“God, Ash.” I slid in and out of him slowly, relishing the tightness around my pulsing cock while my mate stroked himself below me. “You feel so damn good.”

“I’m close, Coop. So fucking close.” My knot was already starting to expand, but I didn’t want it to end. I never wanted it to end. Because as soon as I dumped my seed into Ash, it would be time for me to leave. The rush of my orgasm hit me hard as I pushed as deep as I could into Ash and held there, flexing my ass with each spurt of come as he released into his hand.

I looked down at Ash’s gorgeous face and just stared, feeling so damn grateful that I found him and Sylvia. A small smirk tugged at my lips.

“What?” Ash put a hand on his hip, giving me sass even as my knot had me locked to his body.

I leaned down and gathered him in my arms, resting only half my weight on him but wanting to cover him with my full scent. I wanted him to breathe me in all day long. Forever.

“Nothing.”

“Not nothing.” Ash gently pinched my hip. “Tell me what has you grinning like that.”

I kissed the inside of his neck and up the other side of his jaw, dragging my teeth along it until I landed at his ear. “You’re just so fucking sexy when you’re covered in come with my knot inside of you.”

He laughed softly and nodded. “That is my favorite state of being.”

I groaned, not ever wanting to leave the bed. “Don’t shower.”

“What?” Ash chuckled. “Like, ever?”

Now it’s my turn to pinch his hip. “No, smart ass. Today. I want you to walk around with my come inside of you all day. Every time you move, you’ll feel me dripping out, and you’ll remember where I was.”

Ash swallowed a gulp of air, his Adam’s apple brushing against my cheek. “Okay,” he whispered.

I trapped his earlobe between my teeth and gently nibbled before dropping a kiss there. “Who knows. Maybe one of my swimmers will find something to hold onto and we can give Sylvia a baby brother or sister.”

Ash’s arms tightened around my back. “Maybe, but please don’t get your hopes up. I really don’t think that’s likely.”

“I know. I lifted up on my elbow so I was facing Ash, wanting him to see the sincerity I felt as he heard my words. “And I’m completely okay with that. I don’t need anything more than you and Sylvia. But if it were to happen…” I kissed the corner of his mouth and held there for second before pulling back up. “I wouldn’t hate seeing you pregnant with my baby.”

Ash cupped the back of my neck and pulled my head down to kiss me. And what started out as a sweet kiss to convey his love quickly heated. Just as my knot slipped from his body, we were both ready for another round.

* * *

Being back in the city was different than I remembered it. When I was there over the summer, I just felt lost, like I was missing a part of me. Now I knew I was missing two parts of me. And even though there were lots of shops and amazing restaurants that looked delicious, I had no interest in checking out downtown.

In fact, as I traveled from meeting to meeting throughout the day, all I could think about was getting back to my hotel and calling Ash. I wanted to hear how his day went and if he was feeling better about his new class. He seemed a little off all week, but then again, so did I.

He was just upset that I had to leave town, and I felt the same way. But it was important for me to make the trip there. It was the right thing for our family. The only way I could provide for us was by working full-time, and at StarX, I knew I’d have the flexibility to be home with Sylvia a lot more often than I would with any other company. And since I’d already missed so much of her life, every minute without her was wasted time.

So that’s why I smiled politely for six hours straight, turning on the charm that was guaranteed to win over both the male and female directors I was interviewing with. I had full confidence I could convince the hell out of these people that I was the perfect guy for the job—not only because of my experience with the company but because of my commitment to growing their business.

Jim, one of the directors I would be reporting to, invited me to dinner after the last meeting. And although I didn’t want to go, I didn’t have a valid excuse to say no, so I sent a quick text to Ash to let him know I’d be calling in after eight, and then suffered through a two-hour meal of Chinese fusion while continuing to put on my fake smile and eager attitude. My face felt like it would crack if I had to hold that damn smile for even a second longer.

I didn’t get into my hotel room until 8:15. I was exhausted and desperate to hear Ash’s voice. As soon as the door shut behind me, I pulled out my laptop and called Ash via Skype. He answered immediately though he looked tired. And the glass of wine in his hand was a clear indicator that he’d had a rough day.

He forced a smile as he looked at me. “Hey, Coop. I’ve been waiting for you.”

“Sorry, babe.” I could see the concern on his face, and it instantly transferred to mine. “Is everything okay?”

He smiled then let out a deep sigh. “I’m fine. I just miss you.”

“Me too.” I reached out and ran my finger along Ash’s cheek on my computer screen. “You look tired. Or worried. How was your day?”

Ash’s eyes turned away from me and he took another sip of wine. “My day was good. What about you? How did the interviews go?”

“Great.” Typical Ash. Always changing the subject when he wanted to avoid something. But I let him this time, happily sharing the details of my day. I explained who I met with and the different roles I would play within the company. The position I was interviewing for was a little different than what I did as an intern, but my skills would transfer easily. “I think they’re going to make an offer. I have to meet with the CEO tomorrow, and I have an appointment with HR after lunch. If all goes well, I hope to have an offer in my hand as I’m driving home tomorrow afternoon.”

“And they’re okay with you working remotely?” Ash couldn’t hide the hopeful expression on his face as he asked the most important question. He hadn’t flat-out said it, but I knew he didn’t want to move. And living apart from each other, even for a few days per week, just wasn’t an option that would work for us.

“I think so,” I said while holding up my crossed fingers. “They’re moving to a more distributed business model, and are using remote offices to keep overhead costs down. They already have about 30% of the workforce offsite, so it shouldn’t be an issue for me to work at home and just travel in for occasional meetings.”

“That’s great!” I could see some of the tension roll off Ash’s tense features with my confirmation. This was obviously something he was more worried about than he let on.

“Don’t worry, babe. Even if this job doesn’t work out, there will be another one. I promise to take care of you and Sylvia for the rest of my life. I’ll always be there to make sure you’re safe and happy.”

Ash sucked in a deep breath and nodded with a forced smile, but I could see he still had doubt inside those beautiful blue eyes. “I know you will,” he said quietly. “I just wish you were here to hold me right now.”

“I do too.” I waggled my eyebrows and softened my tone. “But you could hold yourself and pretend like it’s me.” I used my most seductive voice, practically purring.

“Is that so?” Finally, a genuine smile spread across his face. “And just what would you want me to do to myself well I’m pretending to be you?”

I smiled and adjusted the laptop on the bed so I could pull off my shirt. “Oh, baby. I’m so glad you asked.”