It felt strange to be back in Miami. Back home.

As much of a culture shock as it was to go from Florida to Georgia, it was the same thing in reverse every time I’d return to Miami. But that wasn’t the only reason things felt different. For the first time in… forever, really, I was going home to a condo that didn’t feel like my own anymore.

Without Bella there, it had felt empty and sad. It had been too quiet when I opened the door to the dark living room, and while I used to appreciate the clean lines and minimalist, modern look, now it felt cold and sterile, with too much open space for one person to rattle around in.

I needed her back.

And maybe—just maybe—in the morning, once I’d rested and thought on it some more, I’d make the short trip across the courtyard to see her. Of course, that also meant I’d be seeing Calvin, and out of the two of them, I wasn’t sure which meeting I was more nervous about.

I sighed and moved around the condo, turning on lights—trying to do whatever I could to make it at least feel like I wasn’t there alone, like the place still had some life in it.

I’d barely had a chance to get my suitcase unpacked when I heard the knock at my front door.

I wasn’t expecting anyone—was there anyone left in the world who would even come to visit?

My gun was in the living room, and I walked toward it as I called out. “Who’s there?”

For several long seconds, I waited, holding my breath as I stood in the middle of the living room waiting, wondering if things were about to get ugly.

Just when I was convinced that I might need to shoot first and ask questions later, I heard her voice.

“It’s me… Kimbella.” Then, after a short pause, “Please open the door, Angel. I just need… I need you.”

Everything that happened after that was a blur. I didn’t even remember making the decision to open the door, I was just there, with my beautiful Bella in my arms. And for the first time in days—in weeks—I was happy. Really, truly happy.

For a long time, neither of us spoke. We simply stood there in the doorway, holding each other, finally taking comfort in each other’s arms. I was the one who finally broke our long embrace, taking a step back to look at her as I reached behind her to close the door.

“Did you mean what you said just a minute ago?” I asked. “When you said you needed me?”

“I did,” she said, smiling up at me, her eyes bright with emotion. “I do need you. And more than that… I want you. I want to be with you, Angel, if you’ll let me… if you’ll have me.”

“My sweet, sweet Bella,” I said, shaking my head in disbelief. After all the nights I’d dreamed for this very thing, was it really happening? “That’s all I’ve ever wanted to hear. I was wrong to try and make you see it, but I hope you know that I honestly love you—I always have and I always will.”

It felt good to finally say it out loud to her, and when she looked up at me again through those long lashes, my heart did a slow roll in my chest and I knew that my mother had been right. This had been worth all of the doubt and the heartache along the way. Finally telling her how much I loved her had been the best thing I’d ever done.

“I love you, too,” she said. “Always. I—”

And whatever she’d been about to say was cut off when my lips met hers and she opened her mouth to me. I was used to calling the shots, to getting what I wanted when I wanted it, but this time she was the one who was taking charge, using her tongue to explore my mouth as her hands grabbed at my shirt, untucking it and lifting it up.

“I want to feel you,” she said, breaking away for just long enough to unfasten my belt and unbutton my pants. Her hand reached down and stroked my length through the thin layer of fabric that still stood between us. “I want you—this—inside me. I need it, Angel.”

“Fuck, baby,” I moaned. “I’m ready. So, so ready.”

I scooped my hands under her thighs and lifted her, loving the way it felt to have her legs wrapped around my waist as I carried her back to my bedroom and gently laid her out in front of me on the bed. I could’ve been happy to just look at her all night, to not even touch her—but there would be time for that later.

She’d just told me that she loved me—loved me—and that meant I could finally stop waiting, stop torturing myself by wanting what I couldn’t have before.

In an instant, she was wriggling out of her clothes, and I hurried to get rid of the rest of mine. When we were finally both naked, I stood over her, loving the way it felt to watch her eyes as they roamed over my body. And once they centered on my cock and stayed there, just watching and waiting?

Yeah, that look was exactly what I’d been holding out for.

She was looking at me like I was everything she’d ever wanted, everything she needed, and for the first time in my life, I felt what it was like to look into the eyes of a woman who loved me—who loved everything about me.

And it was making me horny as hell.

I grabbed her legs and pulled her ass to the end of the bed, letting her straddle my waist as I reached down between her silky smooth thighs to that sweet, wet, beautiful pussy that I’d been dreaming of since the first time I’d seen it.

“Oh my God, yes,” she moaned, pressing her hips up to meet my hand as I ran my finger along her pink folds, spreading her lips until her tender little clit was exposed. I wanted to touch it, to taste it, to massage it with my fingers and my tongue for hours until she was dripping wet and begging for me—but I knew I wouldn’t last that long. Not with the way she was already moaning and bucking against me.

I needed to be inside her, and I needed it now.

Moving closer, I ran the head of my cock up and down along her folds, parting those juicy, wet lips and plunging in as far as she could take me, loving the way my cock made her toss her head back and gasp as it filled her.

I let one hand move back to her clit, back to stroking and rubbing and teasing as I started to thrust in and out of her tight, hot pussy. Christ, it felt like heaven, better than I could’ve even imagined, and I cursed myself for waiting so long to finally tell her how I felt. She knew now, though, and even though we’d lost days or weeks or months by not talking about our feelings sooner, I was determined that we would make up for lost time.

Starting tonight.

“Fuck me, Angel,” she moaned, slamming her body against my cock as it dove into her again and again. “Just… like… that… fuck.”

With my free hand, I reached down to pull her up, leaning in to kiss her even as I began to thrust harder, faster, longer into that sweet pussy that had seemed made just for my cock.

“You’re gonna make me come, baby,” I growled, using my teeth to gently nip at her bottom lip as she smiled up at me.

“I want you to come,” she panted. “To come with me… right… now…”

And that was all I needed to hear.

With another deep thrust, I felt the orgasm that had been building inside me start to release, and my hips bucked wildly as it rushed through me, filling her until she cried out, her muscles tightening around my shaft as she lost herself in her own climax.

Finally, I collapsed onto the bed next to her, content to kiss her forehead, her cheeks, her beautiful neck as my cock still pulsed inside of her.

“You don’t know how long I’ve been waiting to do that,” I said, watching as her eyelids became heavy.

She smiled and nodded. “I think I have a pretty good idea. And I’m pretty sure you made a game of keeping me waiting, too.”

“Not a game, baby.” I laughed and kissed her again. “I promise it wasn’t a game. I only wanted you to love me, to be mine.”

“And I do,” she whispered, her eyes closing at last as she nuzzled against my chest. “And I am. Yours. Completely.”

In that moment, everything in my life was perfect.

Bella was mine, and I was hers.

After everything we’d been through together, we had finally made it. We were finally happy.

Together.