The alarm on my phone goes off. I almost reach out, hit snooze, and ignore it until it goes off again like any other morning but this time feels different. I turn it off, leave it on my bedside table, and roll back over to wrap my arm around Trix as she stirs awake.

“What time is it?” she asks, her eyes still closed.

I press my mouth against her bare shoulder. “Six forty-five,” I say.

“Gross,” she murmurs. “You get up early.”

“I have to go to work,” I say, chuckling.

“When do you have to be there?”

“Nine.”

She pries her eyes open. “What kind of freak gets up at six forty-five for a shift that starts at nine?”

I guide her onto her back. “The kind who wakes up with you in his bed... and wants to go to work with a smile on his face.”

Her lips curl. “Ohhh...”

I kiss her softly as her hands rise to my waist. Her touch on my skin is firm yet warm and inviting. She shifts beneath me, opening her legs. I feel her inner thigh rub against my erection and it takes everything in me not to slide inside of her raw.

“I want you,” I whisper, dropping my kiss to her neck.

Trix hums beneath me as her hands slowly slide behind me. “I can tell,” she says, sitting up an inch.

She reaches down to squeeze the flesh of my ass. I nibble her collarbone, wanting more. I put my hands on her, cupping her breasts and growing harder with each tiny moan that escapes her lips.

“Trix,” I breathe, my cock throbbing.

She kisses me on the mouth, softly sucking on my bottom lip as she quivers. “Use your hands on me,” she says.

I shift my weight onto one arm as I inch my other between her legs. “Like this?” I ask, teasing her.

“Yes.”

I touch the edge of my fingertips along her inner thigh, slowly crawling toward her slit. “Like this...?”

She laughs. “Uh-huh.”

I kiss her again, splitting her focus. I stop my hand before I reach her warmth and a light, frustrated groan rises from her throat.

“Lance,” she whispers with a moan.

I chuckle, extending the moment a little longer before tracing the line of her pussy lips. I rest my index finger along the side of her swollen clit and she tenses in my arms, holding her breath as the first inkling of pleasure reaches her eyes. My cock twitches at the sight but I’ll give her what she wants first.

I rub her slowly. She inhales a sharp breath, her hips bucking slightly against my hand.

“Yes,” she says in my ear. “A little to the right.”

I adjust and she nods.

“Right there.” She bites her lip. “God, right there.”

I smother her mouth with mine, tasting the moans on her tongue. “I love making you come,” I tell her. “Are you going to come for me again?”

Trix instantly reacts to the words. Her back arches and I feel her toes curl around my ankle. “Don’t stop and I definitely will,” she says, chuckling.

I flex my hand to maintain a steady rub. A little more of this watching her writhe and I just might finish myself...

Her warm hand wraps around my cock under the covers. I look her in the eyes, clenching as she starts a quick stroke.

“Come with me, Lance,” she says, our lips grazing. “Come on me.”

I kiss her harder, saying yes with a groan. We keep eye contact, gazing into each other as our hands work beneath our waists.

Trix trembles. “I’m so close.”

Her voice alone makes my groin surge. A cramp twists my hand but I don’t dare stop. “Where do you want it?” I ask, breathing hard.

“On my chest.”

We kiss again, taking one more deep breath of each other before climax takes over. Her thighs shake and my balls tighten. Just a few more seconds...

“I’m coming,” she says, pressing her mouth against mine to silence her moans.

I push up, keeping my hand fixed on her pulsating clit as I lean over her. She points my cock where she wants it and I don’t hold back anymore. I come hard, biting my lip as she pumps my cum onto her heaving breasts.

I reach for the headboard to keep myself up, feeling dizzy but satisfied. “Fuck,” I grunt as I admire the sight of her mewling with pleasure.

Trix laughs between light, sharp breaths. “Fuck is right,” she says. She lets go of my cock and licks the edge of her fingers, cleaning them off.

I collapse onto the bed beside her again, looking down at the lines of glistening sweat and semen on her chest as it rises and falls.

“A man could get used to this,” I say.

She turns her head, her bangs gently falling over her eyes. “It’s not bad for the lady, too, ya know.”

I smile as I push the bangs back again, pausing to draw a curved line down her cheekbone. “You should stay here again tonight,” I say.

“And tomorrow, you’ll want me to stay the night again. And then the next.” She smirks. “And the next.”

“I like having you around.”

“You like keeping an eye on me,” she says.

“If one accomplishes the other, that’s fine with me.”

Trix sits up on her elbows. “You’re still scared of Marcus, aren’t you?”

“I am not scared of him. I’m scared for you. There’s a difference.”

She smiles. “Lance, don’t take this the wrong way, but I can’t live like this.”

“Like what?” I ask.

“I need space,” she says. “Room to move and stretch. To be in control of my surroundings. I can’t do that if you’re watching over me twenty-four seven.” She pats the bed. “And as nice as this is, I need a night or two in my own bed.”

I look down. “All right. I get it. I just worry about you, that’s all.”

She tilts her head. “And I appreciate that. A lot. This is all just very new and... scary for me.”

“Scary?” I ask.

Her eyes find mine again. “No one’s ever cared about me like this before,” she says. “It feels like...”

I pause, waiting for her to find the words.

“A fresh start,” she finally says. “I don’t want to screw it up.”

I lay a hand on her cheek. “You won’t,” I say, leaning in. “If you need space, I’ll give you space. It’s okay.”

I kiss her and her lips instantly purse against mine.

“Thank you,” she says, closing her eyes.

“And hey,” I say, caressing her cheek, “I don’t mind spending the night at your place sometimes. Just putting that out there. I understand that this house might feel a little... crowded.”

She chuckles. “I might take you up on that one.”

“Yeah?”

“How about tomorrow night?” she says, kissing the edge of my mouth. “I still owe you a cooked meal.”

“I definitely won’t say no to that.”

“You can come over, bring a bottle of wine.” She smiles. “We’ll have dinner and then see what happens.”

“I’m in,” I say, kissing her back.

She eases closer, deepening our embrace. “Good...”

I pull her in until I feel her little body pressed against mine.

“Oops—” She leans back with a laugh and looks at my chest. “Forgot I was covered in... well, you know.”

“I don’t care,” I say, wrapping my arm around her as my blood pumps south. “We’ll shower after.”

Trix hums with delight. “Love a man who likes to get dirty.”

I roll over onto my back and she sits up, straddling me. “Damn right,” I say, admiring her glistening tits as she leans over and grabs a condom off the bedside table.

She tears the wrapper off and shifts back to roll it onto my stiff cock. “You’re so hard already...”

“You’re surprised?” I rest my hands on her hips, holding her up. “You’re gorgeous.”

“Ooo, say that again.”

She aligns herself with me, easing down to penetrate herself. Her warm opening grips me as I slide inside.

“You’re fucking gorgeous,” I say again.

Her hips grind in careful circles, taking my cock over and over again. She lays her palms on my chest and holds herself up as she rides.

I don’t move. I let her take what she wants, giving her full control — just like she said she wanted. She needs space. Room to stretch and move. I’ll respect that, no matter how much it makes my insides turn over.

A fresh start. That’s exactly what this feels like, for me as well. I want to make this last but I wonder if that’s possible with her family still roaming free out there.

“Oh, shit,” she says over me. “You feel so good...”

I keep my hands on her, holding her up. “Don’t stop,” I say, bringing my attention back to her.

Trix. My Trix.

I’ll make sure they know that.