Shane

After a busy Friday night at my club, I slipped into bed a happy man. Because Daniella was already sound asleep in it.

Four months after I’d first set eyes on her, I was still just as convinced I’d never get enough. Although I still enjoyed owning and operating the club, I didn’t feel truly at peace until I held her in my arms. Which wasn’t happening nearly enough for my liking. Sure, we spent at least three nights together per week. But with her condo sublet near her office in Jersey City while I maintained my loft in Manhattan close to the club, that wasn’t nearly enough.

When my arms went around her, she sighed in contentment, snuggling closer.

“Mm, how was your night?”

“Better now.” I kissed the side of her neck, feeling emotion over this woman who made me laugh, challenged me, but best of all, made me unbelievably happy.

“Me, too.”

She was gloriously naked, with her smooth skin rubbing against mine. Although I enjoyed stripping her out of her clothing, especially when she’d come from work to the club in her pencil skirts and fuck-me heels, I loved the best this skin-on-skin connection with her in my bed in the wee hours of the morning.

After reaching around, I groaned when I found her wet and ready for me. I wasted no time pushing inside of her, gripping her hip and rubbing her centerpoint of pleasure until she was wildly bucking against me, begging me to thrust. But I waited until she was teetering on the edge before I set a rhythm, taking her over and up again to an orgasm that squeezed my cock like a vice grip.

But I wasn’t done. I pulled out and put her on her back before thrusting deep inside of her again, putting my forearms next to her head and diving into her kiss. I’d often scoffed at the word intimacy, but now I knew the true meaning of it.

That’s why after I’d made love to her with a second round, I lay with her entwined with my body, not wanting to sever the connection.

“Move in with me,” I said in the dark, hoping she wasn’t already asleep.

She popped up and looked down on me, moonlight making her look even more beautiful. “What did you say?”

“Move in with me. Or if you don’t like my place, then we can find another one together. Especially after you start your new job.” She’d given notice after tax time, intending to start free-lancing in the city, doing everything from accounting to fraud investigations. Clearly, she already had one loyal client in the club. She’d also earned Joe’s business at the sport’s bar around the corner.

“Your loft is amazing, but, uh, how did this come up tonight?”

“I’ve been thinking about it for a while now. Matter of fact, the guys at work mentioned I’m a real dick Monday through Thursday unless I’ve spent the night with you.”

“So, I should move in with you because Max and your employees would appreciate it?”

Her voice was quiet and I knew immediately I’d screwed this up. Time to lay it out. “No, you should do it because I love you and don’t want to spend our nights apart anymore.”

She blew out a breath. “You love me?”

I started to feel a kernel of fear that she might not feel the same. “I really screwed up the order of things. Probably should’ve told you that part before asking you to move in or making it seem like it had been the idea of the guys at work.”

I flipped her on her back so I could be eye to eye with her. “Let me start over. I love you, Daniella. More than I ever thought possible to love someone. And when I’m with you, I’m happy. When I know you’re in my bed at home waiting for me, I’m anxious to get here. I wasn’t sure how I’d adapt to a relationship, but the last four months have taught me the reason I didn’t want one before now was because I didn’t have you.”

“Wow. When you do a do-over, you reach for the stars. That was—Well, it was everything. I love you, too. So much.”

I hadn’t realized how much I needed to hear those words until they came from her lips.

“Guess that means we’re out of the trying phase?” she quipped.

“Must mean we’re in a full-blown relationship now.”

“Does that freak you out?”

I shook my head. “Not at all. Actually, I don’t think we’re done trying, after all.”

“Why is that?”

I tucked her hair behind her ear, nuzzling her neck. “Because I have every intention of trying to make you happy every day.”

She smiled. “I have the same intentions.”

“Good. Now let’s ensure at least half of them are dirty.”