Thomas continued his morning walk towards the Betting house from his lodging as the sun rose high into the June sky. Thomas would have stopped by Maze's for breakfast, but their last encounter nearly pushed him over the edge. This dance of theirs, while enticing, was hell on him.
Lifting his cigarette to his lips, Thomas inhaled, his eyes steady on the ground as he walked. He hadn't figured out a way to approach the Lee family about the severely beaten Blinder they left for him to find. Thanks to Maze, the man would live but would walk with a limp for the rest of his life. He had taken her words into consideration and had the Blinder taken to the City Hospital where he was further treated.
After the latest incident, the Blinders working security for Kimber's men would carry a gun on them from now on. Thomas didn't wish for a full on bloody war to begin with the Lees, but he couldn't have his men injured and dying because of it. He hadn't told Kimber of the incident, keeping it secret away from him.
Passing a group of children kicking around a ball, he playfully kicked it and out of his way before he tripped. From his left, Jeremiah Jesus approached him. Jeremiah was a long-time member of the Peaky Blinders. Thomas understood his vow to never take up another weapon again once they returned from war. For him to approach Thomas, something needed to be said.
After his vow, Thomas used Jeremiah as a spy around the city. Jeremiah was exceptionally good at espionage.
"Jeremiah, what do you see today?" Thomas asked, turning to look at the man.
"Your sister and Freddie returned to the city this morning. I tried following them, but Freddie is very good at hiding and running away."
"If only he'd run away from Birmingham," Thomas muttered, tossing his cigarette. "Well, keep an eye out, eh?"
Jeremiah nodded and turned away from Thomas. His orders were always simple. Follow and report. It honored him that Thomas trusted him to do what he did best.
As Thomas walked closer to the Betting house, he paused for a second, seeing a horse-drawn wagon down the street. This was a normal occurrence, but this one rubbed him up the wrong way. He didn't recognize the men standing around, either. Giving it one more look over, he grabbed the handle and pushed the door open.
As he entered the noisy house, Thomas shoved his hat in pocket, never realizing that inside the covered wagon were the Lees. He pushed through the dark curtain that separated the room from the front parlor, watching as a man argued with Scudboat about placing a bet.
When the man was informed the race had begun, he slapped at an upside down top hat, making it fly across the room. Several of his men stood to surround the man, ready to push the agitated man from the Betting house. Scudboat rose from his seat, telling the man to leave before the man backed off and turned to leave the house.
One by one, the men left the Betting house, leaving it empty sans Scudboat, Thomas, Polly, and a hiding boy. It wasn't often the shop closed early, but the race had already begun. Polly entered the parlor to grab her hat, gloves, and coat. She stood there for a moment feeling eyes on her but shook it off as entered the den.
Thomas walked over as she flipped through a ledger. "Good day?" she asked, turning to look at her nephew.
"Where's John?" Thomas asked, ignoring her question.
"John's at the Garrison. He's called a family meeting," she answered, placing her hat on her head, hearing Thomas sigh. "After he's said his peace, he'll come back and take his place with Scudboat."
Thomas sighed in annoyance. He didn't like to leave the house without extra men there. Too many things could go wrong, even if Scudboat locked the doors.
"Scudboat, John will be here in ten minutes," Polly said, walking through the threshold into the other part of the house.
"All right."
Thomas looked at one of his inner circle. "Five minutes," he told Scudboat. As they left the house, neither Thomas nor Polly saw the horse-drawn wagon move into position. The Lees were there to exact revenge on the money they lost from the Blinders, taking up security for Billy Kimber.
Thomas and Polly entered the Garrison a few minutes later. Polly smiling about something as she pushed the door open to the meeting room that Thomas normally used. John and Arthur were relaxing there with two half full bottles of whiskey sitting on the table.
Thomas could tell something was up with John by the way his brother sat. He appeared nervous about something. It must be something important for John to call a family meeting. Casting a glance at Arthur, who eyed Thomas as he walked into the room, he saw Arthur looking at him in confusion. Apparently, Arthur didn't know what the meeting was about, either. Thomas waited as Polly took her seat before waiting to hear what John needed to say.
"All right John," Thomas began walking behind his younger brother and waving off a drink offer from Arthur. "There's one man guarding the house right now. What is on your mind?"
John kept stationary, though he wanted to squirm in his chair. He called the family meeting to discuss taking on a new wife. It was difficult for him to be a single father to four children without a woman present. More than often, he was drunk and let the kids run wild without supervision.
Earlier that week, he sat thinking about who could make a good wife and mother to his children. Frankly, he didn't care who the woman was, but acceptance from his family was important. After a long walk, he stumbled, literally, into Lizzie Stark. Striking up a conversation, he realized that despite her occupation, she would do well as a mother. Immediately, he proposed to her with her acceptance seconds later.
Now, he was sitting at the Garrison surrounded by his family, ready to explain to them why he brought them all here. He wanted them to accept Lizzie as a wife, but understood concerning her occupation, he would have resistance.
John cleared his throat and looked at Polly. Polly was possibly the only one in the room that would sympathize with him. "Polly, you know what it's been like since Martha died."
"God takes the best first," Polly offered in her continuing sympathy for her nephew.
He sighed internally, but pushed on with a tinge of embarrassment. "Truth is," John continued, looking down at his beer glass, "my kids are running circles around me. Running barefoot with the dogs until all hours," he continued his complaint.
Thomas sighed internally. This is what John brought them to the Garrison for instead of doing his job and keeping the house guarded with Scudboat. It was one thing to have a family meeting about something important, but to sit and listen to his brother whine about his children was grating. "Pol, give him ten bob for some new shoes. Is that it?" He moved toward the door to leave.
Frustrated with Thomas's lack of caring for his younger brother's plight, "Tommy, we would be better at doing this without you," Polly snapped, glaring at him.
Realizing he'd been an arsehole, he sighed and took his place back behind John. Leaning against the wall, he looked up and wished for this conversation to be over with. There were better things he could do instead.
"John, why are we here?" Polly asked, taking charge of the family meeting.
It was a long minute before John answered. "What the kids need is a mother," he paused, hoping his family understood what he was trying to imply. When nothing was said from the other three, he sighed, "It's why I'm getting married."
Polly looked at Arthur, who twisted his head to catch Thomas nearly rolling his eyes at his younger brother. The family shifted in their spot, wondering who John picked as a future wife. This could have waited another day at another time. Thomas could feel his last strings of patience snapping slowly.
Polly swallowed a smart retort, glancing at John impassively. "Does this poor girl know you're going to marry her, or are you going to spring it on her?"
Not missing a beat, "I've already proposed, and she said yes," John said, looking at his family. The longer they sat there discussing this, the more worried John became. He took a shaky breath, trying to suppress the fear that wanted to swim in his veins. It would do him no good to be fearful. Arthur and Thomas would know instantly.
"I think there's a shell about to land and go bang," Thomas muttered, lighting a cigarette.
John swallowed nervously and reached for his beer mug. Taking a long pull from it, he set the mug down. "It's, uh, Lizzie Stark."
Startled laughter spilled around the room as everyone heard the name of John's proposed bride-to-be. Not that Lizzie Stark wasn't a good woman, but they all knew her… occupation. John inhaled sharply, anger bubbling in his veins at hearing their laughter. He twisted his body around to glare at each of them.
"John!" Polly began, trying to contain her laughter. She truly wanted to support her nephew, but she didn't expect this. "Lizzie Stark is a strong woman who performs a solid service to her customers…"
The laughter from Thomas and Arthur fueled the anger that raged in John. "I won't hear a word of it," John snapped, his eyes flashing amber as his anger overtook him. "Do you understand? I won't hear that word."
Thomas inhaled strongly, stopping his laughter when John's anger rolled into the room. "And what word is that, John?" his voice was steely as he prepared himself to battle his younger brother.
John slouched into the chair and growled low, "You know what the word is…"
"Everybody knows what the word is," Arthur chuckled, unbelieving his younger brother's determination to wed a prostitute. This news needed a drink as he reached for his half empty glass of whiskey and draining the amber liquid before setting the tumbler down on the table.
"Everybody can go to hell," John snapped, rising from his chair.
"Whore is the word," Thomas supplied, adding fuel to the small fire that blazed. "Or perhaps prostitute, harlot, streetwalker. What about those?" he snapped quietly, glowering at his brother. Thomas caught John's fighting posture and narrowed his eyes. "Sit down," Thomas ordered patiently, his own eyes flashing.
John glared at Thomas before taking a step back from him. His skin crawled, feeling the power his older brother had. He wanted his brother to accept his decision to marry Lizzie Stark, not fight him over it. Thomas had the power to tell him no. "IF anyone calls her a whore again, I will fucking tear their throats out with my teeth before shoving my revolver down their throats."
Thomas made a slight face, approving of John's method before looking toward Polly. He would do worse if someone called Maze a whore. The wolf growled in his head at how vicious he could be if someone insulted Maze.
"Men and their cock never cease to amaze me," Polly gasped, rolling her eyes at the way her nephews acted. Some things never changed, apparently. "John! Lizzie Stark has never done a day's work vertical," she tried again to dissuade her nephew from marrying the prostitute.
Not that she didn't like Lizzie Stark, but the woman was a prostitute. A prostitute, no matter how her character was, was still not an excellent selection for a wife.
"She's changed!" John snapped loudly, slapping his hands on the table for emphasis. He winced, seeing a small crack appear in the wood. "People fucking change."
"People don't change that easily," Thomas muttered to himself, knowing John and Arthur could hear him. John whirled around, glowering at his older brother. Thomas looked at John and saw the unhinged look in his younger brother's eyes. John was barely another insult away from giving into his rage.
That was the moment that Arthur couldn't hold it in any longer. Covering his mouth with his hand, he laughed at his younger brother's declaration that a whore could change her ways. John rose again from his chair, trying to give excuses for Lizzie Stark trying to change.
"She loves me," John finally declared. Turning to his older brother, John swallowed his anger, pushing the wolf down, and hoped Thomas would see reason. "Tommy, I won't do this without your blessing. Think of it as…. being brave."
"Oh, it's brave all right," Arthur muttered, finishing his glass of whiskey. John shot him a dark glare before turning back to Tommy.
"Brave is going where no man has gone before," Polly interjected. "And with Lizzie Stark, John, that's not saying much." Polly let loose a small chuckle just as Arthur did again.
"Just give her a chance, Thomas," John pleaded. "Welcome her to the family."
Thomas looked at his brother, amused that he would beg for a prostitute to enter their tight-knit family. It was almost as bad as Ada marrying a Communist. Neither Lizzie nor Freddie would ever be officially welcomed into the Shelby family, despite whom they married. He could understand his brother's reasoning for marrying the woman. His children did need a mother to look after them and raise them.
An idea began forming in his head.
Before he could answer John, the door swung open, revealing Finn. "Tommy! We've been done over!"
No questions were asked as every member of the family rushed out of the Garrison and towards the house. Finn lead his family to the house, where Thomas walked into the parlor first, with Arthur and John following behind him. The talk of marriage was postponed.
Thomas suppressed a low growl, seeing the den in disarray. The tables were moved, chairs kicked over, and he could tell something was amiss. He felt his eyes shift to amber as he took in the mess of his business. After a minute of scanning the room, he noticed what was missing. Money.
Scudboat sat at an upturned table and chair, bleeding from an inflicted wound on his head from Raz. Thomas instructed John and Arthur to search the den for money and found none, as he suspected. Arthur emerged from the small kitchen with a bottle of whiskey and poured Scudboat a drink as John flipped through a ledger, kicking at a chair.
"What the bloody hell happened here?" Arthur asked, picking up a chair and setting it right.
Thomas wandered around the parlor, wondering how they got into the house, hoping that nothing else was taken from them.
"The Lees," Scudboat gasped, his head hurting like a devil. "All of them."
Thomas wandered into the parlor and saw something. He crossed the room to the fireplace and picked up a pair of wire cutters. Thomas felt his heart stop for a moment realizing what message the Lees had sent. It wasn't enough they were beating up his men at the racecourses. No... this was a deliberate message to the Shelbys. Somewhere in the house was a grenade or a
"What's that?" Polly asked, seeing what was in Thomas's hand.
"They left these," Thomas said, holding them up for everyone to see.
"Wire cutters? Why would they leave them?" Polly asked, not understanding the meaning behind them.
"Nobody move," Arthur instructed, fear and anger overtaking him.
"I think our friends are playing a game," Thomas mused aloud, eyeing the room for the grenade.
"What game?" Polly snapped, walking toward the small kitchen.
"Pol, don't! Touch nothing!" John's voice trembled in fear. Polly heard the fear in John's voice, forcing her to stop and listen to the men. There was something going on that she wasn't aware of.
"Erasmus Lee was in France," Thomas confessed, still looking around the room.
"Shit," Scudboat cursed, understanding finally as he rose to his feet, panic settling over him. It was like being in France all over again.
Polly stood there wondering what was going on and why the men were on alert that something bad was going to happen.
"When we gave up ground to the Germans, we'd leave behind booby traps set up with wires. Then we'd leave wire cutters," Thomas explained to his aunt. "It was part of a joke."
"Somewhere in the room is a hand grenade," John hissed, his amber eyes searching the room.
"Holy Jesus," Polly whispered, fear finally overtaking her. The war with the Lees had come into her house.
The men looked around slowly. Their eyes searched for every piece of furniture and item that belonged. They were looking for something that didn't belong to the house.
"It would be attached to a wire," Arthur spoke up, his voice grave. "Don't move or touch any chairs or open any doors."
Polly stood still as the men started moving around the room slowly, keeping note of how they moved their feet and hands. None of them wanted to inadvertently set off the grenade that would kill them all.
Thomas knew the stakes were higher now. Something had to be done. The war with the Lees was meant to get Kimber on his side, not this. This was personal. His decision to work as security for Kimber pushed the Lees into a corner and when the enemy was backed into a corner, there wasn't any telling what they would do. Cornered animals were vicious.
His mind raced as he thought about where the grenade could be. If it had been at the house, everyone would have been dead the second they pushed the front door open or moved a chair.
"It's not here," he said, catching everyone's attention. "It was my name on the bullet that Erasmus sent. He set the trap, just for me."
A malevolent energy poured over him like water, drowning him. His eyes shifted amber as his control slipped. Vengeance would be swift if he had it his way, but it wouldn't serve him well if he went on a killing spree. Even though Erasmus Lee deserved it. Now he had to find out where the hand grenade was before it exploded, killing someone.
His meticulous brain thought furiously. Thomas inhaled slowly, trying to smother the escalating anger that threatened to encompass him. It wasn't the first time someone threatened his family this year and, frankly; he was tiring of it. He looked around the room before leaving the house. If it wasn't at home, then it would be attached to something he used.
The Garrison was out of the question since all the senior members were there when the robbing happened. Ada was almost impossible to find, and he knew it wasn't at Maze's house. Their 'relationship' wasn't known to anyone but the two of them.
In his fury, Thomas turned, leaving his family in the burglarized house. He caught himself before he slammed the door and turned left. Walking with a mission, he kept thinking as his eyes swept the Lane. Walking quickly down Watery Lane, his mind went over the inventory of what he owned. It wasn't at Charlies's yard, the Garrison, the house, Maze's… it had to be somewhere. As he walked, he came around a corner, finding the family car. His heart stopped seeing Finn playing inside the vehicle.
"Finn," he drawled, raising a hand to keep his youngest brother from doing any more movement, "stay still."
His youngest brother giggled loudly, twisting the wheel back and forth like he was driving, "I'm pretending I'm you!"
He didn't know how he knew it, he just did. The grenade was in the car. Fear washed over him, but he did his best to stay calm for his brother. Slowly approaching the car, he looked at his brother. "Which door did you come in Finn?"
"I didn't," his brother said, smiling. "I climbed in."
"I want you to climb out the way you climbed in, yea?" Thomas instructed, looking at each of the doors.
Laughing, his younger brother leapt to the opposite door of Thomas and pulled the handle and jumped out, landing hard on the pavement.
"No! No, Finn!" Thomas shouted, reaching into the car as the wire snapped from the grenade. He grabbed it, jerking it from the car and rushing toward the entrance of the small building he used to house the car.
"Grenade!" he shouted, throwing it at the brick building across the street. Men scrambled, ducking for cover as the grenade exploded violently. Thomas ducked as the grenade exploded, rushing toward his younger brother and picking him up.
He held Finn tightly for a moment before letting him go. Thomas's body shook with adrenaline as he held his youngest brother. Letting him go a second later, they walked to the entrance, seeing the men in the street getting up and moving on with their business. Crouching down to Finn's level, he brought his brother close, his hands gently on Finn's head.
"That is why you never pretend to be me," he said gravely, watching Finn nod his head. He gathered his brother in another hug, thanking every deity that Finn was alive and safe.
He escorted his brother to the house, handing him over to Polly's care. She ushered him up the stairs and to his room before turning back to Thomas.
"What happened? Did you find the grenade?" she demanded.
"I did," Thomas said, pressing his hands into the back of an upright chair. "The grenade was in the family car. Finn was inside," he paused, hearing Polly gasp loudly. "He's all right. The grenade exploded. No one was hurt."
"You fix this, Thomas," Polly demanded, fear and anger rattling her as she stomped towards him. "You fix this now!"
Alone that night, Thomas sat in the empty den of the house. In front of him was a half empty bottle of whiskey. A glass sitting in front of him as he thought about the day. Thomas leaned against the chair, his back cushioned by the jacket and waistcoat. His youngest brother could have been killed had it not been for him finding the hand grenade.
To think the Lees used an explosive to make their point in the war infuriated him. It was one thing to beat up his men because of their job, but to attack his family? This retribution would require skill and finesse. The war had to end soon. John's declaration that he was going to marry Lizzie Stark got him thinking.
Lizzie Stark wasn't the type of woman that John needed to help raise the children and run his house. No, he needed a woman who could handle him and take care of business when John wasn't around. He didn't think that having a former prostitute as a wife would make a good impression on John or the kids.
He would go to the Lee's encampment to make peace with them. It would be done before they killed someone.
The door burst open a minute later as Maze rushed into the den. Her face contorted in a mask of panic and worry. Thomas stood quickly to embrace her as she threw herself into his arms. He held her as she trembled in his arms.
"Is Finn all right?" she mumbled into his shirt. "Are you all right?"
Thomas nodded, his chin resting on the top of her head. "I am. Finn is all right. Shaken up, but all right."
"Do you know who did it?" she asked, leaning back to look up at him.
"The Lees," he replied, cradling her head in his hands.
"Why?" she asked, her eyes full of worry.
"Because I started it," Thomas said quietly, his eyes tracing the contours of her face until his eyes settled on her lips. Unconsciously, he licked his own lips. The brush of probable death he experienced today left him feeling that he needed to take action. Sliding his hands down her body until they gripped her hips, he pulled her even closer to him until he felt her body heat pressing against his.
He heard her whisper his name as he leaned forward, pressing his lips against hers for the first time in five years. He groaned softly, hearing her whimper against his lips. Thomas took the moment to open his mouth slightly to deepen the kiss. His brain began shutting down, and he felt her open her mouth to his probing tongue. Backing her up, he helped her to sit on the table, her legs wrapping tightly around his waist as he devoured her mouth. His hands slid down to cup her arse, jerking her hard to him as he broke the kiss to trail his lips down the column of her throat.
Thomas growled low, feeling her nails scratch the back of his neck, her fingers slipping down into his shirt. He fucking needed her. Pressing his lips against hers again, his fingers fumbled to undo the few buttons on her dress. She pushed his hand away, not caring about undressing. Clothes didn't matter when she wanted his cock buried inside her.
He growled low at her rebuke, gripping the fabric of her dress with his hand. Thomas didn't want to wait, he wanted her now. Pushing the skirt up her legs, he grunted, feeling the warm skin under his fingers. Nimble fingers quickly loosened buttons of his blue striped shirt he was wearing before running her nails lightly down his chest, emitting a low groan from him.
Capturing her lips again with his, he plunged his tongue in the warm recess of her mouth as his fingers slipped further into her skirt and between her legs. He had her pinned close to him as she shoved aside the suspenders, hustling them off his shoulders before reaching between them to fumble with the button-fly. Thomas reached for her modern undergarments, moaning as he slid the offending garment from her hips.
He was lost in his lust for her. Tasting her skin, feeling her body move with his, he couldn't think as he continued to strip her of the offending clothes that kept them separated. He wanted to fuck her, feel her from the inside, take everything she offered. The wolf in his head howled loudly at the skin to skin contact as he pushed her legs opened wider to accommodate him.
He'd stop caring what she wanted the second she didn't protest when he pulled her undergarments down her legs, letting them fall to the floor. A cool breeze filtered by him as she shoved his trousers down, her tongue tangled with his for dominance. Placing her hands around the back of his neck, she moaned, feeling his cock pressing against the juncture of her legs.
Thomas pulled her hips tightly to him as she leaned her body back slightly before he pushed his cock inside her cunt. He shuddered violently, her wet cunt sucking him in and tightening around his cock. Wrapping one of her legs around his waist, he plunged his cock into her, each stroke bringing him closer to his long-awaited orgasm.
"You're mine, Maze," he grunted quietly in her ear as he fucked her without restraint. He knew he would probably bruise her, but he didn't care. "You're always going to be fucking mine…"
Her moans filtered around him, suffocating him as his cock slide fluidly from her body. He lowered his head, nipping at the skin of her throat, and shuddered, feeling her walls clench around his cock as she orgasmed hard. Her cunt squeezed his cock tightly, his impending orgasm close. He opened his eyes, looking at her flushed face. He kissed her lips once more, moaning low as he came inside her.
Shuddering against her, he loosened his hold on her hips. It satisfied his body and mind that he'd finally fucked her. Finally learned what she sounded like, tasted like…. He felt his cock stirring again, wanting another round with her. He didn't want to stop fucking her. His chest heaved slightly as he forced himself to regain control. Thomas leaned forward, kissing her once more before pulling away from her.
Maze opened her eyes to see Thomas staring at her. His face was a mixture of shock and awe. Her heart hammered in her chest as she realized what had happened between them. Their dance finally came to fruition. Panic settled in as it finally dawned on her they had sex. "I—-…" she started to say, easing away from him as she rushed from the room.
Thomas sighed and pressed his hands on the table where he finally fucked his female best friend. He watched her run out of the room, anger pooling in his gut as the lust simmered. How could he have been so ignorant? He wet his lips, still tasting her, and groaned, closing his eyes. Faintly, he could hear her moaning his name as he fucked her. "Bloody fuck," he mumbled to himself. His body burned, scorching his skin. Opening his eyes, he turned to look at the door as if willing her to open it and come back inside.
Maze pushed the double doors to the den closed and pressed herself against them. With the door closed, she finally could think. Her trembling fingers touched her lips where Thomas had finally fucked her. She could feel her heart hammering in chest as she contemplated what had just occurred. Maze closed her eyes and berated herself for running out on him. It wasn't as if she didn't want him. On the contrary, she craved him. Each time he touched her, she wanted nothing more than to lose herself in his embrace.
Her mind thought back to the conversation she had with Heather and her friends' opinion about what she should do.
"If you want him, S, then fuck him. Get it out of your system."
"It's not that easy," Maze protested.
"Yes, it is." Heather countered, sitting down on the sofa. "I've seen you after he leaves and I've seen how you two act together. I mean, fuck. That day you came in when the Garrison was shot at, you were a fucking mess. Just fuck him."
"Don't be scared of what you want. I know you're here on assignment, but don't let that stop you from living your life," Heather finished.
Maze closed her eyes and realized her best friend was right. Taking a deep breath, she turned and twisted the handle, jerking the door open.
Thomas jerked his head up, hearing the handle twist loud as the door opened abruptly. Maze stood there in the threshold, staring at him until he watched as she quickly crossed the room and threw herself into his arms. Pulling him down for a kiss, she felt his hands grip her hips tightly. Maze moaned under his assault on her lips, but jerked her head back to look at him. She shuddered deliciously seeing his amber tinted eyes. "I—-." she began, her mouth dry.
"Tell me, Maze…" he grunted low, nipping at her lips. He wanted to fuck her again, hear her call his fucking name.
"I want you…," she breathed.
He felt himself barely nod. The wolf in his head howled loudly as he felt her grab his hand, dragging him to the front door. He closed the double doors before pressing her against them. Their kiss felt heated, charged with a hint of desperation. He never wanted to stop kissing her.
It was hell getting to her house when he couldn't press her against an alley wall and tear her clothes off her. When he saw her house, he grabbed her hand, dragging her down the crumbling sidewalk. His hands gripped her hips as she turned away from him as she went to unlock the front door. He rooted around in her hair until the tip of his nose nudged warm flesh. Thomas inhaled sharply, moaning quietly.
A surge of lust penetrated him, knowing she was about to be his…. forever.
Inside, the house was dark with only a few gas lamps burning, giving it just enough lighting to get upstairs to her bedroom. Pulling her back into a searing kiss, he felt her body tremble against his as he kissed her deeply. The journey to her room was a mess of discarded clothes, grunts, and whispers of obscenities.
Reaching her bedroom, Thomas flattened her back against her bedroom door. Thomas slipped his hands off her naked waist to fumble with the doorknob. Grunting, Maze nipped the flesh on his shoulder, her hand sneaking between them to grab his thick cock. He roughly pushed the door to her room open and walked her back toward her bed. Ravaging her swollen lips with his own, Maze pulled him down with her onto the bed. He broke the kiss, lowering his head to leave a wet trail of kisses down her chest until his lips ghosted over her pert nipples. Her body arched as she moaned against the contact.
Her arousal was thick in the air, making his head swim. Sliding his hand between her legs, he grunted, slipping a finger through her wet folds. "Jesus Maze," he groaned. Her hands splayed on his bare back, trying to drag him back up to her. Thomas flicked his eyes at her face, and groaned seeing pleasure cross her face. He flicked his eyes at her face, and groaned Thomas swore viciously, feeling her tight cunt squeeze his cock like a vice. He moaned, seeing pleasure cross her face. Pushing her body up the bed until her head was on the pillows as she grabbed his head and brought it back down for another heated kiss.
Thomas settled between her opened and inviting legs, his cock pressing firmly against her inner thigh. He wanted inside her again, fucking her until she screamed his name. Shifting his hips, he kissed her deeply before pushing inside her. He had to stop himself from losing control and harming her.
He opened his eyes to look down into her dark ones. His amber eyes stared back at him as he continued to push into her until he was fully inside. Shuddering at the intense arousal that swept through him, he felt her body arch under his.
He was in sensation overload as he drifted from reality as he continued to push inside her lithe body, trying to remember every contour and noise she made. He couldn't believe he was finally where he wanted to be. Her walls clenched tightly around his cock as he came, but he wasn't finished with her yet.
"I can't believe I'm inside you," he moaned, feeling her lips attack his neck and lips. "You're mine, Maze." he mumbled, giving into his lust. Lifting her leg to wrap around his waist, he changed their angle until he felt her orgasm again.
He felt his orgasm wash over him as he felt her walls tighten around his cock once more. Burying his head into the crook of her neck, he shuddered against her warm body. Gently, he rested his body on top of hers, feeling relaxed for the first time in years. He opened his eyes to be greeted with her eyes staring up at him.
He said nothing, but lowered his head to kiss her again before rolling off her and pulling her to his side. Thomas laid there enjoying her warm body pressed against his until he felt her fall asleep. Then he let himself drift off, hoping for no nightmares.
Thomas awoke the next morning in an empty bed. Rising to a sitting position, he pushed the covers off him and stood up to hunt her down. He found his clothes laying in the chair in her room. He shoved his legs into the trousers quickly. Following the noise to her office, he saw Maze shoving files in a traveling bag. She was dressed in white and flowery dress and pale pink heels. He watched as she mumbled to herself, making sure she had everything she needed. He leaned against the door frame, watching her until she turned around and jumped slightly from his intrusion.
"Thomas," she whispered, her eyes widening at his state of half undress.
He entered the room, understanding that she was leaving. The portal was open, the silver bracelet catching his attention. "You're leaving?" he asked, coming over to her.
"Just for a few days. I've got two meetings and a dinner to attend," she replied.
He nodded, understanding that she had obligations other than her life here. Pressing her into the wall, he felt her body tremble again. "You weren't going to tell me?" he asked, his lips barely brushing hers.
"I-," she swallowed against his lips, fighting the urge to do what her body demanded. Her breath hitched, feeling his warm hand slide under the hem of her summery dress. "Thomas," she whispered, dropping the bag that she held tightly in her left hand.
He dragged his lips seductively against hers, but not deepening the kiss. He felt her fingers trace the back of his neck; the nails digging into the skin as he lifted her smooth leg to hug his waist.
"I need to go," she protested weakly, feeling his lips caress her pulse point.
"I know you do," he mumbled, running his tongue up the side of her neck.
"I'll be back in three days, Thomas," Maze gasped, her eyes tilting to the ceiling.
He grunted but stepped back to watch her slip through the portal; the door closing behind her. Thomas rested his head on the closed door and closed his eyes. "I'm completely fucked," he mumbled to an empty room.
On the other side of the portal in 2020, Maze leaned against the portal door and pushed out a sharp rattling breath. Dropping her head in her hands, she sighed. "I'm totally fucked."
