apartment with a bed that could use some breaking in.”

“I’m at your service,” I tell her, then draw her mouth to mine again.

We kiss until we’re breathless and almost ready to tear each other’s clothes off right there in the street. Then Hailey takes me by the hand and leads me to the bus stop. On the ride over, she explains about moving out and getting her new job as a social media manager. I ask her if there’s anything she can’t do, but she just laughs my amazement away.

“I have some other news,” she adds, glancing away from me.

“And what would that be?”

“I started my blog.”

I hook my finger under her chin and turn her face to me.

“Hailey, that’s amazing. I’m so happy for you. I know it’s going to be a hit.”

She smiles back at me. “It’s still a long way off from being what I want it to be, but I had to start somewhere.”

I nod in agreement. “What did you call it?”

She lets out a nervous laugh and once more glances away.

“Latte Girl,” she says to the floor.

I sit there stunned for a moment, and then I start to laugh. Hailey joins in.

“It’s perfect,” I tell her.

My hand trails up and down her thigh throughout the entire conversation and the flush never leaves her cheeks. I lean over to press my lips against the soft skin beneath her ear and she stifles a moan under her breath.

“You’re driving me crazy,” she hisses.

“You’ll be completely insane by the time I’m done with you,” I whisper back, pressing my hand between her legs.

She squeals and shoves me into the window.

“There are people here,” she mutters, crossing her legs.

“Fine,” I sigh. “Make me wait.”

I take her hand in mine instead, stroking my thumb along the side of her finger.

The bus pulls up at our stop and I tug her through the doors, my hand still clutching hers. We run all the way to her apartment building, every second that we’re not naked and pressed up against each other seeming like a waste.

We burst into the lobby and see a family of four getting into the elevator, so Hailey leads me towards the stairwell instead. I pull her to me the second we step through the door.

“No, no, no,” she mutters, turning her face from mine. “We have five flights of stairs to get up. We’ll never make it if we stop to kiss.”

“Then I’ll take you right here.”

I reach my hands inside her coat and under her shirt. She closes her eyes and sighs as I slide my hands up her bare stomach.

“Jordan...”

Without warning, she tugs my hands away and takes off running up the stairs.

“Not fair!” I call, bolting after her.

We finally make it into the apartment and I don’t even take the time to look around. I lift her in my arms and she wraps her legs around my waist, sucking at my mouth like it’s the air she needs to breathe. I back her up against the door, squeezing her thighs in my hands and returning her kiss with just as much urgency.

She moves her lips to my neck and then tugs my earlobe between her teeth. I curse under my breath.

“Where is this bed you were talking about?”

“Keep walking. You’ll find it.”

I back away from the door, Hailey still wrapped around me, and head into the main room of the apartment. It’s the only room of the apartment, with her double bed taking up almost half the floor. I lower her onto the blankets and then stand looking down at her.

“Take your shirt off,” she commands, her voice raspy with desire.

I let my coat fall to the floor and tug my shirt over my head. My chest heaves as I watch her eyes running up and down my body. She sits up and shrugs herself out of her own coat, then bends down to take her shoes off. Somehow, she manages to make even that look sexy.

She lies back down after that, her legs hanging over the edge of the bed, and I get down on my knees between them. I reach for the button of her jeans and then slide them off her before pushing her shirt up and revealing the smooth skin of her stomach. I run my hands along her body, over her hips and across the tops of her thighs. She has her eyes closed, her breathing coming in sharp gasps.

“Touch me,” she murmurs.

I hook my thumb around the fabric between her legs and tug it to the side, then slide one finger of my other hand inside her, going as slow as I can and then pulling all the way out before pushing back into her. She’s already soaked. I slide another finger in and her hips buck against me.

“Please,” she moans, and I pump my fingers in and out of her, feeling myself growing harder with every second.

“You look so fucking good,” I tell her.

She does. Everything about her body right now is screaming at me to taste her, touch her, fuck her hard until she comes.

“Fuck me,” she calls, as if reading my thoughts. “Get up here and fuck me, Jordan.”

I pull my fingers out of her inch by inch and then move to sit on the edge of the bed, tugging off my shoes and the rest of my clothes as she gets rid of what’s left of hers. She leans over to her bedside table, giving me a view of her ass that takes my breath away, and pulls out a condom that she hands to me.

I roll it on and then pull her to me so she’s straddling my lap, my cock pressing against the slick skin between her thighs, begging to thrust itself inside her. I cup her face in my hands, and when I look into her eyes, stunned all over again by how their dark blue waters seem to swallow me up, I can’t help it.

“Hailey,” I murmur, “I’m so sorry.”

She places a hand on my chest and pushes me back a bit.

“No,” she says firmly. “No more of that. If we’re going to make this work, we have to start moving on. I don’t want you to keep saying sorry forever. I want you to prove that I’ve made the right choice. I want you to take me. Hard. Make me forget everything but how good you feel inside me.”

She wraps her hands around my wrists, tugging my hands down to her neck.

“You want it hard?” I ask, my voice hoarse.

“Yes,” she breathes, tilting her chin up as my thumb strokes her throat.

“Then turn around,” I whisper.

Something flashes in her eyes. She drops her hands from my wrists and I let her go as she climbs off my lap and gets onto her hands and knees on the bed. I stand on my own knees beside her, taking in the view of her back.

“Get your ass up where I can see it,” I instruct, surprised at how commanding I sound.

She lowers herself onto her forearms and I run my hands over the perfect curve of her ass. My cock twitches. I didn’t know it was possible to be this hard.

“Please,” she begs. “I need to feel you.”

I grab onto her hips and thrust just an inch inside of her.

“More. Please.”

She lets out a deep moan as I push my entire length into her. I pull out again just as quickly, moving in long, slow strokes that have her clenching around me. A hiss escapes between my teeth. I close my eyes to concentrate on not coming right then and there.

“You sure you want it hard?” I ask her.

“Yes,” is her frantic reply. “Please. I need it.”

I pick up speed, digging my hands into her skin as I pull her hips against me with every thrust. She starts moaning in time with the rhythm. I move one of my hands to my mouth and wet my fingers on my tongue, then lean forwards enough that I can reach around to stroke her clit. She squeals when I find the right spot, continuing to thrust as I move my finger in tight circles.

She clenches even tighter around my cock and I know she’s getting close. Taking my other hand off of her hip, I wrap it in her hair and pull her back with me until we’re both standing on our knees. I keep circling over her clit.

“You going to come for me?” I growl into her ear.

I move the hand that’s in her hair so that it’s resting lightly around her throat. She nods, shuddering. I increase my speed on her clit, adding more pressure. She’s panting now, holding herself right on the edge, and I squeeze just slightly on her neck. She moans so loud it’s almost a shriek, her entire body tensing and then going limp against me as she rides the orgasm out.

She’s still coming when I push her back down onto all fours, grabbing onto her hips again and thrusting hard and fast inside her. I can feel her rocking back onto me, and I shift myself so that I’m hitting her even deeper. She screams out my name, her hands fisting themselves in the sheets as she buries another scream in her pillow.

The pressure inside me breaks and I come so hard I see stars. There doesn’t seem to be enough air in the room to fill my lungs, and I take a few desperate, shuddering breaths as everything fades and then comes back into focus. I stare down at Hailey in front of me. We’re both slick with sweat.

I brace a hand on her back and pull out of her, then get up to get rid of the condom. When I come back she’s lying on her back, her chest still heaving and a lazy smile stretched across her face. I collapse on the bed, pulling her on top of my chest.

We lie like that for a few minutes, as still and calm as clear water. If I close my eyes, I can imagine we’re drifting out on a lake.

Hailey lifts her head up and her eyes find mine.

“I feel very nice right now,” she says in a sleepy voice.

I laugh. “I feel very nice right now too.”

She rolls off me and we lie on our sides to face each other. Her fingers trail over my arm.

“So you’re really done with Knox Security?” she asks.

“Officially resigned,” I answer.

“I wish you’d been able to find your mom,” she says, her eyebrows drawing together.

“I will,” I sigh. “It will take some time, but I will. I don’t want to bore you with the whole story.”

I throw my arm over her and she nuzzles into my neck. “I want to hear the whole story.”

“Well, I know the name of the centre she’s at,” I begin. “I tried calling, but it’s impossible to reach her by phone. I’ve been told I can’t see her in person unless I’m on a visitors list, which my dad has probably made sure I’m not. There’s one centre by that name in the city, and two more in the area. I’m betting she’s at one of those, but I sent letters to all of them just in case. I don’t know if they’ll reach her. I’ll think of some other ideas too. I could always try my hand at breaking and entering.”

I laugh, expecting Hailey to join in, but instead she sits up and stares at me.

“What’s the name of the centre?” she asks.

“The Bernstein Centre for Rehabilitation.”

Her eyes go wide and she jumps out of bed.

“What?” I demand, sitting up.

She doesn’t answer, and instead starts digging around our clothes on the floor. She pulls out her cell phone and punches in a number.

“Hailey, what’s going on?” I ask, but she shakes her head at me as someone comes on the line.

“Hi Mom,” she says. “I’m good, thanks. I was just wondering, have you ever met a patient named—”

She glances at me expectantly.

“Rosalind,” I supply, utterly mystified. “Rosalind Knox.”

“Rosalind Knox,” Hailey repeats. She pauses for a moment, and then her face breaks into a smile. “Yes, she does sound lovely. I know her son. I just wanted to see if you’d met her.”

She says goodbye after that and hangs up the phone. My jaw drops open as I begin to understand what just happened.

“What would you do without me?” asks Hailey.