To my surprise, Lex's unexpected honesty didn't earn me much more than a little teasing early on. Meryl had offered me a knowing and amused look when I'd joined her downstairs after I'd jumped into some clothes following a rapid shower. She insisted she didn't mind my tardiness, as she could perfectly understand why I'd get sidetracked with a husband like mine.

Our outing was lovely, and we first stopped to eat at one of the few decent restaurants in town. The steak was good, the fries crispy, and their chocolate lava cake was heavenly. We then headed to the salon, and spent over three hours there, getting mani-pedis and having someone take care of our hair. Meryl didn't need a haircut, but she still enjoyed a shampoo and mask, as well as a blow-dry. I, on the other hand, had the person in charge of me chop a good four inches, which meant I was back to my length from the previous summer, when I'd first started working at Kelex.

It was clear that Meryl was in dire need of a friend, and I sympathized with her because I was in the same situation. She spoke a lot about her grown-up children, who were her pride and joy, and also covered her grandchildren in praises of adoration.

Once we were done at the salon, after we'd paid and left generous tips, she insisted on showing me around, so I'd know which places I should favor or avoid. Time flew by in a blink, and when she pulled up into the alley of my temporary home, the night was almost here, the sky's orange and pink hues already fading into darkness.

"Thank you again for inviting me," Meryl said from the inside of her car through the opened passenger's window.

"It was my pleasure! Thank you for driving us there."

"Of course. Don't hesitate to call me if you want more of these escapades."

"I will!"

We waved at each other one last time and I walked to the entrance while she maneuvered her car to return to the main road. I watched the Audi disappear, holding bags in front of me, and fumbled for my keys once she was gone.

"Baby, I'm home!" I shouted as I entered the hallway.

A vague answer came from closer than I'd expected, so I put my things down, removed my jacket, picked up one of the bags, and went to look for him. I was feeling cute with my new hair, and I craved his approval.

I found him at the dinner table, working on his laptop, looking all nerdy with his glasses. Ugh, put a child in me already... Whatever he was doing on it had him quite absorbed, as he didn't even look up when I approached.

"I brought back food, so we don't have to bother with cooking tonight," I explained, putting the bag onto the table. He nodded but didn't glance my way.

Moving behind him, I hugged from the back, wrapping my arms around his neck and pressing the side of my face on his. "What are you up to?" I asked, trying to guess what he was working on.

"I'm almost done setting up the surprise."

Ever since he'd picked up that mysterious package a few days ago, he'd been working on it. I was excited to see what he was planning. "Is it my birthday gift?"

He tensed against me, and my enthusiasm quickly died. "No. Your birthday gift is being postponed."

"Why?"

"The situation we're in has changed a few things."

My heart tightened painfully in my chest. Whatever he had planned for my birthday must have been meaningful and important. His attention returned to his screen as he typed in more commands, but I was too absorbed in my thoughts to keep trying to guess.

Had he planned on proposing? What else would need to be delayed by our current situation?

"You smell different," he said, not looking away from his work.

I didn't explain to him that the salon's shampoo wasn't jasmine-scented, since it would have ruined the surprise. Instead, I slipped a hand down the collar of his shirt, grazing at the firmness of his chest with my newly done nails. They were still short, but at least they looked impeccable and painted pink. The hair on his torso tickled the tips of my fingers, and I loved the way I sensed him shiver against me.

"I'm almost done. Stop trying to distract me or I'll mess something up," he commanded with faked bossiness.

Feeling rebellious, and a little insulted that he hadn't looked at me yet, I, of course, disobeyed. I found one of his flat nipples and pinched it while my lips met the side of his throat.

"Andrea, I will bend you over this table and spank you if you don't behave."

"Don't threaten me with a good time, Coleman," I whispered in his ear, right before sucking its lobe into my mouth.

It all turned into an unspoken challenge. He had to focus on his task so he could finish it, and I had to distract him away from it. My touch wasn't enough, so I added lewd words into my attempts. I told him how I wanted him, how much I needed him.

"Jason wasn't enough. I've been thinking about your cock in me the entire afternoon," I murmured at some point, a playful hand slithering to his crotch.

That got a guttural grunt out of him, and his fingers missed a couple of letters on his keyboard. But he quickly regained his composure and kept working.

I was busy unbuckling his belt when he finally hit the last key. With a contented sigh, he removed his glasses and threw them on the table, next to his laptop. "Alright, done. Now, on to that spanking."

He finally turned to me, and I failed to hide my mischievous amusement. For five entire seconds, he processed what he was seeing. Five seconds during which he didn't do anything other than stare at me. His eyes examined my hair, as if bewildered. Eventually, a hint of a smile appeared on his lips, and something lit up in his gaze.

"I take it you like the result?" I asked, posing with a hand under my chin, trying to look cute.

"It's like glimpsing at you for the first time all over again."

"And is it a good feeling?"

"It's a strange feeling." He stood from his chair and moved in front of me, standing there with all his might. With a delicate hand, he reached for one of the bouncy curls and felt it between two fingers. "I'm realizing just how far we've come since that time I first glimpsed at you in the elevator."

We had. We so fucking had.

Through ups and downs, through heartbreaks and joy, and through pleasure and pain, we had come so impossibly far. Farther than I would have thought possible. The hot stud I'd stumbled against all those months ago had turned my entire existence upside down, inside out, and any other possible way.

Had I been told back then everything that would unfold from this relationship, I would have backed away in a blink, like any sane person. But now that I had experienced all of this, all of him, I knew I would do it all over again. But only because I had tasted the impossible extent of our unconditional love for one another. What we had was worth everything.

"So, what's the surprise?" I asked, shaking both of us out of our thoughts.

He gave me a crooked smile and spoke with a clear voice. "Mary, Andrea is home."

"Welcome home, Andrea. I have missed you," the familiar synthetic voice replied. As odd as it was, it actually filled me with happiness, like seeing a good friend after being apart for too long.

"Oh my God! You installed her here?!"

"I did. Her system is still in Seattle, but I've set up everything so we could have her here. It was hard to find safe channels to link her, but I cracked it."

"Of course you did, you genius."

As his hands naturally found their place on my hips, my arms lifted to wrap themselves around his neck. There was still something undeniably bewildered in the way he looked at me, and I adored just how shook he was by something as simple as a haircut.

"She isn't in every room, and the sound quality isn't as good as the one at home," he continued explaining. "But at least she's here."

"And that's amazing. I love it. Mary, can you put on my SLEX playlist?"

Lex quirked a brow up at me, and two seconds later, Often by The Weeknd filled the air. "Are you trying to get laid, Walker?"

"Maybe... Would you be inclined to lay me, Alexander?"

"I might be, yes."

He lowered his face, just enough so I could easily fill the gap between us and kiss him. I stretched up, but didn't quite give in yet. Our mouths grazed together, but we didn't take more. Not yet.

"Baby, I told you we'd wait as much as you needed. I meant it. If you're still not ready, I'll respect that."

The suave music around us wasn't helping keep the mood platonic, and his hands tightened their hold on my sides. "We'll go slow," he agreed after a few seconds of pondering. "And if something's wrong – anything – you have to tell me."

"I promise I will."

I wanted to finally kiss him, but anytime I came closer, he pulled away just enough to remain out of reach. His hands slid from my hips to cup the cheeks of my behind, and he caressed the taunt denim covering my skin. Like a true king of edging, he teased me into a wanton creature, until I was ready to beg for his lips on mine. He finally lowered enough for me to claim him, and I plastered my mouth on his as he gripped the back of my legs to lift me. With my arms tightly wound around his neck, I held him close, kissing him intently, our tongues lost into a lustful dance.

He carried me upstairs, but I was too lost in our embrace to pay attention to anything that wasn't him. It was only when he pulled away that I realized I was lying on the covers of our bed. The bedroom was also equipped with the sound system, so the music had followed us here, weighing the atmosphere with added lust and desire. Abel really knew how to set the mood. Standing between my parted legs, he opened the button of my jeans, slid the zipper down, and slipped his fingers underneath on each side of my hips to peel it away from me.

My socks thankfully came out with it. Otherwise, I would have looked quite silly with my PB & J socks and the sexy black tanga. After the moment we'd had this morning, I'd carefully chosen my underwear, hoping I might get more once I got home. But while I now had some relatively sexy panties and bras, I couldn't say as much for the socks.

My undressing was put on hold for a few seconds, as he took care of himself, removing everything but his gray boxer briefs. His erection was very visible under the fabric, and my slit wept some wetness in response to the sight. Despite the morning fun we'd had together, I craved him with untamable need.

When he moved to lie over me again, I welcomed him with eagerness, wrapping my legs around him to bring our crotches together, so our sexes were only separated by the inefficient layers of our underwears. His hands sneaked their way under my top, and his fingers and palm caressed my skin, igniting shivers in me. He reached my bra, fondled my breasts, and when curiosity and want won him over, he pulled away to get rid of my sweater.

"Wait," I stopped him, interrupting our kiss.

The last time he'd glimpsed at my scar, it had killed the mood in an instant. He seemed fine now, but would he still be once he was reminded of the horrors we'd been through? That he'd almost lost me to a bullet meant for him?

He must have followed the ramifications of my thoughts, because the guilt I'd grown accustomed to see on his face resurfaced. Shit, I'd ruined the moment, regardless. Of course, he didn't need to see the scar to remember it was here, or to feel the magnitude of its weight on his conscience.

I was expecting him to move away from me, to put a stop to our wanton enterprise. Instead, he kept his gaze locked on mine, and his hand slowly moved up, still working on removing my top. I hesitated, my hands still clenched around his wrists, but he encouraged me to trust him with a twist of his eyebrows and a gentle nod. With a deep breath, I allowed him to proceed, releasing him and lifting my arms to help him. The connection of our eyes broke for the short moment where the garment was passed over my head, and then I met his steel irises again. He gave me a kiss, long and tender, and then moved up just enough to look at the scar.

It was healing remarkably well, and thanks to Dr. Anderson's skills, it was barely visible. The thin, pink line of scar tissue could be easily missed, and in a few months' time, one would have to search for it to see it.

Lex pressed his lips there, and I sensed all the things he tried to pass on. "I will never let anything like this happen to you ever again," he promised, meeting my eyes again. "I will keep you out of harm's way from now on. I won't allow anyone else to hurt you like he did, my love."

Lost in the intensity of the moment, I framed his face with my hands and lifted my head so our foreheads touched. "It wasn't your fault, baby. But I know you'll protect me. I know you'll keep me safe. This is why we're here."

He nodded, and after one last glance charged with so many promises and vows, he retook my lips. Half-naked, we restlessly writhed, tugged, undulated, and grazed. Our longing matched our passion, and I was already drenched by the time he sent his hand to my core. With clever fingers, he teased me into madness, the sheer layer of my tanga serving as an inefficient and yet frustrating barrier.

I was the one taking care of pulling it down on my thighs, wanting his fingers directly on my needy flesh. His smile came in the way of our kiss, but it faded with a groan when I then took care of his own underwear. He helped slide mine lower, his hand leaving my throbbing clit for a moment, and once it was low enough, I kicked it away, left with only my bra.

"I love how soft you are everywhere," he let out with adoration, his hand trailing up my outer thigh. "It's like your body was made for this. For making love, for passion, for my hands..."

I'd never thought of myself that way, never imagined someone would find me to be their ultimate fantasy. Especially not someone like Lex. But I could hear the honesty in his tone, sense it in his earnestness. I was, of all the women in this world, the one he would forever love the most, the one he would want above all others, the only one he would crave to possess like this.

"And this part of you..." he continued, his hand having reached the heated space between my legs that demanded him. "This part was made for me, for my mouth, for my cock." Two of his fingers thrusted into me, easily making their way into the glistening warmth of my center. "When I'm inside of you, it feels like I've found my own version of heaven, like I've finally found my purpose."

I moaned in appreciation, from both his touch and his words, transcended by all that was him. His fingers curled and found that spot he knew so well, and I trembled against him, whimpering his name. "Your moans, your voice, the words that come out of your mouth... There's nothing I love hearing more than you, than all the sounds you make." When his thumb started a slow roll around my engorged clit, a soft cry escaped the mouth he worshiped so much. I read the satisfaction on his face, as if it was his very own reward, as if it brought the same amount of pleasure to him as it did to me.

"And your face, my love... You know I don't believe there's a god out there, but your existence makes me doubt my beliefs. Each freckle, each curly strand of your hair, each expression that crosses your features... Everything about you indicates a higher entity must exist, because how else could you be so fucking perfect if no one purposefully created you just for me?"

My heart was so full of him, it was about to burst into a million pieces. In my chest, there was an actual ache, as if crushed by his devoted words, but in the best of ways. Not so long ago, I might not have believed him. I would have doubted his claims, questioned them, and refused to accept that he truly meant them. I was hardly perfect, and that wasn't about my insecurities. It was a fact.

But Lex didn't lie.

Beauty being in the eye of the beholder, each and everyone of us had our own notions of what it meant. And in his eyes, I was the most beautiful creature of the Creation. And that, I could believe. Especially with the way he was gazing at me, with worship, devotion, and so much love.

Powerful feelings flooded me, filling me with desires and needs I could usually contain. I wanted to marry him right now, to become his for real. I wanted him to put a child in me, to carry the perfect union of our beings. If I hadn't had my IUD, if we'd been using condoms, I would have asked him not to use one. And something told me he would have accepted, knowing fully well what it implied. Given our current predicament, that primitive impulse, that pure instinct to mate and procreate, disturbed me.

What if we never got ourselves out of this mess? Would we still get the family we wanted together? Were we selfish enough to have kids and force them into this dangerous life of running and fleeing?

He'd just promised to protect me forever, though. Regardless of everything, he would do the same for our children. Keep us all safe from danger, making sure nothing bad ever happened to us. We would have a family together, as we'd planned. With a genius to look after us, we'd be happy and safe.

Lex's fingers slipped out of my pussy, leaving me empty and craving him. He positioned himself above my heaving and trembling frame, and I spread my legs further, to accommodate his broad size. Slowly, he nudged the entirety of his hard length into me, making me even more full of him than I'd been feeling.

"Lex..." I moaned when he pulled out and then thrusted back in. An urge to bite him spread into my mind, and I fought the impulse. I wanted more. I wanted to consume him, to make him a part of me forever.

"Let me love you like this. I want to take my time and savor you. I want this to last for hours. This is, after all, our delayed wedding night, wife."

It was the first time he acknowledged me as such, and even though it was fake like the rest of our lives here, it hit me hard. Really hard. Him calling me 'wife' had my walls clench and spasm around his girth, something in me reveling in the mere idea of it. Was it normal to crave to belong to someone this much?

"Wow, that one got to you," he noted with amused appreciation.

"Yes... I can't wait for it to be real, husband." A slight but noticeable jerk of his hips answered my words, and I smiled at the knowledge he felt the same way.

He didn't answer, though, maintaining his slow and tender pace. There was something in his eyes that triggered a hint of doubt in me. What I'd said was meaningful to him, but he held back for some reason.

"Promise me it'll be real one day," I impulsively demanded. "Tell me we'll get to know this as Andrea and Alexander, not just as the Wilsons."

He hesitated.

Leaning on his elbows above me, he stopped his momentum and looked down at me with uncertainty in his eyes. "Andrea, I can't—"

"Please, Lex... Promise we'll get our lives back, our names, our home. Promise we'll get to be the real