I did.
Luckily, Zev had moved his hands from my thighs to my hips and managed to thrust himself into me because I lost all sense of control when it hit. It hit hard and long. And it was not only that way for me, but for Zev as well.
Feeling utterly spent after it left me, I slumped forward and pressed my forehead into Zev’s shoulder. He was still inside me and made no attempt to move my body from his. Through my labored breathing, Zev’s fingertips traced delicately along the clammy skin of my back.
It took some time, but I eventually got my breathing under control. When I did, I pulled back and gave Zev a kiss.
“That was a heck of a reunion,” I teased.
Zev laughed and warned, “As much as I loved what we just had, we are not going to be having another reunion ever again.”
“I think that’s a good idea,” I agreed. “I’m not sure my body could handle that again.”
Zev flipped me to my back and assured me, “Your body was built to handle a lot more than that. We’ll just have to work you up to it.”
I rolled my eyes at him.
When they settled on his face again, he was gazing at me. I loved when he did that.
After several moments of silence, he whispered, “I love you, Tillie.”
Tears filled my eyes as I replied, “I love you, too.”
With that, Zev gave me another kiss before burying his face in my neck.
I did all I could do and held on tight.
Zev
I watched as Tillie walked back to the bed.
With each step she took toward me, especially with that look in her eyes, I couldn’t have been more grateful.
Grateful that Tillie was who she was and had forgiven me for what I’d done to her.
Admittedly, I’d had no idea what to expect when I arrived in Sedona. As I spent all day outside her store, I watched as the steady stream of customers flowed in and out. Even though Tillie hadn’t been there most of the day, I still stayed. And aside from the worry I felt over whether she’d accept my apology or even allow me to talk to her at all, I felt proud.
I always knew Tillie would be successful. She had been before she moved here. But this was a whole other level of success. She deserved it, and it was the only thing that helped me feel a little less guilt over pushing her away.
Just over an hour before her store was set to close, Tillie arrived. Seeing her for the first time in months affected me in a way I never expected. She was just as beautiful as ever, even if I could see how she was still hurting. As much as I wanted to go in and talk to her immediately, I couldn’t. I needed that extra time to pull myself together.
Somehow, I was the luckiest man alive because now I was here in her bed after we’d just made love for the second time ever.
The second she stepped out of the bathroom, her eyes came to mine. Tillie was completely naked, and there was a bit of hesitation on her part. It was clear she was unsure what to do. That uncertainty did something to me I couldn’t begin to describe.
Tillie was always so confident and sure of herself and what she wanted. But this was new territory for her. For us. I never thought I’d see her so timid, but I liked it an awful lot. She was incredibly cute, and it made me excited for the future with her. I had little doubt that navigating this new part of our relationship was going to be a blast. I looked forward to learning all about this new side of my favorite girl.
Eventually, Tillie slid a pair of panties up her legs before she turned toward the bed and walked toward me.
She climbed in and immediately curled her gorgeous body into mine.
“We need to talk,” I declared as my arm wrapped around her back and my hand settled near her hip.
“Okay. About what?” she asked.
“A few things,” I started. “First things first, though. We’ve had unprotected sex twice now. From a health standpoint, it’s only ever been you, so there are no concerns. But from a pregnancy standpoint, I don’t know where we stand. Am I right to assume that you’re not on birth control?”
Tillie’s body had gone solid. “Oh my God. I never thought about that, Zev. I’ve never had a reason to be on birth control, so you’d be right.”
“Relax, babe,” I urged her. “I’m sure we have nothing to worry about, but if something comes of this, I’m okay with that.”
That caused Tillie to lift her head from my chest. “Really?” she asked.
I gave her an incredulous look. “Tillie, I’ve dreamed of having a family with you my whole life. I would not be upset at all.”
She swallowed hard at my admission.
Sensing some uneasiness, I clarified, “I’m not saying I’m hoping it happens now, but I can think of worse things than having a baby with you.”
Tillie cautiously dipped her chin.
“Based on your reaction, I’m guessing you aren’t ready,” I noted.
“It’s fast, honey,” she rasped. “I want a family with you one day, but this would be sooner than I expected.”
I gave her a squeeze. “I agree, which means that until we get out tomorrow morning to get some condoms, I’m withholding sex from you.”
“Darn,” she muttered.
I couldn’t stop myself from laughing. When I settled myself down, I cocked an eyebrow and shot her a smug look. “Am I that good?” I asked.
It was like I could see the stars in her eyes when she sighed, “The best I’ve ever had.”
There was a smile tugging at her lips when I pointed out, “I’m the only one you’ve had.”
“Fine. Then, rest assured that I’ve got no plans to do any comparisons. I’m perfectly happy with what I’ve got,” she insisted.
Hearing her words, I couldn’t hold myself back. I rolled her to her back and settled myself over her before I kissed her. “That’s good to hear, babe.”
I stayed there like that for a bit just looking down at her. It seemed I was still having a bit of trouble processing the fact that I was here with her right now.
The silence stretched between us, and Tillie finally asked, “So, what else did we need to talk about?”
After shifting my body to the side, I propped my head in my hand and draped my other arm over her. Then I answered, “Us.”
“Us?” she repeated.
“Yeah. More specifically, we need to figure out what our plan is here,” I started. “Obviously, you’re doing well here. It seems that you’re planning to be here for the foreseeable future. But I was just at your home in Saguaro, and it’s not on the market. So, I guess I don’t want to make any assumptions about what your plans are moving forward.”
Without hesitating, Tillie explained, “When I decided to make the move, I couldn’t bring myself to sell the house. Even though I was feeling as awful as I was at that point, I still didn’t want to completely let go of Saguaro. My plan was to give myself six months here before I made any official decisions.”
“So, you still have a few months left,” I noted.
Tillie nodded.
“Okay, well, then I’ve got some things to do tomorrow,” I declared.
While it all seemed obvious to me, Tillie’s creased brows indicated that she had no idea what I was hinting at. I figured it was best to enlighten her.