“Ha, very funny.”

He grinned. “Yes, it’s from my last heart surgery.”

“How old were you?”

“Two.”

“You haven’t had to have any more surgeries?”

“Nope. They managed to fix the ol’ ticker then, or at least the damaged valve.”

“Damaged,” I murmured. I couldn’t help fixating on that word, both the physical and emotional meaning.

“What about it?”

“I was just thinking it was a little ironic you had a damaged heart.”

“And why is that, Miss Alanis Morrisette?”

“I guess I was just thinking it’s a little ironic you’ve never been able to love a woman before and you have a damaged heart.”

“Come on, you don’t actually believe there’s a correlation, do you?”

“I just said I found it ironic. Obviously, it’s more symbolic since anatomically, the actual heart does not control our ability to love.”

Barrett groaned and threw an arm over his head. “Would you please hold off on the psychoanalyzing me and suck my cock?”

I laughed. “Fine, fine.” I quickly kissed and licked the rest of the way down his chest and abdomen. When I slid the tip of the Bear in my mouth, Barrett’s hips bucked forward. I took my time sucking and licking the head then began to lick my way down his shaft. Barrett’s hands gripped the sheets. “Please, babe.”

“I do so love to hear you beg,” I said, throwing back his line from earlier.

He sucked in a breath. “I’ll say or do anything you want as long as you suck my cock.”

I winked at him. “Your wish is my command.” I then sucked him into my mouth, taking in half of the Bear. A satisfied grunt came from his lips as my head began bobbing up and down, alternating between suctioning light and hard. While my mouth dominated his cock, my hands cupped and caressed his balls.

“Oh yeah, just like that,” he panted. His moans and pants of pleasure fueled me on, taking him deeper and deeper. His hips began pumping up and down on the bed. “Fuck. I’m getting close,” he rasped.

Although I was fine with him coming, Barrett pushed me away. “I want to save it for inside you,” he explained.

“Works for me,” I replied with a grin.

As he fumbled on the nightstand for another condom, I asked, “How do you want me?”

“Let’s get that fabulous ass of yours up in the air.”

I rose up on my knees before leaning forward to place my palms on the mattress. As I swayed my hips provocatively, I threw a glance at him over my shoulder. “How’s this?”

“Good. Very, very good.”

The mattress dipped as Barrett got back in bed. His hands came to the back of my thighs, pushing my legs apart, and instead of sliding the Bear inside me, I felt the warmth of his wet tongue against my clit. “Oh God!” I cried as my head dipped down. His hands caressed my buttocks as his mouth pressed against me.

Just when I was about to come, Barrett replaced his tongue with the Bear. We both moaned with pleasure at the joining of our bodies, and Barrett’s hands then came to my hips. With each thrust, he pulled me harder against him, going deeper and deeper. I seriously began to wonder if I would be able to walk in the morning. Considering how good it felt, I stopped caring about walking ever again.

When I kept getting closer and closer but still hadn’t come, Barrett slid one of his hands off my hips and between my legs. He began stroking me, alternating between pinching and rubbing my clit. The added friction was enough to send me over the edge. “Yes, yes, oh yes!” I cried, my eyes squeezing shut with pleasure.

Barrett continued pounding into me for a few minutes until he tensed and came with a shout. He lay with his chest against my back, panting to catch his breath. “Fuck me,” he muttered.

“You sure did,” I teased.

He chuckled. “I didn’t think it could be as good this time…”

“But it was.”

“Hell yeah it was.” Barrett eased out of me before removing the condom and tossing it in the trash. I flopped over onto my back, bringing my hand up to push the hair out of my face.

When Barrett returned to the bed, he covered us up. “We better get some sleep.”

“Not to mention, if we don’t stop now, I’m not going to be able to walk in the morning.”

Barrett grinned. “The Bear and I appreciate the compliments.”

I fluffed my pillow before rolling on my side. “You both are egomaniacs.”

“Yes, yes we are.”

“Goodnight, egomaniacs,” I said as I closed my eyes.

With a chuckle, Barrett replied, “Goodnight.”

My eyes popped wide open when Barrett spooned up next to me. At what must’ve been my body tensing in surprise, he asked, “Is this not okay?”

“No, no, it’s fine.” I threw a glance at him over my shoulder. “I just didn’t take you for someone who spooned.”

“There you go making assumptions again.”

“I stand corrected.”

“You want to know what one of the best things is about our time together these last few months?”

“What?”

“The fact that you’ve been able to see how very wrong you were about me.”

Rolling my eyes, I replied, “Yes, I have, but don’t start gloating or I’ll change my mind.”