We’ve just landed back in New York, and I’m completely terrified. After three weeks in Auckland, and a week touring around the rest of the country, Pierce decided we needed to go back to Manhattan to deal with some things. He needed to wrap up some business at the Manhattan office, close things up at the penthouse, and… oh, right. Pay off the loan sharks that I owe my life to.

After a month of arguing about it, crying, and threatening to go back to New York on my own if he didn’t stop offering, I finally relented and agreed to let Pierce give me the money. And I only agreed if it would be in the form of a loan that I could work off by acting as both his receptionist and Chloe’s caretaker. I still haven’t summoned up the courage to tell him about Chloe, but I’ve decided I’m going to do it before we go back to New Zealand for good. I figure then, if he doesn’t ever want to see me again, he will have the option of making that decision before we embark on this huge life change together.

We’ve also been together a lot more in a way that I never imagined we would be again. That night after dinner, when we both put our cards on the table and then had that incredible sex on the stairs, something changed between us. A spark was reignited that hasn’t been there since we were teenagers. But it was better than when we were teenagers. We were old friends who had discovered each other again, but who had grown into fully-formed human beings. We knew the worst about each other, and still we wanted to be together.

Yet, we haven’t committed to anything yet. Sure; we’re acting like a couple, especially when we’re out in public. Everyone we interact with in Auckland thinks we’re married, or at the very least engaged. But we haven’t agreed to any titles, or even to the fact that we are together. I think at the end of the day, we’re both a little afraid of what that means. All I want is for Chloe to have a normal life, and to stop waking up terrified that today is going to be the day I get murdered by a mob boss. Being with Pierce, even without the security of a “title,” has given me a sense of safety I haven’t had a long time.

But now that we are back in Manhattan, I am sure that everything is going to end. The mobsters are going to catch up with me, Pierce is going to leave me when he finds out the truth about Chloe, and I will be alone again, because legally… I gave up parental rights to my daughter. And heaven knows I don’t have the resources to fight the Cochrans to get her back. Everything hinges on the next few days and how Pierce reacts to this last, crucial confession.

But first, we have to get back to the apartment, and decide how we are going to tell Pierce’s family we are leaving for good.

Instead of going back to the apartment right away like we planned, Pierce makes an executive decision to go right to his parents’ house. When the town car pulls up outside, he takes a long, deep breath.

“I don’t think Dad is going to care one way or the other. But Mom is going to be furious. Especially because I’m taking her granddaughter sixteen hours to the opposite side of the world. I don’t think she’ll have an issue with me leaving. Just Chloe.”

I can’t help but laugh. “I’m sure she will miss you too, Pierce. With Logan back and forth in the service, and you gone, who is she going to fuss over?”

“My mother does not fuss. You know that better than anyone. She will mostly be frustrated that she can’t control things anymore. But, I know she will miss Chloe. And at the same time, I can tell you: she won’t miss me.”

I roll my eyes. “At least you have a family that cares enough to be pests. I love Uncle Sal and Aunt Marie, but they aren’t going to be terribly broken up if I leave. If anything, they’ll appreciate that they don’t have to worry about me anymore.”

Pierce reaches over and takes my hand in his, giving it a soft kiss on the top. My whole body lights up. “The only person who has to worry about taking care of you now is me. And I will never let anyone hurt you again. That’s a promise.”

I take a second to gather my thoughts, and try not to blurt out everything right there in the car. The driver looks at us in the rearview mirror, clearly getting impatient for us to pay him and get out of the car.

“This is your stop, correct? Can I help you with your bags?”

“We’ll be fine. Thank you.” Pierce hands him two $100 bills, and the man shuts up immediately. When we get out of the car, the Cochran’s attendant is waiting for us, and begins collecting the bags immediately. Pierce shakes his hand, and Chloe reaches out for him, but the man looks less than enthused at the prospect of holding a child, so I take her.

“Good to see, Nelson! Are my parents inside?”

Nelson takes the bags up the stairs with a stiff and resolute stature. “No, sir. They’ve gone to Martinelli’s for dinner. And they’ve requested that you join them at your earliest convenience. I think they were expecting you a while ago, sir.”

Pierce looks frustrated. “I told them when we were arriving. They couldn’t wait until we got to the house?”

Nelson shrugs. “Your guess is as good as mine, sir. But they said they’d wait for you before eating. I suspect that didn’t pan out either.”

Pierce follows Nelson inside and they talk for a moment before Pierce returns, looking even more annoyed. We start walking toward Martinelli’s, a restaurant very near the house that happens to be one of the most exclusive places in New York. It is a family-owned Italian restaurant that has been part of the city’s landscape since 1947, and tables are essentially owned. Unless you are invited by someone who owns a table, or inherit one, there is no chance you’re getting in. If you call and ask for a reservation, they will laugh and hang up on you. So, the fact that I am about to walk in there and even see the inside is making my hands shake. Pierce sees that I’m nervous as we walk up to the door.

“What’s wrong?” he asks, eyeing me suspiciously.

“Pierce, this is Martinelli’s! I’ve never felt brave enough to so much as walk by the front door, let alone go inside. People die without getting to eat here. I can’t… just walk up like it’s nothing.”

Pierce shrugs. “My family owns a table, Ari. You can come in, you can eat, you can yell at the waitstaff if you want. I wouldn’t recommend it. But it’s certainly an option.”

“Pierce! I would never. Are you crazy? Are you sure it’s okay if we go in? Chloe and I are allowed?”

“Oh, for God’s sake,” Pierce says as he opens the door and shoves me inside. I am blown away by what I see when I stumble into the restaurant’s lobby. It is nothing like I expected; it’s like a snapshot from a different era. I don’t think anything has changed in the years since they opened it. The whole place is smaller than half of Pierce’s apartment, and it’s dark, with a slight earthy smell that is tempered only by the overwhelming aroma of knee-buckling deliciousness. The smell of the sauce alone is heavy in the air, and I can’t remember having ever been this hungry in my entire life. Ever since the surgery, I find it hard to eat huge amounts of food at a time; I can only pick at small amounts, and I rarely get hungry. The restaurant in New Zealand was stretching it. But right now, I think I could probably eat everything on the menu and not care about the consequences.

We walk to the back of the restaurant and find James and Carol sitting in a booth with their name on a placard above it, eating from an antipasti platter and looking at each other like they are the only two people in the world. It must be something about this restaurant because I’ve never seen them look that in love before. Pierce has to clear his throat to get their attention.

“Pierce, my boy! So glad you’re back in Manhattan! Tell me all about New Zealand,” James says without ever entirely pulling his focus away from Carol. We sit down at the booth with them, and Chloe immediately grabs for a piece of thin white cheese. I don’t stop her, because I can’t really blame her. Everything looks amazing. But Pierce seems too nervous to eat.

“Dad, I actually hoped we could talk about that. You see, those clients you had meet with in Auckland? Well, it turns out, that account is a lot bigger than we expected. And worth a lot more to the company than we ever could have imagined. And… it has the potential to get us in with some very important organizations in other countries moving forward.”

James slaps his huge hand on the table, and all of the silverware goes flying in the air. “That’s fantastic, my boy! Well done! We can start hiring local people as soon as possible.”

Pierce shifts uncomfortably in his seat, and I try and focus on Chloe. “That’s the thing, Dad. The two men in charge have specifically requested that I run things in Auckland. It’s part of the deal. If I don’t stay in New Zealand and head things up, then they will take their business elsewhere. They want someone with “boots-on-the-ground” experience running their ops, and they trust me based on my history with the Navy. So… I’m going to be moving to Auckland. As soon as possible.”

James’ face goes still as stone, and Carol’s jaw drops so low it almost hits the table.

“What do you mean, you’re moving to Auckland? You can’t move to New Zealand, Pierce. That’s ridiculous. You’re going to take Chloe and move to a country on the other side of the planet? No. I forbid it,” Carol says, the hand holding her glass of wine shaking. James reaches over and gives her arm a reassuring squeeze.

“Son, are you sure it’s a non-negotiable?”

Carol lets out a squeak. “You can’t be serious, James! You can’t let him go! You can’t let our son move so far away. And take our only grandchild with him? This is madness!” Tears are forming in her eyes, and I can’t tell whether they are tears of sadness or rage. But James just shakes his head.

“My darling, Pierce is a grown boy, and it isn’t our place to tell him what he can and can’t do anymore. Even so, while I will be requesting a thorough vetting of the details of this deal, it does sound too good to pass up. If this is what it takes to take CSL to the next level? I don’t see how we can say no.”

Carol crosses her arms over her chest stubbornly. “Will you at least let me spend some time with my granddaughter before you go? Is that too much to ask?” Carol reaches out to take Chloe from me, and then holds her like it’s the last time she’ll ever see her. I can’t blame her. I’ve been in that position before and it’s impossible to even fathom saying goodbye to Chloe.

“Mother, don’t be ridiculous. We aren’t leaving for a few weeks yet. We have to settle a few things up in New York before we go, so it will take some time.”

James raises his eyebrows. “’We’? I take it that ‘we’ isn’t referring to just you and Chloe?”

Pierce looks at me with a grin that makes my heart flutter. Somehow, I wasn’t expecting this to come up tonight, but he looks ready to get everything out there. Well… almost everything.

“Mom, dad. Arie and I are together again. We’re a couple. I mean, if she’ll have me, that is.”

My eyes go wide. Did he really just ask me this in front of his parents?

“Of course. If you’ll have me,” I say, shocked this happening. Shocked that so much has changed in my life in such a short amount of time. James and Carol just sit there, continuing to look utterly baffled, while Chloe grins and waves her chubby little hands. Finally, Carol breaks the lingering silence.

“My goodness, what an unexpected and delightful turn of events! I couldn’t be happier, Arie. Really, I couldn’t. And you are going to move Auckland too? Your family is okay with that?”

I force a smile. “Well, it’s just me and my Uncle Sal and Aunt Marie. As you know. And the truth is, I don’t think they will mind if I leave. They have enough to worry about with the garage and…”

“Your uncle’s gambling habit,” James says, not missing a beat. My eyebrows shoot up, and Pierce’s face turns bright red with rage.

“What the fuck, dad? How did you even…”

James gives a small shrug. “I told you I was going to look into her background when she just showed up again. It’s what I do. I love you, Arie, but it felt fishy.”

Oh, god. Does he know about Chloe? How well did Bailey cover his tracks?

“I understand, I guess. But what did you find out that was so terrible? Besides Sal’s gambling problem, that is. Which I am sure you will admit has nothing to do with me,” I respond, trying to remain as calm as possible. James and Carol look at each other with concerned eyes, and I am suddenly petrified that this is it. They are going to out me to Pierce and I won’t be able to tell him myself, to explain things for myself, and he’s going to be furious.

“Honey, you could have told us you were sick. That was nothing to be ashamed about. I only wish you’d come to us at the time. We could have been there for you, supported you. Even while Pierce was gone. There was no reason for you to be alone. Even when he was being a shit, we were still your family,” Carol says with a sad smile. Once again, I find myself overwhelmed with a combination of guilt and absolute adoration for this family who seems to love unconditionally.

“I didn’t even consider it. I thought…”

James shakes his head. “You thought wrong, young lady. You were part of our lives for the better part of a decade. We never would have abandoned you in your hour of need. But, what is past is past. How are you feeling now? Is everything better?”

I answer, but try to steer the conversation away from my health as quickly as possible. We end up spending two hours at Martinelli’s, talking, laughing, and eating the most amazing food I’ve ever tasted in my life. Well, since the restaurants in Auckland anyway. By the time the waiter arrives to ask if we’d like after-dinner drinks, I think I am about to explode.

The waiter walks away with a polite nod as we get up from the table, and I can’t help but hide my confusion. “Don’t we have to pay a bill or something?”

Pierce laughs. “We don’t. And that’s because my parents pay so much to maintain their claim on this table, the food is considered a perk. We just tip the wait staff, but the food and drinks are considered part and parcel with the ‘membership fee,’ as they refer to it. I’ve never asked how much they pay and honestly, I don’t want to know. I have a feeling it’s probably my inheritance.”

“And Logan’s,” James says as he walks up behind us. I stifle a snicker, but Pierce scowls at his father. Carol strolls up next, with Chloe asleep in her arms.

“Why don’t you kids take a walk and enjoy your night? Let me take my grandbaby home with me and soak her up while I can?”

I only hesitate for a second before suddenly relishing the idea of being alone with Pierce for a while, and then realizing this is the perfect opportunity for me to talk to him.

“Sure, I bet Chloe would love that. And we can pick her up in the morning after breakfast?”

We walk outside and Carol gives us a little shove in the opposite direction. “Whenever! Just go have fun. You deserve it.”

We part ways and Carol and James head in the direction of the house, while Pierce and I start toward the park. We don’t say anything, just walk in silence, the warm night air hugging us like a blanket as the sounds of the city play a concert more soothing than any conversation. There is so much unspoken between us, and so much that doesn’t need to be said. The only thing left is the one huge thing I am too afraid to say, and I don’t know even know where to begin. So, as we turn the corner and walk in front of an alley, I resolve that now is the time.

“Pierce, I…”

“Do you trust me, Arie?” Pierce asks, cutting me off.

“Of course, I trust you. What kind of a question is that?”

Pierce smiles at me and grabs me by the shoulders, spinning me around into the alley until I bump back against the brick wall of a brownstone. The alley is dark, and mostly obscured from view by the road, but I can feel my heart racing at the thought of what he’s hinting is about to take place.

“Good,” he whispers into my ear as he lifts my arms over my head, and kisses me with a fire I haven’t felt in him yet. I gasp under the pressure of his body, at the way the hot brick feels against my skin as he presses all of his weight against me. When he pulls away, I can barely breathe.

“What the hell are you doing, Pierce? We can’t do this. Not here. Are you crazy?”

“I am. You make me crazy. And we can do this. We’re going to. I want you, Arie. Right fucking now.” He pulls down the top of my dress, my breasts fall free, and he takes my nipple in his mouth. He sucks it between his teeth, and I have to bite my lip hard to fight back the moan that is building deep inside of me.

I feel like my whole body is about to buckle when Pierce kneels on to the ground at my feet. He slides my panties down over my thighs and I descend into a giant mass of shivers. He can’t seriously be doing this. Not here? Not like this.

“Pierce! What the hell are you...?” I can’t finish.

He looks up at me as he meanders his hands up my inner thighs, sending a shudder of apprehension and desire up my skin.

“Tell me, Arie,” he says as he spreads my legs apart, lifting one higher to reveal my burning sex to him, “how does this feel, baby?”

Pierce leans forward and blows a warm stream of air across my wet folds. My back begins to arch against the wave of intense pleasure, like I have no control over it. Is this really happening?

“That’s… amazing,” I manage to croak out.

He leans in closer and licks a lazy trail to my clit, stopping to pulse his tongue against my core. “And how is that?”

Oh, Jesus. “Even better.”

He groans against my smooth skin, licking fervently as I drag my nails down the brick wall behind me. I reach down and run my fingers through Pierce’s thick, beautiful hair. But he grips me tighter, and I have to anchor myself to the wall as he laps at my clit with rough strokes. I think they can hear my moans in Brooklyn.

I feel helpless, at the mercy of the pleasure Pierce is inflicting on me. I am lost in the sensations and the fear of being caught, and I love it all. My sex throbs under his skilled tongue, and waves of pleasure crash over me.

Pierce leans back and kisses my mound. “You’re so gorgeous, Arie. I want to see you come, baby. All over me.”

He latches his lips around my clit, and firmly sucks, pulling it into his mouth. He sends my whole body into a flurry of lightning with his touch, working me harder and faster, pushing me toward a cliff of pure pleasure, then directly over the edge.

I come in a cry that is far louder than I mean to let out. My whole body spasms, shuddering and trembling and soaring as he sucks and licks and nibbles on my clit.

Pierce laps up my release, propelling his tongue into my channel before getting back to his feet and pressing me harder against the wall. As I begin to feel I’m going to collapse right there on to the alley floor, overcome with ecstasy, Pierce unzips his pants in one swift motion. He raises my legs in the air, supporting me with his arms, and in a swift, powerful thrust, he buries his cock inside of me.

I cry out, even though I know it’s a terrible idea, especially in this part of town. Holy shit, what the hell are we doing right now? His cock throbs inside of me and I pull at the lapels of his shirt collar.

“Pierce, we can’t do this. Not here. What if someone sees us? What if…”

He quiets me with a passionate kiss, pushing his tongue past my dissenting lips to circle my own with a need more intense than anything I’ve ever experienced. Over and over he laps, letting me taste my own juices in his mouth, allowing me to relax and adjust to his size, which is always new and surprising. He lets his hands slide up my body, until he finds my nipples. Then he begins circling them in firm but gentle strokes with his thumbs as he pulls back, sliding his thick member out of my channel until only the head remains inside.

The loss of his thick manhood inside of me rolls through me in a rush and I can’t help but whimper at how empty I suddenly feel.

“What’s wrong, baby?” Pierce asks, concern in his eyes.

I let out a little groan. I know we shouldn’t be doing this. Not here. Not in public. But I don’t want him to stop either. So, I search his perfect green eyes and tell him exactly what I want.

“I want you to keep fucking me, Pierce.”

He slides, unhurried and measured, back inside of me, filling me up until nothing else exists in the world but him, and me, and the way our bodies feel connected together. He leans his head forward into my own, so we can’t look anywhere but in each other’s eyes, as he strokes my breasts.

I kiss his dimpled chin and lean into him. All I’ve ever wanted was to feel safe, to feel like someone would love and protect me and be stronger than me when I needed it. Now, in this moment of passion with Pierce, I feel like I finally have that. And I never want it to end.

With a mischievous grin, I whisper in his ear. “I want you to fuck me, Pierce. Fuck me like you mean it. I want you to take me for real. For always.”

Pierce pulls back and looks deep into my eyes again, searching my face for confirmation. “Really? I don’t want to…”

I nod and kiss him.

“I love you, Pierce. You could never hurt me.”

I close my eyes tight, taking a long breath as Pierce trails kisses across my collarbone and throat. Then he plants his hands on either side of my body, bracing himself against the wall.

All at once, he thrusts back inside of me, burying himself as deep as he’s physically able. All of the air blows out of my lungs in a hoarse puff, exploding from my mouth in an unexpected rush. Fuck. He pulls back and thrusts again, increasing his speed as he uses the wall for leverage, driving his hips until he wedges me against the brick with every stroke. Over and over, I slam against the wall, scraping against the rough brick and feeling my skin start to react, but I don’t even care. I just wrap my legs tighter around Pierce’s waist, securing my feet together for control.

With each blow of his body against my own, my breath escapes in a gasp and a blinding orgasm is building inside of me. I want to come while I’m riding him, so I tighten my muscles around his cock like a vise as he comes inside of me. But just as I slide harder into him, forcing my hips into his, he pulls away from me. His cock slides free of me, leaving me feeling empty again, and wetness slides down my thighs.

“Pierce, what are you…”

He suddenly grabs me by the waist and spins me around, so I’m facing the brick wall. He pulls my ass back toward him and slides my legs out wider, then positions himself right behind me. I can feel the rippling muscles of his chest and abdomen against my back, his still-thick cock against my backside. Oh, God! He slams himself inside of me in one powerful thrust, and my face pushes against the wall. My nipples rub against the brick, and the sensation makes me crazy. I find myself begging him for more, for everything, for anything he will give me.

With one skilled hand, Pierce finds my clit again, and begins squeezing and stroking as he buries himself so far inside of me I can’t get a breath. He pinches my clit between his strong fingers and I come again, practically weeping, unable to control anything that is coming out of my mouth. As my muscles tighten around him, he moans in my ear, and comes inside of me over and over again.

I sink down to the ground of the alley. I just grab for my dress, laying haphazardly at me feet, and cover up as best as I can with shaking hands.

While I recover from my orgasm and try to return to some semblance of normal breathing, Pierce steps back. He tucks himself back inside of his jeans and zips up, not caring that we’re both looking a disaster. With delicate fingers, he reaches down and brushes my hair away from my forehead, then gives me a soft kiss on my forehead.

“Are you okay, Arie?”

I know I’m smiling like a fool. “I’m fantastic. If this is how you get when we have sex outside, maybe this is the only way we should do it from now on.”

Pierce frowns and reaches down for my panties, which are sitting on the ground. He scowls as he stuffs them in his pocket. “I lost control. I was too much like the old Pierce. I was too rough with you.”

I catch his arm as he helps me from the ground, then throw my arms around him, giving him a huge hug. When I pull away, I look him right in his emerald eyes so he knows I’m serious. “No, Pierce. You weren’t. I you gave me exactly what I wanted, what I needed. Don’t you dare apologize. And you don’t have to let the old Pierce go completely. Some parts of him were all right. Wonderful, even.”

Pierce leans over and kisses me softly on the lips, helping me fasten the neck of my dress. “If you say so. We should get home. And maybe take a shower. Though I’d be lying if I said I don’t love the idea of you walking the city with my cum inside of you.”

I blush. He’s not wrong. The idea is so sexy. But now, I just want to get home so we can talk. Like I’d planned. Before the alley. Even though I can practically still feel him inside of me, it doesn’t change the fact that I need tell him the whole truth tonight. Whatever that means for us.

No matter how much it hurts…