“Craig!” Rain cried out in pleasure, her inner muscles contracting tightly around his dick. He held himself still in her for a moment, his muscles straining as he fought to control his need. She was so slick and tight, snug and hot around him. He struggled for breath for a moment as she flexed around him.

“Rain, fuck,” he growled, control gone. He hauled her legs up, and she followed his lead and wrapped her long legs around him. Holding tight to him, Rain panted with breathless excitement as he pounded them into the wall, thrusting into her hard as he glided in and out of her snug channel.

Close to blowing but needing Rain to come first, wanting to feel her explode around his cock, Craig pressed his thumb down on her clit.

“Ahhh!” He watched her flushed face as she cried out, her inner muscles rippling and tugging on his erection. That and the look on her face when she came was all it took. Eyes locked with hers, his muscles clenching, he let out a guttural grunt as his climax rocked through him, his hips jerking against her as he came long and hard.

He’d just fucked Rain against her hallway wall.

Craig fell against her, his lips on her shoulder, his chest against hers, her arms still locked around him. He turned his head and kissed her neck. “I’m sorry. I meant to do that on a bed.”

“I’m not sorry,” she whispered, her inner muscles flexing around him again. “It was hot. So goddamn hot.” She laughed lightly, making him grin.

He raised his head to kiss her and her hands slid into his hair again, holding him to her as she kissed him with an intensity that told him they weren’t done for the night.

That was more than fine by him.

* * *

That morning Craig woke before Rain did.

She was sprawled beside him, exhausted from another energetic night in bed with him. Her dark hair spilled over the pillow, much softer, longer, and thicker than he’d ever realized until the night she took it down for the first time.

As much as it might make him a bit of a dick, Craig had always been more fascinated by a woman’s body than her face. But there was a first time for everything, and as beautiful as her body was, Craig was mesmerized by Rain’s face.

He watched her sleep for a while, and as the clock on her dresser ticked quietly, forcing time along, Craig knew with a bone-deep certainty that he could watch Rain sleep forever and never be bored.

Years ago, before his dad died, Craig got up in the middle of the night to get a glass of water and found his mum asleep on the couch, lit up only by the fire glowing in the fireplace. His dad was sitting in the armchair opposite just watching her sleep.

He’d gestured to Craig to be quiet and followed him into the kitchen.

“What are you doing?” Craig had whispered in teenage boy confusion.

“Just watching your mum sleep.”

“Why?”

His dad had given him this knowing, secretive smile. “Because I like to watch her sleep. One day, son, you’ll know you’re in love when you can sit and watch your woman sleep for hours and never bore of it.”

At the time he remembered thinking he’d be lucky if he found what his parents had found in each other, although he’d never have said something so sappy out loud. But his dad seemed to know what he was thinking anyway, giving him that smile again before ruffling his hair and sending him back to his bed.

Craig felt a well of emotion rise up in his throat at the memory. His dad had been gone a long time and he’d made peace with that loss a long time ago too. But there were moments when the grief was sharper, tasting more bitter some days than others.

Like now, when he’d just realized he’d fallen in love for the first time and his dad would never get to meet the woman he loved.

The urge to wake Rain up and tell her he loved her was so strong he had to physically hold himself back from doing it. Rain was skittish and he knew she had her reasons, so he’d be patient. He’d wait for the right time to tell her that he was crazy about her.

A sound in the distance drew his attention. A vibrating noise. Coming from the hallway.

It took him a moment to realize it was his phone in the pocket of the jeans he’d discarded in the hallway last night.

Trying not to wake Rain, Craig slipped out of bed and crept out into the hall. He found his phone and discovered a missed call from his mum.

He shoved on his boxers and jeans and called her back.

“You alright?” he asked quietly.

“Aye, I just haven’t heard from you in a couple of days . . . and well . . . I was a bit worried you’re upset about me and Drew?”

Craig flinched. Her question was just bad timing considering his dad was on his mind. It was strange to think of his mum with some other man, especially knowing how much his dad had loved her, but he also knew it wasn’t fair to begrudge his mum companionship. “Not at all, Mum.”

“Why are you whispering?”

“I’m not whispering. I’m just being quiet.”

“Why?”

He glanced down the hall at Rain’s bedroom door. “Because I’m with the reason you haven’t heard from me in a couple of days.”

“Oh?” She sounded curious and also like she was trying not to sound hopeful.

Craig grinned. “I’ve found her, Mum.”

His mother sucked in her breath and after a few seconds of silence said, “You’re not messing with me?”

“Nope.”

“Craig,” she said excitedly. “That’s wonderful. What’s her name? What does she do? What’s she like? Where did you meet her? When do I get to meet her?”