"There's definitely no need for that, Miles," I murmured, liking the way their name sounded coming off my tongue. I almost felt guilty for suggesting it, but Desirae had said to keep them distracted. "Where's that rough, country guy who didn't think twice about throwing me down on the bed for a quickie?"
Before their body even pressed against mine, I could feel them everywhere. Deja vu muddled with muscle memory. As their hands wrapped around the front of my waist, their lips slid down the slope of my neck to my shoulder. My back arched into their hips, feeling a familiar bulge. Lustful nostalgia flooded me in every sense of the word.
My voice lowered to a husky whisper. "Who are you packing for in those tight hoochie daddy shorts?"
"All for you, Kirby." Their words were velvet against my skin. "I knew it wouldn't be long before you were coming to see me."
Turning around, I reached down to stroke between their legs. "You knew I'd be coming to see you, huh?"
"Mhmm... Although, you showing up with a wife was a bit of a surprise." They smiled against my neck, teeth grazing my pulse with the gentlest bite. The sound of their zipper sent a quiver through my core. As I went to slip my hand inside their briefs, they caught it instead. "Are you sure she's okay with this? I mean, you know I'm good at sharing. She could just join."
A montage of sweaty body parts flashed through my mind. Another one of those memories mixed with the present. My body hummed at the thought of Desirae joining us. "She's not one to mix work with pleasure. Unfortunately. But I'll be sure to let her know." My fingers slipped farther beneath their waistband, but they hadn't let go of my wrist.
"Kirby?" Their voice softened. "Can I try something with you?"
"Try something? Like something new?" I clasped their jaw to pull them away from my neck, looking them in the eye as they nodded. In the past, trust had always come naturally between us and right now felt no different. "Do you remember my safeword?"
"It's nothing that kinky, Kirb." Their words fell in hushed breaths along my lips. "But, yes."
Curiosity lowered me to their bed and I leaned back with invitation. Miles eagerly accepted, reaching through the slits of my dress on the sides. My ribs swelled as their hands slid up my legs, teasing between my thighs. Softly, but with firm intention, their thumb passed over the lace of my underwear, fingers quick to find the band, tugging them down over my legs to the floor.
Desire burned through me and my legs squeezed tight with anticipation, my fingers gripped the edge of the bed. Whatever they had in mind, my body needed it. Needed them. They reached again beneath my dress, raking their fingers over my skin to push the fabric up. Already, I was wet for them.
"Jesus, what did you do to your knee?"
Slipping out of reverie, I glanced down at the bruised scabby mess. "Oh, I uh, fell. Down the stairs. You know how I am in heels. It's fine."
Their hazel eyes shifted from mine back to my knee, obviously skeptical, but they didn't question it. Kissing the inside of my thigh, they made my muscles twitch with the bristle of their chin, the heat of their breath. As they inched closer, my nails dug into the soft sheets of their bed.
"Is this what you wanted to try?" I asked to redirect. "I mean, the facial hair is certainly different, but I seem to recall we've definitely done this—"
A gasp slipped from my throat as their lips wrapped around my clit and instantly, I melted into them. My hips opened, fingers entwined in their curls, leg wrapped around their neck. With long, slow strokes, their tongue lapped at every pleasure nerve.
For both of us, there was nothing better than sex to distract from reality. I could already feel the tension leaving my body, escaping with each moan they coaxed out of me. Their tongue swirled around my clit with a determined hunger, then dipped lower, to tease inside of me.
"I've missed the way you taste," Miles murmured hot into my skin. Their hand left my thigh to slide below their mouth, thumb tracing where their tongue had just been. Need for them coursed through me. My hips raised as my body begged, but again I felt their smile against me, teeth on my skin. In one swift motion, they tugged my hips to the very edge of the bed. Only to stand up. And pull back. A confident smirk played on their lips. They enjoyed seeing me writhe in their absence.
With a pout, I pushed up on the bed to watch them as they tugged their tank up over their head and slid their jeans down, then their briefs. Their packer was definitely new since the last time we'd fucked. And maybe new to them now so I made the assumption that that's what they wanted to try.
But then they started to remove it.
"You don't have to," I urged. Practically begged. "You know I don't mind switching—"
As they tossed the packer down on the bed next to me, I fell speechless.
"I've been pumping."
My brows arched. "So you have." I didn't mean to stare, but they were at full attention. Just the sight of them was enough to make me come undone. "That's impressive."
"Yeah?" Their fingers slipped beneath their skin, then back up to stroke their thick clit. "All the cis women I used to hook up with got freaked out. I pretty much only fuck gay men and other enbies now."
"I'm not freaked out," I whispered, sliding my own hand beneath the hem of my dress. I knew exactly what they wanted now and I wanted nothing more than to give it to them. "Not in the slightest."
My hunger for them reflected in their eyes as I leaned back and spread my legs wider. They watched as my fingers came out slick with desire for them. Pulling them back between my thighs, I slowly stroked their wet clit and I couldn't help but compare the size of them, growing thicker yet. They pushed eager and ready against my fingertips; my hand the only barrier between us. Opening my hips, I guided them into me.
"Fuck," Miles moaned against my lips. I cupped their ass to pull them in even tighter. Deeper. The warmth of them inside of me stole my breath away, reducing me to a raspy gasp. Their hips began to roll into mine, slow at first to savor the sensation and I followed their lead, grinding against their body. With each quickening thrust, pleasure rippled through me. Their thumb rolled over my clit, massaging in circles, in rhythm with their hips.
As I tightened around their clit, their fingernails sunk sharp into my skin, gripping my ass to fuck me harder. I tried not to wince as they squeezed the bruise across my cheeks, but always intuitive, Miles loosened their hold and met my eyes.
"Did I hurt you?"
"No, no. I'm just a little sore. From falling." I cupped their hands and made them squeeze me again. "Please, keep going."
For a second, I thought I had them convinced, but they pulled back and twisted my hips, bending me over the bed to look at my ass. "Kirby... What actually happened? You look like roadkill."
"Mmm, you sure know how to tap into my degradation kink," I mumbled sarcastically over my shoulder. "Just a little welcome home gift from Landon. And Pino. So you good? Or you wanna try some back shots?"
As I arched my back, their thumb slid over my cheek. I waited for the tip of their clit to press against me, but they turned me back over instead. Their eyes narrowed on me with a look I couldn't read. "What more do they want from you?"
Artemisia's dead body.
I wasn't totally sure I hadn't said that out loud. So before I could definitely say something I'd regret, I pulled them in again, drawing out a ragged gasp from them as their wet clit slid against mine. A low moan rumbled from their throat. I rode up and down the length of them, back and forth, feeling them twitch against me with each pass and I knew they were close.
A gentle irritation flashed in their dark hazel eyes. I knew that look. They threw me flat against the bed and gripped my waist this time before sinking inside of me, pumping hard; their thumb working me even harder. My body curved beneath their firm hold, aching for release. Each thrust sent me teetering to the edge.
I was so fucking close.
Except, in that moment, my mind decided to again fixate on Artemisia's dead body.
I tried to shake the image from my head.
"Kirb," Miles moaned in a breathless whisper. Their pace had slowed. "Where are you?"
"Right here," my voice quivered. I continued to roll my hips into them, assuring them I was fine. Focused. "Don't stop."
"Are you—" Another moan stole their words as I tightened around them again. Their thrusts deepened. Determined. A shudder rippled through their taut muscles and I tried to focus on how good they felt inside of me.
Instead, I just saw Artie crumpled on the floor at our feet.
"Go ahead," I urged, locking eyes with Miles. They tried to hold it back, waiting for me, but I had to regain control. Control of my mind. My body. I snaked a hand around their ass, feeling from the back how wet they were. Before I could even ask, their legs parted just enough to keep fucking me while I sunk my fingertips into them. Their hand clasped my jaw and for a second I thought they were going to break our old no-kissing on the mouth rule, but they slid down to my throat, tightening just enough as they also tightened around my fingers.
And that was all it took to bring me back.
As I slipped deeper inside of them, their hand left my throat and gripped my ass once more. Their moans became mine, my breaths became theirs. With one deep thrust, their nails dug into my skin and pleasure came crashing through us both. Their muscles rippled and stiffened against my body, against my fingers while I melted to a puddle around them. Smiling through heavy shared breaths, I felt their clit pulse inside of me as my own throbbed for them.
Releasing their tight hold on my ass, Miles sighed with that boyish grin. "That was way better than I ever imagined."
As they began to pull away, my fingers slipped from them and I practically whimpered when they left me empty. They bent down and pulled up their pants, grabbing their packer to tuck it back in. They watched as I raised my fingers to my mouth to taste them. I wasn't ready to be done just yet. Miles rubbed their packer slowly and I hoped there was more to come.
But they zipped up their jeans instead, looking up at me with a peculiar expression similar to the one earlier. "She'll always be in between us, huh?"
The heat in the greenhouse all of a sudden felt heavy against my chest. I had to remind myself to breathe, but guilt had her slender fingers around my throat, petite, but firm. Leaning back, I tried to disguise my discomfort. "Who?"
"Don't play dumb," they said a little more sternly than I expected. Their muscles flexed with agitation now. "Fuck, Kirby... You shouldn't even be here."
Their sudden shift in tone brought me up to my feet. "Miles, what—"
"Kirby?" Desirae's voice rang out beyond the glass of the greenhouse. Miles snatched their tank from the floor and tugged it down over their chest just as Desirae poked her head inside the door. "There you are. Wow, this is gorgeous." Her eyes wandered up and down the palms, then back and forth between me and Miles. "Sorry love, I completely forgot we have an appointment with the caterer. We need to leave now or we'll be late." She gave me an urgent look, but wiped it clean as she turned to Miles. "Can we swing back later?"
"I uh, actually have plans tonight. With a client. But you can just DM me your Pinterest boards. Or whatever." They cleared their throat, trying to soften the edge in their voice. "I hope you found some more inspiration."
"I definitely did, thank you." Desirae's eyes flicked once more between us. "Babe?"
Legs still weak, I slowly walked past Miles towards the door. "It was good to see you again."
They nodded, not really looking my way. "You too, Kirby. And nice to meet you, Desirae."
"You as well."
Leaving the greenhouse, I was blasted with the cool autumn air, realizing then, I had left my underwear at the foot of the bed. As I hurried behind Desirae to the truck, I could feel her watching me, studying my face.
"You look a little flushed, Kirby," she said as she climbed into the passenger seat.
"I'm fine," I muttered. The truck's engine clicked a couple times before turning over. "Did you get everything you needed?
"I did, yes." She nodded, biting at her lip some. "Did you?"
I glanced from the rear view mirror over to her. I didn't know why she flipped the question back to me so I just ignored it. Miles had me rattled, they were all I could think about. "You gonna tell me what the rush is all about? I was kinda in the middle of something with Miles."
"I'm pretty sure I gave you plenty of time to finish."
Again, my eyes shifted from the road over to her.
Desirae was quiet, watching the hills go by. "I found a few receipts that looked a little suspicious, at least for a greenhouse out in the middle of nowhere, along with the museum's invoice for last night. Took a few samples from the soil and some of the plants as well. Miles has their property well covered in security cameras, including the uh, Hot House. So thank you for keeping them distracted."
I let out an audible groan as I realized what she meant. She'd seen us on the monitor at the register. She remained quiet in her seat next to me, eyes fixed ahead. I didn't know whether to try to say something or not. But I at least needed to know where I was driving to. Off the dock and into the bay sounded appealing.
"Did the caterer from the opening give you a new lead or something?" I asked to try to change the subject.
"Hmm?"
"You interrupted us, saying something about our fake wedding caterer. Where are we going?"
"Oh." She shifted in her seat, crossing her legs. "Just uh, head back to the museum."
"Isn't it closed after what happened last night?"
Desirae sighed, watching me carefully again. "There's another body."