Arie’s face goes completely pale. “What are you talking about.” It’s not a question.

“You know exactly what I’m talking about, Arie. You didn’t show up at my door, looking for a job, just because there weren’t any other jobs in New York. You could have done anything. Why did you come to me? Tell me what is going on with you.”

She sighs and runs her hands through her hair. She looks so grown up, in a way I never imagined I would get the opportunity to see her. Not to mention so fucking beautiful that I find myself getting aroused.

Get your shit together, man.

“I don’t even know where to start, Pierce. And I don’t want to tell you everything. I can’t tell you everything. Not yet. But… the crux of the situation currently is that I own a ton of money to loan sharks that I can’t pay back, and, well, they are threatening to kill me.”

I feel the rage return, and I think that if one of these guys were in front of me right now, I could kill him without a single shred of remorse. All of my trained reflexes are kicking in, and I just want to neutralize the situation, and make sure Arie is safe. I have to take deep breaths to lower my blood pressure until I can breathe and think normally again.

“Arie, tell me you didn’t get caught up in gambling. After what your uncle went through? After what Marie went through to get him out of it?”

She emphatically shakes her head. “No! Never, Pierce. I would never do that. I was in a horrible position and I needed money. I was… I needed to pay a bill. Or the people I needed to pay wouldn’t keep helping me. And the, for a while, it seemed like having to pay these people back wouldn’t be an issue. Then, suddenly, it was an issue again. Now, I don’t know what to do.”

I squint, reading her face. I learned a lot in the SEALs about spotting the signs of deception in a suspect. And Arie is not lying. But she is holding a lot back. And that isn’t going to fly.

“Arie, there are more holes in that story than Swiss cheese. Tell me everything, and tell me now. How am I supposed to help you otherwise?”

She reaches down and wraps her arms around her stomach, and begins to look queasy. I didn’t want to ruin dinner, but I also know this needed to happen. I need to know what she has gotten herself into. So, I reach over and squeeze her arm. “Arie, please let me help you. Please.”

Arie reaches up and hides her face behind her hands for a moment. When she comes back, there are tears in her eyes, but she quickly brushes them away. “I was sick, Pierce. Really sick. I thought I was going to die. The doctors thought I was going to die. For a while, I was doing everything I could to fight it. And it was expensive. So expensive. I couldn’t afford the treatments, so I was forced to take money from these men I met at an OTB. By then they told me there was no hope, and they said I had maybe a few months to live? So, I took more money to pay off the hospital, thinking, ‘Well, I’m going to die anyway. What are they going to do about it?” And then, there was good news and bad news.” She pauses for a second and sighs. “The doctors discovered they’d been wrong all along. They’d misdiagnosed me, and now they said I was going to live. I just needed surgery, and to take some pills for the rest of my life. But now… I’m very much alive, and very much in debt to some horrible men. And I don’t know what to do, Pierce. I don’t.”

I throw my hands in the air. “Well, obviously, I’m going to give you the money, Arie. Why didn’t you just ask me to begin with?”

She just shakes her head sadly. “As I said earlier, it’s one thing to work for you, Pierce. To come by the money honestly. But I refuse to owe anyone else money. The whole ‘robbing Peter to pay Paul’ thing.”

“Arie, you aren’t robbing me. It’s my money, and I can do with it as I see fit. And I would never ask you to pay me back. I just want you to be safe.”

Arie smiles sadly. “I appreciate it, Pierce. But I’ve gone to great lengths to make sure they don’t know anything about me other than… me alone. I just need to see if they will let me pay them back in installments now that I have a real job.”

I wince remembering the man from the other day who followed us. “Honey, they know more than who you are. They know where you live, where you work. They know me, Chloe. I think they know a hell of a lot more than you expected.”

Arie starts to panic. “Oh, my God, do they know we’re here? Could they hurt Chloe? We have to get back to her! What if they…

“Calm down, seriously. It’s okay. There is no way they know we’re here. I’ve been watching since we left New York and no one is following us. But Arie, if you’re not going to let me pay them, what do you want to do? You really expect them to agree to a payment plan? Like they’re the bank and you’re refinancing your house? The Cannizzo family isn’t going to be amenable to you paying in installments.”

She leans back away from the table and crosses her arms over her chest. “How did you know it was the Cannizzo family I owe the money to?”

Well. Shit.

“I… I just… um…”

She taps her fingers on the table.

“The house has a security system. I overheard you talking to your ‘friend.’”

“So, you were spying on me,” she says with a scowl.

“I wasn’t spying. I was worried. And apparently, I had a right to be, based on what you’re telling me. But that doesn’t matter now. What matters is getting you out of this horrible situation. And don’t you think moving to a new country will help you get away from them, especially if you can’t pay them off?”

Arie groans. “I can’t just run away. They will follow me. I know they will. They said they will. And I don’t think they will have a problem finding me here, no matter how far away it may be.”

The collection of waitresses shows up again, this time with New Zealand filet and duck fat potatoes, thyme-roasted Portobello mushrooms with peas and mint feta, and spicy Moroccan lamb pie with a creamy mash. I want to keep arguing with Arie, but the food smells too amazing, and the next thing we know, we’re tucking in, eating everything we can get our hands on, and drinking another bottle of the delicious champagne like it’s water. By the time they bring a collection of desserts, we’re both stuffed, and definitely buzzing with the gentle haze that expensive champagne allows you.

A manager walks up as we’re finishing dessert, and he looks equal parts elated and nervous.

“Mr. Cochran, we are so honored you chose to dine at our humble little restaurant. I hope you found everything to your liking?” His face makes it clear that anything less than a glowing review might destroy his life.

“It couldn’t have been better. I suspect we will be frequenting your establishment many times over,” I say, feeling extremely verbose thanks to the champagne. The manager claps his hands together.

“And your wife? Did she enjoy her meal?”

“Oh, I’m not…” Arie starts to say, but I cut her off.

“She did, most definitely. My wife thoroughly enjoyed every dish. I’m not sure I’ve ever seen my wife eat so voraciously before.” I wink at Arie, and she blushes. Damn, what has this champagne done to me? Stop being so damn forward, you goon, I think as I watch Arie shrink back into the booth.

“That is wonderful to hear, Mr. Cochran! If you need anything else tonight, or would like to return at any point during your stay in Auckland, just let us know and we will get you a table. No trouble!”

I tip a glass in his direction, and he scurries off back to the kitchen. Arie looks me, flabbergasted.

“Your wife, huh?”

I wink at her. “Want to head back to the hotel, Mrs. Cochran?”

When we walk through the door of our hotel room, we discover the babysitter chilling out on the couch, watching TV and flipping through her phone. I look at my watch and see its 9pm, so I suspect Chloe is asleep. The babysitter turns with a grin.

“She went down like a trooper. Been asleep for an hour, sleeping like an angel. She had dinner before, so she should be good until the morning! And with that, I’ll be on my way,” she says as she gathers her bags and starts for the door.

“What do I owe you?” I ask before she can escape. But she just shakes her head with a smile.

“Not a thing. The hotel has taken care of your bill. You two just enjoy the rest of your night.” She gives me a wink before she leaves, then shuts the door behind her. When I turn around, Arie is standing in the middle of the living room, and she looks so beautiful, I feel like I’m going to lose my mind. I don’t know what I want to do; part of me wants to cross the room and pull her in my arms and kiss her. For real. Like I’ve never kissed her before. Her huge, beautiful blue eyes are flashing at me, so full of life, and energy. I am suddenly completely overwhelmed by my passion for her. But, I don’t want to take advantage of her vulnerability, after everything we talked about tonight, and ruin it with my stupidity, or my lust. So, I just stand there like a fool. I don’t do anything about the tension coursing through the room.

But suddenly, she does. Arie rushes up to me, grabs my head in her hands, and ferociously pulls my face down to hers. She kisses me, hard. She nibbles at my lips, and plunges her tongue into my mouth, and I can’t help but respond in kind. Yet, suddenly, grief takes over me. Grief for the way I treated her before. Guilt for the man I used to be. And I don’t want to hurt her again, even though I want nothing more than to make love to her right here on the living room floor.

“Jesus, Arie. If you don’t stop doing that, I don’t know if I’m going to be able to, honey,” I warn her as the tug in my groin clues me into just how much I have been longing for her touch these past few years.

“Who said I want you to stop?” She is breathless from our frantic kiss, her eyes alight with passion and wonder. “Chloe might wake up. I don’t know how much time we have, but I don’t want to waste a second of it.”

She drags me over to the living room, leading the way, holding tight to my hand; she is determined in her steps, and when we get to the stairs that lead up to the loft, she gives me a playful glance over her shoulder. Then she kisses me again, a frantic and demanding kiss, as she pulls me down on top of her on the stairs. I am suddenly enveloped by the familiar scent of her, spicy, yet homey. Her hair smells of lavender and roses, and it brings back a flood of memories that threaten to drown me.

I take off my jacket first, then my shirt, and she reaches out and lets her hand run up and down my chest. As I drop my pants to the floor, however, I am suddenly hit with a pang of self-consciousness. No one but my family and my doctors have seen what a mess my leg is now, and I am afraid she will be horrified. I wince, and start to step away from her, but she just looks up at me with a sad smile. Then she stands up too, and slowly unzips her dress. After it falls to floor, she takes my hands and puts them on her stomach, where I can feel a thick scar across her abdomen. My heart begins to thud a thunderous beat as she stands in front of me, defiant and brave, dressed now only the slightest wisps of lace underwear, and so beautiful I think I might cry. Arie looks up at me and whispers,

“We all have scars, Pierce. You and me, we fought hard for ours. They are nothing to be ashamed of. They make us beautiful.”

I can feel tears welling in my eyes, so rather than let her see me cry, I swoop her up into my arms, and set her down on the stairs again. I bury my head in her stomach, kissing her navel and then tracing kisses along scar and back up, as my hands drift along her sides and ass. She moans as I squeeze the mounds of flesh in my hands, full yet soft… just like her. I glance up into her lovely face, and then ease my way back up, so I can kiss her perfect lips again. She is less aggressive now, but I can see the lust smoldering in her sapphire eyes. Arie closes her eyes to me as I plunge my tongue into the depths of her beautiful mouth, savoring each moment, each taste. Her tiny hands hold tightly to my shoulders, then loosen their grip as they begin to explore my body.

“Oh, Pierce,” she purrs as she lets her fingers dance over my muscles, and as I pepper another flurry of kisses down her neck, to the pink lace covering her pert nipples. I cup her breast, clad in the flawless lace, and begin to tease her nipple with my tongue. She is so perfect, even more beautiful than I remember, even more amazing than she has been in my dreams. I want nothing more than to spend the rest of our lives exploring her body like it’s the first time, to tease her forever, but I tell myself to hold back. To give her the attention and love she deserves, after everything she’s been through. My fingers edge down the lace of her bra, letting her full, sensuous breasts fall free. I suck gently at first, increasing the pressure, until she gasps when I gently bite down on her erect nipple.

“Do you like that, my darling Arie? You want more of that, don’t you?” I ask her, watching her lovely face as I pinch the nipple between my thumb and forefinger.

She nods, biting intently at her lip. I feel my cock throb at her unintentionally sexy gesture, and move my attentions to her other breast, where I lavish the same attention. She is sighing with every movement I make, so I let my hand slide lower, over her soft belly, until I am gently cupping her pussy. I let a lazy finger softly stroke her moist lips, and I wait until I feel the encouraging gesture of her hips rising to meet my anxious hand. I am so content with her response, I give her sexy nipple another squeeze.

“Pierce, please. I need more. I need you,” she begs, her hips grating against my touch. I inadvertently let out a deep, low growl, loving the way her body responds.

In one swift movement, I slide down her panties, as she unfastens her bra and throws it across the room. I kneel in front of her on the stairs, and pull at her knees so her legs are spread apart, her thighs spread open for me, reveling in the aroma of her, and marveling at just how damn wet and hot for me she is. I run my finger down the inside of her slick folds, and rub tenderly at her clit.

“Oh Pierce, don’t stop, please,” she cries as I pull away my finger. I tilt my head down, and let my tongue jut out to where she is waiting for me; I lap softly at the spot where I’ve just pulled away my fingers, and I can already tell she is in heaven. Arie tastes so delicious, and I can feel the pull of her body as it pulsates and writhes with pleasure. Just when she’s starting to settle into the feeling, I plunge two fingers deep inside her and build her up with a relentless rhythm that instantly threatens to take her over. “Oh, god Pierce, I need you now. I’m think going to come!”

“No Arie, I want you come. You deserve this. Next time, we will get there together, I promise.” I continue to lavish her pussy with my undivided attention until she cries out softly, and I feel her soft muscular walls tighten around my fingers. A rush of fluids bathe her even further in delectable, salty juices.

Arie’s body goes limp, and I inch my way back up her, resuming my attention on her luscious breasts, sucking and biting until she begins to writhe against me once more.

“Are you sure about this, Arie?” I ask. I know this is nothing like our first time, but I also don’t want her to make at decisions she might regret. She looks at me, her eyes impatient, and reaches down to take my thick cock in her small hand, and guide its quivering head to her soft pussy. “I guess you’re sure,” I say with a moan at the feeling of her hand wrapped around me.

“If you don’t get inside me soon, Pierce, I may just have to take care of myself,” she jokes impatiently. But the aching tip of my cock has already sensed that her warm, moist depths are so close, and I’m not sure I could stop if I wanted to. Suddenly, she grabs my ass and pulls it downwards toward her, and we are one once again. It feels even better than I remembered.

“Fuck, Arie,” I groan as I her tight pussy wraps around my thick cock; she is snug, and our fit is perfect this time, and everything about our bodies meeting is fucking delicious.

We rock and rut; I pull her legs up, so they are on either side of my head, so I can lose myself balls deep into her sweet, snug folds. She matches me blow for blow, demanding my everything, and giving me more than I ever could have imagined in return.

“Yes, Pierce! Harder!” she cries as her nails scrape and rake against any part of my body she can get her hands on. “I need you to fuck me harder.”

I gladly oblige, giving her every scrap of energy I have, and relish the look on her face as her next orgasm takes her over. As I feel her inside muscles milking me, I come too, hot and hard. Then we fall down onto the stairs in a satisfied heap together.

I can’t stop smiling, feeling like a version of a teenager I never got to be, as I hold her glossy, sweaty body against mine, trying to force my breath return to an even pace.

“Shit,” she says eventually. “I didn’t expect tonight to end that way.”

“I didn’t either, but I’m not sorry it did. Do you regret it?” I ask, suddenly wary. I hadn’t planned for us to end up like this, but I wouldn’t change it for the world. I think I would be devastated if she said it was a mistake.

“No, I don’t regret it. And I’m sorry I didn’t tell you about everything going on with me sooner. But I just didn’t even know where to start. Maybe we should have started here and worked backwards,” she says with a smile.

“I can’t believe you would even consider giving me another chance, Arie. I don’t deserve it,” I say gently, lazily stroking her smooth skin.

“Yes, you do deserve it. And so do I. And when you’ve survived the things we have, it makes you realize that you can’t keep worrying about what the past, or even the future.  You just have to live in the here and now.”

I can hear just how much being sick has changed her, and I wish with all of my heart that she hadn’t been forced to grow up in such a horrible way. There is such a softness about her now; all of her naiveté is gone, and she has grown into a world-weary woman. It makes me deeply sad in a way I can’t describe. She deserved to have an easy life… not a life like this.

“Life is for the living, you know?” I agree. “After my accident, I was in so much pain all the time. I couldn’t imagine going on that way. But the pain subsided, eventually. And after a while, you find things to live for. Like Chloe. And my work. And maybe… us.”

She reaches up and brushes my cheek. “You’re so brave, Pierce. So strong. I’ve never met anyone who turned their life around like you. And honestly, the SEAL thing is pretty damn sexy, I have to say.”

“Ah, now we get to the crux of the matter. You only want me because I’m a soldier,” I joke.

“Well, obviously,” she says as she props herself up on the stairs. Her soft, silky curtain of hair drops down across her face, and I reach up and brush it away. She grins and dips her head down to suckle tenderly at my nipples, and I find myself shuddering. I’d never really put much thought into how reactive my own nipples could be, but out of nowhere, I can feel the rest of me coming to life again too. I stare at her beautiful face, amazed as my cock rears up again, ready to fill her up once more. “But… I also want you because of that damn perfect cock.”

I laugh and reach for her, but she puts a hand on my chest, and stops me from lifting up to kiss her. Then she bends her head towards my cock. I groan as she takes my thick manhood in her nimble fingers, and hungrily licks away the bead of milky fluid that has appeared on the head. She circles it with her expert tongue, and then envelops me with her soft, warm mouth, and sucks gently. She creates a perfect symphony of pleasure, rising up and down, her mouth and hand moving in perfect unison. Her pressure is firm, and the sensation is practically paralyzing. I lay completely still, incapable of doing anything other than groaning softly and relishing the waves of pleasure rushing through my entire body.

“Arie, you should probably stop,” I say, gently trying to push her away. I want to hear her come again, be inside of her again. She looks so beautiful beneath me, all I want is to experience the sensation of throbbing inside of her while she rides me on top. I try to edge her into my lap, but she shoves my hands away.

“No Pierce, I want you to come. You deserve this,” she says, parroting back my own words, the sounds of her voice vibrating down my shaft as she takes me back into her mouth again. My hips rise to plummet deeper into her, and she willingly accepts. My eyes slam shut as the thrashing in my balls becomes borderline painful, while desire drives itself in swirling torrents throughout my entire body.

“Oh, shit, Arie!” I cry as I unexpectedly come again, and come hard, my seed exploding out of me into her waiting mouth. She swallows, and wraps her hand around my length in soft strokes, as she curls up next to me.

“We should probably get some sleep before Chloe wakes up. And you have work tomorrow,” she says with a mischievous smile, then leans over to kiss me on the lips.

I can’t stop staring at her. This isn’t the Arie I knew as a teenager. This isn’t even the Arie I said goodbye to before I left for the SEALs. This is woman I don’t know, and she is a woman I want to learn everything about.

She is a woman I could love…