“Here, hold on to me.” He takes your hand in his, helping you out of his truck. "You good?” 

You look up, kissing his cheek as he closes the passenger door behind you. “Always the gentlemen.”

He grins, looking up at the old diner. “Sorry we couldn't go anywhere better.”

“I don't mind; a quiet dinner with you is all I need tonight.”

"How are the cramps?"

"Still there."

You’re both tired, but tonight is probably the last chance for a date night before the twins arrive, and when you're this heavily pregnant and he’s had a long day on horseback, driving into town to the only diner for miles is the best you’re both going to get. 

“Hey Mr. and Mrs. Miller, what can I get ya?" the waitress asks. 

Mrs. Miller. You’re still getting used to that, pinching yourself every time you hear it on someone else's lips because you never thought you’d get your happy ending, especially not with him. 

*Flashback*

“So, where are you taking me?”

“Up there.” He nods straight ahead towards the top of valleys that surround the ranch. "In a couple week those tops will be covered in snow, so I figured we should take the chance while it’s still safe.”

“Shall we take the horses?” You smile, knowing that’s a stupid question. 

“Nice try, you know I'm not letting that happen. Now go grab some warmer clothes; it can get cold up there once the sun drops. I’ll wait in the truck.”

You nod and head inside. He’s been acting weird today, all week actually. There’s a nervous energy about him, like he’s waiting for something. Last week you had a minor scare with the twins; it wasn’t serious once the doctors figured out what was going on, but maybe that’s what's got him acting all uptight.

As he drives up the valley, his eyes stay locked on the road, his shoulders tense, his hands gripping the wheel so hard. his knuckles are white.

“You okay?”

He doesn't respond. 

“Baby?”

He clears his throat, finally hearing you. “Yeah.” 

“Here,” you reach over, take his hand, and rest it on your bump. “You feel that?”

“Feel what?”

“Just wait.”

The second you feel one of the twins kicking, he instantly relaxes, his face lighting up, and he pulls the truck to a halt on the side of the road. 

“They’re kicking?”

You nod, "One of them for sure.” 

He turns as best as he can, resting his other hand on your belly too. “Hey boys, it's Daddy!"

You feel another kick, and he begins to laugh excitedly. 

“They hear you, Joel." 

“Yeah? You hear us boys? We can't wait to meet you; better be looking after each other in there, no fighting, alright?”

Joel doesn't cry, it’s rare you ever see it happen, but after he leans down to kiss your belly, he looks up at you, tears building in his eyes.

"you ok?"

"Just so fuckin' happy, darlin'."

Later that night your cuddled up in the bed of his truck watching the stars glimmer above you when he shifts, digging into his pocket to pull out a small piece of woven leather in the shape of a ring. 

“What’s that?”

“I love you so much, I love our sons, and I love this life we're building together, and I want you to be mine forever.”

“You have me.” You giggle, furrowing your eyebrows a little confused. 

“I’m serious, darlin’. I want you to carry my name."

“Joel…” your voice trails off, your heartbeat increasing rapidly at his words. 

“Be my wife. be my wife before the boys arrive. We’re going to be a family, and we should do it right.”

“I don't know what to say…”

He chuckles nervously. “Say yes? Say you’ll have me.”

“But I thought you hated the idea of a wedding?”

“Of a wedding, yes. But not marriage. I don't need some pretentious ceremony that just caters to our friends and family to prove I want to spend eternity with you. Although if you would like that, hell, I’ll make that happen, believe me. " He takes a deep breath. “I don't care how we do it; I just want to know that when I wake up beside you every morning, you’re mine in this life and in whatever comes afterwards.” He tilts your chin up to look at him. “So what do you say?”

“Yes, Joel.” You smile through the tears. “Of course I’ll marry you, you idiot.” 

“Yeah?” he’s beaming now. “Gimme your hand.”

You notice his hands shaking as he starts to slide the handmade ring onto your finger. “I’ll get you somethin' better, I promise. But I found one of Shadow's old bridles in his stable; it took a little work to make it into this, but I thought it could work as a temporary one."

“Are you kidding? This is perfect!” You don't need anything else; he took the time to think about this and to make it, and therefore it holds more meaning than anything else ever could.

“Well, you can have two, because I'm getting the ring you deserve.”

You shift, moving into his lap as you snake your arms around his neck, your palms holding the back of his head as you kiss him. 

“So we’re doin’ this?” he asks between kisses. 

“Mmmh,” you bite your lip. “Let's get married, cowboy.”

The very next morning, you wake to him watching you, his sleepy face all smug as you reach up and brush your fingers through his messy curls.

“How about today?” he croaks.

“Today?”

“Yeah.”

“How?”

“Well, we could get the license this morning while I get Tommy to find an officiant, and then we could pick a spot somewhere here on the ranch, and by tonight it could be official.” He shifts until he’s on all fours, hovering above you. “Afterwards we could go dancin’, party…totally sober, of course… and then I'd bring you back here and carry you over the threshold of our front door and all the way back to this bed where I’d make love to you all night.”

You‘re unsure what to say; the idea is crazy but also perfect.

“I know your parents aren't here, or your friends, so we can wait if you want—"

“Today.” You cut him off.

He smiles. “You sure?”

You nod eagerly. “Let's not wait a second longer.” The excitement fills you with butterflies and you could squeal uncontrollably at the thought that today you’ll become Mrs. Miller, but then the panic starts sets in.

“What's wrong?”  

“I don't have a dress!”

He pauses for a minute before an idea enters his mind. “I’m on it.” He crawls off the bed and takes his phone off the nightstand to make a call. “Baby girl? I’ve got some big news to tell you, and then I'm going to need your help.”

Following Joel out on the front porch, you see Tommy approaching the house on his horse and Sarah’s truck in the distance coming down the road. 

“Tommy, I need you to find an officiant for me. Oh, and go dig that suit out; you’re going to need it later.”

“Huh?” Tommy looks down from his horse, confusion written all over his face. “An officiant? Why?” 

“There’s going to be a wedding today.”

“A wedding? Who’s getting married?”

“I am, brother.”

His face lights up. “Wait… are you serious?”

Tommy looks up to you, the smile on your face telling him all he needs to know.

“Holy shit!” Tommy laughs, “I’m on it, brother.”

As Tommy rides off, Sarah pulls up in her truck and rushes over to you, both of you uncontrollably giddy as as she wraps her arms tightly around you. 

“Woahhhh, careful! Don’t forget she’s carrying the most precious cargo.” Joel calls over.

Sarah brushes her dad's comment off. “I can't believe this is really happening!” 

“Me neither. And… you’re really okay with this?”

“Stop! Of course I am. You're growing my baby brothers. You're basically already my stepmom anyway.”

“Nooo please don’t call me that; that’s too weird.” You laugh. 

“Okay, okay! But we should get going if we’re gonna find you a dress in time!”

As you pass Joel on the way to Sarah’s truck, you intertwine your fingers with his and he leans down to kiss you. When you pull away, his hand snakes around your waist, pulling you back into him, kissing you more as you feel Sarah watching on behind. 

“Uh guys, this is cute and everything, but if you want to get married today, we have to go now.”

He hums against your lips, kissing you for a moment longer before you reluctantly pull away. 

“See you soon, handsome.”

He tilts his hat. “I’ll be waiting." 

As the night draws in, you follow closely behind him as he rushes up the steps. You reach out instinctively to support him as he almost trips as you both giggle your way to the front door. He’s tipsy, and you’re simply high on happiness. 

He fiddles with the lock for a while until you take the key and do it for him and he smirks down at you as the door swings open. “May I?” 

“Be careful mister, don’t drop me.” 

“Never.” 

He bends down and scoops you up into his arms, holding you close against his chest. He nuzzles his head into your neck, peppering eager kisses on your skin. “Woah, Joel. Let’s get safely in the house first, you’ve had a drink remember.” 

By some miracle, he manages to successfully carry you inside and up the stairs all the way to the bedroom, where he places you gently on the bed.

Dressed in his best shirt and jeans, and still wearing that damn hat that will always stir something deep inside you, he lets his eyes travel up and down your form with hungry eyes.

“Mmmmh. You sure did well with this dress, darlin’."

“You like?” 

He nods. “Fuckin’ divine, my love.” He takes a deep breath and when you look down, you notice the bulge in his jeans. “But as much as I’m enjoying this sight, I think it’s time we took it off you, Mrs. Miller.”

You giggle. “Say that again.”

He moves over you, snaking his way up your body, breathing you in desperately as he hums in approval. “What? Mrs. Miller?” he stops once he’s level with your face, his lips just above yours as he stares into your eyes. “My wife?”

You whimper at the sound of those words on his lips. “Mmmmh. I’m your wife.”

Present day

“What?” you ask, noticing that naughty look in his eye as he sits across from you in the booth, watching you eat.

"Nothing, I just like looking at ya" 

You blush, looking away from him. He tilts his head to the side. “Don’t shy away from me.”

“Just eat your damn food, mister.”

Pregnancy has been hard on you, not just physically, but mentally. Getting used to the way your body was changing at each stage had taken its toll, even if you did have Joel telling you every morning just how beautiful he thought you were, or showing you exactly what it did to him when he’d get home after a long day and find you naked in the shower waiting for him.

He’d always be extra careful, taking it slow to ensure he was never going to hurt you or the babies, but he’d always give you exactly what you needed to reassure you in all the best ways that he still wants every ounce of you. 

And then there were his small, tender touches like when he’d lie in bed beside you and rub cream over your tummy to ease the tight skin, or help you wash your hair when you didn’t have the energy. Or just the simple reminders to make sure you’d eaten plenty and hydrated enough. These were the things that made you realized how lucky you were to have a man like Joel by your side and how lucky the twins were to have him as their father.

“Ahh, Marcus, haven’t seen you around here for a while!” you hear the voice of the diner owner, your eyes immediately flicking up to Joel. Surely not. 

Joel drops his fork onto his plate with a loud clang. He slumps back against the seat as he glances just past you towards the counter, his jaw locked, his eyes wide like he’s seeing red. You don't need to look over your shoulder to confirm your suspicion; judging by the way Joel isn't taking his eyes off the man tells you all you need to know. Great, that’s the quiet date night officially over. 

“Joel?”

He hums in response, but he isn't listening.

“Joel, can we go? The cramps are getting worse.”

“Alright, just gimme a minute, darlin’.” He stands, leaving you alone in the booth. 

“Joel, please don’t.”

Your pleas fall on deaf ears, so you sit there, refusing to look behind you, instead carefully listening out in anticipation of what might happen next. 

“Shit. Joel," you hear that familiar irritating voice behind you, the sound of it making you cringe.

“Whatcha still doing round here, boy?” Joel asks. 

“I'm not; I'm working down south now; just passing through.”

"Ah, yeah?”

“Don’t want no trouble, Miller," the owner of the diner warns, picking up on the tension.

"Oh, I don’t want any trouble either, but it seems someone in this damn place does, showing his face around ‘ere.”

“Alright, relax, I just wanted a drink after a long day; I'm going.” Marcus sighs, his chair scraping along the floor as he stands. He pauses then; and you can feel his eyes at the back of your head. “Heard she married ya.”

“Where’d you hear that?” 

“I got my sources.”

“Sure ya do.” He scoffs. “Well, if you heard that, you’ll also know she’s carrying my sons too.”

The room goes silent then. Maybe he didn't know that. “Shit.” Marcus laughs. “Well, congrats, I guess. You both got it all figured out, don't ya? Must be nice.”

Joel smirks, taking out his wallet and flicking through the wad of bills sitting in there; he’s being an ass now, simply because he can. “Drinks on me.”

“Don’t want your money, man.”

“Take it. But I promise you kid, if I ever see your ass in this town again, I won't be so polite.”

“Fuck you, and fuck her too.”

You stand then; you couldn't care less about your ex, but you don't want to have to split up a fight when you're this heavily pregnant. So you turn and look into Marcus' eyes for a second with a blank expression before you take Joel's hand. “Joel, come on, let's go home.”

He doesn’t budge. Rolling your eyes you give up and leave. “I’ll be in the truck.”

As you climb into the passenger seat with a clear view into the neon-lit diner, you notice the sheriff pulling in and an uneasy feeling settles in your stomach then.

It all happens too fast. Joel’s head connects with Marcus’s face making him fall backwards onto the bar, and unfortunately for both of them, the fight then erupts exactly as the sheriff walks.

Pissed, you open the door and climb out of the truck in an attempt to go inside and defuse the situation, but the moment you stand, you feel an intense rush down below and you realize your waters just broke. 

You stand frozen in place unsure what to do. The entire pregnancy you thought you'd be calm when this moment came; all the classes, books, and videos made you think you’d handle going into labor pretty well, but not one of those things mentioned your waters breaking as your husband got dragged out of a diner in handcuffs.

You call out for him but he doesn’t pick up on what’s happening to you as he’s pushed forcefully towards the sheriff's vehicle. “I’m sorry, baby. Go get Tommy; he’ll know what to do.”

“Joel, my waters just broke.”

He frowns. “I can’t hear ya, just go get Tommy." 

“The babies are coming!” 

His eyes go wide as your words register. Pure panic reverberates through his body then as he starts yelling, trying like hell to free himself from the grip of the sheriff, but of course he can't. Both men stumble onto the ground Joel’s elbow collides with the sheriff's nose, instantly drawing blood. 

The deputy steps in then, helping to secure Joel on the ground, both men yelling at him as you look into your husband's helpless eyes as his face squishes against the asphalt. This can’t be happening. 

You plead and plead with the men like it’ll make any difference, but they don’t listen. Joel might be liked and well respected around here, but he isn’t above the law. 

Once Joel’s secured in the vehicle, the men come over to you, and the sheriff sighs with a pitiful look. “My deputy will drive you to the hospital, ma’am, but I’m sorry; your husband has to come with me.”

———

The entire night felt like you were in somebody else’s body watching this nightmare happen to you. You were scared, pacing the hospital room between examinations and contractions, wondering why hell Joel had to go and get himself arrested tonight of all nights.

But when Sarah and Maria arrived, they helped you realize that anger wasn’t going to help. Tommy was dealing with Joel, and you had two tiny humans relying on you right now, so you had to be strong and try to forget about him in a jail cell for the sake of the twins.

Labor had lasted hours. You were exhausted, highly emotional and honestly terrified. But just as you notice the sun starting to rise, the midwife helps you back up on the bed to examine you again. 

She looks up from between your legs, and the look she gives you tells you it's time.

“I don’t think I can do this; this wasn’t how it was supposed to be. I can’t do this without him.” 

Sarah grabs your hand tightly then. “You can. You have to.” 

“When the next contraction comes, I need you to push for me, okay?” 

You don’t know how long you’ve been pushing; you don’t know if this is even real; you just know the pain feels overwhelming.

But at some point between pushing, the door bursts open and you see that face you’ve been desperate to see. He’s here.

Your head falls back against the pillow as you pant hard, feeling relieved that despite the pain, you don't have to do this without him no longer. The tears start to fall then. “How? How are you here?”

“It doesn’t matter; I just know I’ve got a lot of sweet talking to do after this.” He smiles.

“I hate you for leaving me like that!” 

He chuckles, dabbing your sweaty forehead. “You can hate me; that’s okay. You do whatever you need to do to get through this.” 

You shake your head, anticipating the next contraction. “I’m so tired, Joel.” 

“I know, sweetheart, I know. But you're so close now.” He leans down, kissing your forehead. “Take my hand; you fuckin' break it if you need to.” He looks deep into your eyes then. “You’ve got this, my love. Let’s meet our sons, yeah?" 

A few weeks later…

“You’re home.” You sigh in relief as he steps into the bedroom. 

“I’m home.” He checks on his son in the crib before walking over to you in the rocking chair, bending down to lay a soft kiss on top of your head. “How are our sons?”

“It’s been a long day; I think they’ve been missing their daddy.” 

You hand him his other son, watching him cradle the tiny bundle in his huge arms. 

"Well, if it makes you feel any better, my day was pretty rough too. The auction didn’t go great, and your dad definitely still hates me.”

You smile. "No, he doesn’t.” 

“Didn’t say a word to me the entire day. Maybe it was a mistake taking him with me; now he’s seen me failing as a cowboy as well as a husband.”

“Joel, please stop beating yourself up about that. I promise you, he was over you getting arrested the second he saw his grandsons. I think he just likes to keep you on edge.” 

“He does that, alright.” Joel grins, a mischievous look in his eye. “Anyway, I got you something today."

“Yeah?” You narrow your eyes suspiciously. 

“I mean it’s more for the boys, but I don’t think they’ll quite appreciate it just yet.” He places his son into the crib beside his brother and leaves the room.

“It’s not a horse is it, they’re a little young still.”

When he comes back, he’s smirking and holding a small box. You open it and two tiny pairs of cowboy boots sit there. 

“Oh my goodness! Joel!” 

“You know I don’t part with my money unless it’s to buy a horse, but not this time. I saw ‘em and couldn’t resist getting the boys their first pair.”

With your hormones still all over the place, this might just send you over the edge. “They’re so cute.” 

“Well, my sons are gonna be cowboys one day, they gotta look the part.”

Your son’s babbles turn into cries and you slump back into the chair with a quiet groan, feeling deflated.

He smiles. “It’s alright, you should go eat something, daddy’s got this.” You smile, kissing his shoulder as you pass him. 

You weren’t naive; both of you knew having twins wouldn’t be easy, but the reality of having two newborns, running a ranch, and having your parents stay with you for the first few weeks of the twins' lives was often challenging. The house was also a mess and the post natal effects on your body were rough.

But it was the overhwelming love you felt for them as well as those small, soft moments of watching Joel as a father all over again that made the stress and the worry of adjusting to being parents so worthwhile. 

Like when he’d been unable to get away from work and he’d come home late tired and filthy, but the moment his eyes caught you sitting on the porch, the twins bundled in your arms as you all waited for daddy to come home, it would give you both a new energy that made the long day just disappear in an instant. 

Or how he'd refuse to miss bath time, knowing the twins loved it; he’d never want to miss a moment of their infectious smiles. Watching him read the boys their bedtime story as they fell asleep was always your favourite though, the little funny voices he'd create as he sent them off into their dreams would make you burst with joy. he was the best daddy, and you were so grateful to be on this crazy ride of parenthood alongside him.

“Are they down?” You ask, sitting on the kitchen counter as he walks towards you. 

“Finally. What ya got there?” He leans against the counter, trapping you.

“Open up.” 

You feed him a spoonful of ice cream, and he hums, licking his lips. “We really have to eat something more substantial.”

“The wonderful joys of having newborns, huh?”

“Any chance your mom put leftovers in the fridge?”

“Uh-uh, that’s a risk I’m not willing to take.”

“Don’t be mean," he chuckles as you feed him another spoonful. 

“You smell like horses.” 

"Hmmm, and you love it.”

Your eyes scan down his frame. “Maybe, but really you should take a bath." 

“Alright, but only if you join me and bring the ice cream too.” 

His strong arms wrap around your waits as he pulls you back into his front, peppering kisses along your shoulder. “Now this is more like it.”

He digs the spoon into he tub of ice cream on the side, collecting the biggest amount before taking a bite.

“You think the boys are gonna like this life?” you ask.

Through the mouthful of ice cream he responds, “It’s in their blood, baby; of course they will.”

“But what if they don’t want to be cowboys?"

“They ain't got a choice.”

"Joel—"

“okay, okay, I’m joking. We’ll be there for them no matter what they want to be, just as long as they don’t want to move to the city," he laughs. “Look, all we can do is try our best to raise two beautiful and healthy boys. The rest is out of control.” 

“But what if they become criminals like their dad, getting arrested—"

“Heyyy shut up!" He squeezes you playfully then, tickling your sides and making you squeal as the water splashes around. “I ain't no criminal, it happened once, alright?”

“Alright! Please stop!” you giggle as he digs back into the ice cream. "Can i have some?"

He brings the spoon to your mouth and as you go to take a bite he pulls it away quickly, drawing a trail of it along the back of you neck instead. Instantly his tongue comes out to draw along the trail then making you sigh into him.

"That's not fair."

"No? How about this?” He discards the spoon, his hand instead stroking up your front until he reaches your tits, his thumb flicking over your nipple, teasing you as you start to feel him getting hard agaisnt your back.

“Or this?” He brushes his knuckles down your body before dipping into the water and between your thighs until he reaches your folds, making you moan softly into the room. It’s been too long, and even though you're still healing, having him tease you like this feels so good. 

"Is this okay?” He mumbles.

"Yesss,"

“You need to tell me if it's too much, darlin’. I don't wanna hurt ya.”

“No, don’t stop; it feels so good.”

He takes his time and he’s so gentle in his touch, but it’s enough to drive you crazy, enough to have you withering against him and enough to have you completely surrender yourself to his control.

———

It's still dark and silent when you stir the next morning and when you turn in the sheets, you find the bed cold and empty next to you. Sitting up, you check the crib, and it’s empty too. Naturally as a mom, you panic but then your phone lights up and see the message from Joel telling you that he’s taken the boys down to the barns. 

Curious, you dress and go downstairs; you take Joel’s coat, loving the way it smells of him and wrap it around your body as you stroll down the hill in search of them.

A soft voice draws you in, and when you peer around the door, you see him, the twins bundled protectively inside his thick flannel as he introduces them to the horses. “This one’s daddy’s. He's the biggest and he’s the best boy I’ve got, although I hate to say it but he’s getting a little old now, just like me I s’ppose." 

He walks over to the other side where shadow stands watching him. “And this is Mommy's horse. There’s a little story about him and how she got him and I’m sure she’ll tell ya when you’re older.” He looks down to his sons snuggled against him. “And, one day when you're both a little bigger, I’ll get ya both have your own and maybe, just maybe you might wanna help run this place alongside your big sister, huh?” He sighs. “Yeahhh, you don’t have any idea what Daddy's talking about, do ya?”

“Morning.” You interrupt softly so as not to startle him. 

He gasps. “Who’s that? "Is that Mommy?" 

“What’s going on in here?” 

“Just letting ‘em meet the team.”

You chuckle. “It’s super early; they usually sleep a little longer?” 

“Not today; I guess they're going to be early risers like their old man.”

“Hmmm. I wonder how long that’s going to last.” 

A few years later…

The sun is only just rising, but the summer heat is already starting to settle in now, and it gives you that giddy feeling because you know it means long days in the saddle, warm family nights by the camp fire, and days off watching the boys play with their father, uncle and cousins in the river.

You check the boys' room, and sure enough, their beds are empty. School might be out for the summer, but that just means the boys get to learn alongside their father instead.

You dress before heading down the hill where like always you spot the group of cowboys along with Tommy and Sarah saddling up their horses, ready for yet another day out on the land. 

You lean against the corral fence, watching the cowboys when you spot Joel. He’s saddled up like he means business, except this time your sons are sitting up there with him, their little smiles lighting up from the excitement of being on their dad’s horse. They’re growing up so fast, and seeing them like that, with their little boots and hats looking just like their father makes you a little emotional.

When Joel spots you, he gives you that irresistible miller smile and rides over and dismounts. “You hold him steady now while I go talk to your mama.”

He comes to the fence, lifting the brim of his hat a little to capture your lips in that way that will forever make your tummy feel fuzzy. "Morning, darlin’.”

“Heading out?”

“Hmmm. Gonna take them with me today.”

“You sure they'll be okay?”

“Of course, they're so eager to get out there; they were down here with the horses even before I was.” 

That makes you smile, they’re just like their father. “Of course they were. Just be careful, please.”

"Always," he pauses, an idea running through his head. “You wanna come with us?”

When you were pregnant with the boys, you’d spent a lot of that time finalising your second book. And to your surprise but not to Joel’s, it was big success, but that meant now you had a team of people working for you, eagerly anticipating the second draft of your third novel so you were busier than ever. Yet today, the idea of taking Shadow out and riding alongside your three boys is just an opportunity too perfect to be missed.

“Okay!”

He smiles. “That’s my girl. Go saddle up; we’ll be waiting for ya."

“Yes sir.”

You walk away from him, feeling his eyes on you as you do.

“Hey,”

You turn to his call. “Yeah?”

He comes to you, removing his hat from his head and placing it on yours. “That’s better. I love you, Mrs. Miller.”

“I love you too, cowboy.”

Mine by @dvnvln

In the dark of the night, Din always calls you by another woman’s name. And it’s starting to wear on you.

Take it Off by @dindjarindiaries

Your new ally extends his hospitality a little too far—and now Din’s determined to remind you of what he alone can provide you with. 🔥

Those Eyes by @beyondspaceandstars

A little, sweet night pillow talk with Din. Short and sweet!

Kar’taylir by @the-archxr

the four times Din Djarin almost says it, and the one time he does. alternatively, the four times you almost say it, and the one time you do

Tension by @reedispunk

It’s Din’s first night in his new home on Navarro. He’s distracted and on edge so you find a way to help him relax.🔥

Sight Unseen by @/reedispunk

over the years he happily fulfills all of your desires, except the one you want most of all: to see his face.🔥

Silk and Beskar by @cherrycokeispunk

It started before eight in the morning. Power tools, yelling, laughing, car doors slamming. It ruined the peace and tranquility of the post-school bus and rush hour lull. At first, you turned over and tried to fall back asleep. When that didn't work, you grabbed your extra pillow and pressed it against your ear. But after thirty minutes of chasing sleep with the sounds outside only growing louder, you gave up, blood boiling.

Maybe you should have coffee first, but unfortunately, your rage wins out. It's way too early. They're being far too noisy. And it's your goddamn day off!

You're seeing red when you tighten your robe around your waist, not even bothering to tie it but instead you hold it closed with your fist as you storm towards the front door. Your pajamas are just a tank top and sleep shorts, it's not anything scandalous anyway, especially given how hot Texas gets in the summer, but the last thing you want is a whole construction crew gawking at you while you give them a piece of your mind.

Music had just been turned on somewhere amongst the site. Tom Petty, you think, as you make your way over. Your flip flops snap angrily against the blacktop as you cross your driveway into your neighbor's front yard to survey the scene.

There's at least eight workers getting set up. Their trucks are parked all up and down the street, taking up every open spot. None of them glance your way as they unload tools, coolers, and supplies from their flatbeds. Your arms cross tightly and your brows furrow but the noise only gets louder.

"Excuse me?" you call out to no one in particular, but they don't hear you. Your jaw tightens. "Hey! Excuse me?"

"Can I help you?"

You swivel around, taken off guard by the deep voice behind you.

"Yes! I—"

Your words falter when you lay eyes on the man who snuck up on you. He's setting a ladder down by his feet, giving you time to take in his strong arms and broad shoulders underneath the stretch of his black short sleeved shirt, which still allows you a generous view of his tanned forearms. His jeans look lived in in the best kind of way. He wears them like a man who doesn't care what they look like, so long as they're comfortable. You push down the heat crawling up your neck by the time he straightens up, but when you see his face, you lose your train of thought once again.

Deep brown eyes, sharp nose, a chiseled jawline dusted with a short, somewhat patchy beard. Then he offers a soft, crooked smile that knocks the wind out of you to the point where you nearly forget your earlier anger.

Focus, you scold yourself.

"I live right over there—" You point behind him and he slowly turns, eyes scanning your modest home. "And my bedroom window is right there," you add. His eyes flicker to your open window towards the back of the house before he gives you his full attention again, something that makes your stomach flip. "I'd appreciate it if you guys could keep it down this early in the morning. It's disruptive to the whole neighborhood."

His devastatingly dark eyes glimmer with humor and even though he's not smiling, you can sense he's not taking you seriously. He makes a show of checking his watch—a beat up old thing with a green fabric band—before looking back at you. "It's eight fifteen," he tells you, tone flat.

"Yeah, now," you say, rolling your eyes, "but this noise started earlier. It woke me up."

Now the corner of his mouth lifts and he slowly crosses his arms, which simultaneously irritates and excites the hell out of you.

"Sorry 'bout that, miss," he tells you, "but we're abidin' by city ordinance."

"I'm sure you are, but you have to admit it's disturbing the peace."

He regards you silently for a moment, his heavy gaze drifting up and down your frame. Suddenly, the thin robe you're wearing is too much and doesn't seem like enough all at once. An amused look flits across his face at one point before his eyes drop to the dirt.

"Could start at seven, technically," he finally says, "we're doin' you a favor by startin' at half past."

Your hackles raise at that. "Would you like me to thank you?"

He chuckles and shakes his head before meeting your gaze again. "Never said that. Just sayin' we're followin' the law, is all."

"I know you are," you huff, "all I'm suggesting is maybe keeping your voices a little lower."

He smirks and uncrosses his arms in favor of propping his hands on his hips, giving you a spectacular view of his wide chest.

"We could," he muses, pretending to think about your request while staring off at a fixed point somewhere over your shoulder, "if you ask real nice."

Your jaw drops at the same time your knees go weak. "Excuse me?"

He shrugs, still staring somewhere behind you in order to keep his shit eating grin from stretching across his face. "Just sayin', you came over here all hot under the collar. Had you asked nice, I mighta been able to help you out."

Your throat tightens. He's not trying to sound suggestive but your brain doesn't care. It's sending a wave of arousal right through you, causing your heart to slam against your ribs the more it builds.

"What's your name?" you demand with a clipped tone.

"Joel," he says without missing a beat.

"Joel," you repeat, "I'd like to speak with your boss."

"Ah, that'd be me."

He stretches out his hand with a grin. You ignore it and look back at the trucks until you spot a logo on the side and squint.

"Miller?" you guess. He nods. "Great. I'll be filing a complaint with the better business bureau."

You shoulder past him and try not to fixate on how good he smells, a mixture of motor oil, fresh soap, and coffee.

"Yeah? And what's your complaint gonna be for?" Joel calls after you. You ignore him and keep walking. You hear his deep chuckle before he picks up the ladder and it pisses you off even more, but you don't allow your rage to show until you're safely inside your house where you can seethe to yourself while making some coffee.

***

The rest of the week is uneventful. You have meetings downtown all week, a disruption to your usual remote work schedule, but a necessary evil you try your best to organize all at once every month. When you leave in the morning, the workers are just arriving. When you get home, they're already packed up or gone entirely. You nearly forget all about your intriguing run in with the mysterious Joel Miller until the following Monday, when you're back to working remotely.

You're an hour into emails and onto your second cup of coffee when you first hear the familiar ruckus next door. It starts with amused banter. Then truck doors slamming. Then the music kicks on. You shake your head, close your windows, and keep working.

With your television playing in the background, it's easier to block out some of the construction noise, but at around one in the afternoon you hear a repetitive, ear piercing beep, beep, beep during a work call that sets your teeth on edge.

Stones are pouring from the back of a metal flatbed. Shovels are scraping and banging loudly. And you do your best to stay focused, but when the call ends and you can't recall half the topics discussed, you can't hold back any more.

You spot Joel with his back to you, holding a shovel and shouting instructions to his crew while you approach. As if he can sense it, he turns when you're about ten feet away. His eyes sweep up and down your body and he grins before leaning on his shovel, amused by the anger currently forcing your feet forward.

"Don't tell me we woke you up again," he teases before you can even open your mouth. "It's after lunch. What's the matter now?"

You scowl at him, ignoring the way his crew sends you curious looks as they work.

"No," you snap, "I'm working. Or, at least, trying to! I have all my windows closed and I still can hardly hear myself think."

He looks at you like he's sizing you up, like he's trying to figure something out. "Thought you worked in an office somewhere."

You frown, slightly alarmed. "How would you know that?"

"Saw you couple times last week," he says hurriedly, as if he just realized how his comment sounded. "When I was gettin' here in the mornin', sometimes I'd see you gettin' in your car and drive off."

The silence that followed made Joel nervous. He shifted his weight and awkwardly scratched his beard while you tried to sort through what he just said without giving away your feelings. He noticed you? Was he looking for you, or did he just happen to see you?

"Uh, based on your spiffy clothes, just figured you worked somewhere fancy," he finished, rubbing the back of his neck before looking away.

You look down at the clothes you currently have on—denim shorts and an old, oversized shirt... far from spiffy today—before looking back up at him. To your surprise, you notice some red creeping up his neck and staining the apples of his cheeks. You have to bite your lower lip to keep yourself from smiling because despite how pleased it makes you to see the big, annoying, sexy construction guy next door all embarrassed because of you, you're here for a reason.

"Sometimes I work in an office, but most of the time I work at home," you explain, waving toward your house, "and right now, it's pretty much impossible to get anything done."

"Well, m'sorry 'bout that, but we gotta work, too."

You sigh and pinch the bridge of your nose. "I know. How much longer is this going to take?"

Joel clicked his tongue, making you lift your chin to look back up at him. The way he looks at you like you're something worth studying makes your heart skip a beat. Traitor.

"I'm offended you wanna get rid of us." His tone is back to teasing, and that glint in his eye confirms it. He likes pushing your buttons.

"I just want my quiet back! My—your customers are elderly! They can't hear for shit, they keep to themselves, they're the perfect neighbors! They aren't bothered by all this noise, but everyone else is!" Your voice is getting louder than you thought. People are beginning to notice, but you don't care.

"Everyone?" Joel repeats, narrowing his eyes now. "Strange, 'cause you're the only one cryin' 'bout it."

"I am not crying about it, I'm attempting to come to some sort of agreement, but you're being too... too..." Your hands flail in the air as you struggle to think of the right word.

"Too what?" Joel presses, stepping closer. You catch a whiff of his sweat mixed with sawdust and it makes your head swim. Focus.

You glare at him, blood on fire in your veins the longer he stands there looking all cocky.

"Misogynistic!" you exclaim triumphantly. Joel just blinks at you.

"What?"

You roll your eyes. "Means if a man were out here asking you to keep it down, you probably would, but instead you're giving a woman a hard time."

That seems to piss him off. His jaw sets into a tight line and he leans forward, voice low and dangerous. "Now you listen here," he says, and the way his demeanor suddenly shifted makes your spine straighten. "I'll allow for alotta shit, but I ain't gonna stand here and let you spin some wild story when you don't even know me or my crew. That's disrespectful and untrue."

You swallow tightly, unable to tear your gaze away from his eyes. They're so dark and stormy when he's legitimately mad that it's hard to look away.

"Sorry," you mumble, "but you're not taking me seriously, what else am I gonna think?"

His gaze softens then. His shoulders loosen. And the clouds clear from his eyes. The playful glimmer returns and you swear you see a ghost of a smile tug at his lips before he casually says, "I'll prove it to you. Bring out your husband or boyfriend or whoever and I'll tell him the same things I've been tellin' you."

"I don't have a husband or boyfriend," you answer before you even realize the trap you stepped in. His face lights up but he plays it off with ease.

"That's a relief." Your eyes widen and he grins. "'Cause if you had some guy hidin' in there all this time, lettin' his woman handle all the dirty work, gripin' to me while wearin' short shorts or a see-through robe? That wouldn't be much of a man."

Then he turned on his heel to join his crew, leaving you to weave through the rollercoaster of emotions he just dumped on you for the rest of the afternoon.

***

Over the next few days, something slightly changed. You found yourself going outside more, lingering around your car or taking a while to get your mail just to catch a glimpse of Joel. Usually, he'd catch your eye and give you a small smile, but that was the extent of it. Nothing overtly friendly and nothing mean, either. He was very good at being polite and cordial, which infuriated you. It made it impossible to figure out exactly what he was thinking. You replayed so many looks and conversations in your head to the point where you were paralyzed trying to pick apart every inflection and glance.

Why do you care anyway? you kept asking yourself. You never provided an answer.

It's the combination of your frustration with yourself as well as Joel's confusing signals that cause you to find more things to complain about, although you never admit it. But every interaction with Joel leaves you more aggravated and pent up than the last.

"That's not the property line. This is the property line," you had argued with him on Tuesday.

"It's just four inches."

"That's nine inches, easy."

Joel had tsked sympathetically under his breath. "Oh, darlin', if someone out there's tellin' you that's nine inches, I'm so sorry."

On Thursday morning, he had parked his truck in your driveway.

"I need to have my driveway clear!"

"I know, I know, it was only for a minute til the concrete truck comes—"

"I don't care! Park on the street!" you had yelled, but the angrier you got, the more pleased Joel looked.

"No parkin' left on the street."

"Then park on the lawn," you said, crossing your arms and jutting out your hip. His eyes had drifted down, noting you chose to wear a shirt that showed a little more cleavage than usual.

"Careful, sweetheart. Keep yellin' at me like this and I'll fall in love with you."

Every time he said something flirty like that, it sent you back to your house to obsess over whether or not he was serious or just trying to get you off his back.

The cherry on the sundae was the incident on Friday when someone accidentally dug in the wrong spot and severed your internet cable, completely derailing the latest project you had been tasked with at work. Joel had anticipated your anger before you stormed out of the house, screen door smacking loudly against the siding as you stomped down the old wood stairs of your porch, making a beeline right for Joel next door.

"Tell me it wasn't your guys who did that."

He sighed before slowly turning around to face you. He looked tired, no doubt drained from the long, hot week, but he still managed to brighten up a little when he laid eyes on you.

"Sorry, darlin'. They're comin' to fix it."

"When?" you snapped. Joel narrowed his eyes as if to silently warn you about your tone. Who the hell does he think he is?

"An hour," he said flatly.

"An hour?" you exclaimed, clearly devastated.

"Yeah. An hour. Ain't you got a lunch break or somethin' you can take til it's fixed?"

You snorted and tossed your hair over your shoulder. "I haven't taken a lunch break that didn't involve a client in more than five years."

"Well, today's the day you break that streak," he told you before turning back to the hole in the ground. "Damn inspector didn't flag the property right. Ain't our fault, it's the town's."

You bury your face in your hands with a groan. "I can't believe this," you mutter to yourself.

"If it helps, I ain't happy 'bout it either," Joel says, crouching down to inspect the spot closer. "This just set me back a couple days."

"Days?!" you exclaim, letting your hands fall back to your sides in disbelief. Joel nods, still not looking at you.

"Yeah. Gotta redo the plans now. Old plans were built 'round the cables bein' two feet west—"

"So this insanity is going to last even longer?" you ask, cutting him off. Joel sighs and drops his head between his shoulders briefly before standing with a grunt. He's tall—his shadow blocks the sun when he towers over you, a fact that never went unnoticed.

"What's the matter, sweetheart? Thought you'd be happy to know you ain't gettin' rid of me just yet." The smirk he gives you is devastating. Your gaze falls to his throat, where beads of sweat have been trickling down and soaking his collar. It's not fair this man is so fucking handsome yet so irritating.

"I'll survive," you mutter, crossing your arms tightly and looking away to clear your head.

"Yeah? Who you gonna yell at when I'm gone, hm?"

"Believe it or not, I'm actually not a yeller," you shoot back with a glare. "Guess you just bring it out of me."

His gaze darkened for a moment like he was considering how to reply. You could almost see the silent back and forth behind his eyes, the words locked and loaded on the tip of his tongue but a small sliver of logic fought to hold onto them and pull them back down.

He says it anyway.

"That right?" His voice dips lower than you've heard it before, but not out of anger. Something else. Something far more heated and dangerous. "Wonder what else I could bring outta you."

The implication falls between you like an anvil. The weight of it keeps you both still, oblivious to what's going on around you entirely. Somehow, you manage to hold his gaze, but you're swallowing hard and breathing even harder and he can see it. He tracks the movement with those dark eyes, waiting for you to come up with a retort or storm off.

Normally, you'd do the latter, but today, you're fired up. It's always Joel who gets the last flirty word in. It's always Joel who leaves you spinning while he happily carries on with his day. So this time, you close the distance between you and crane your neck up. He doesn't break eye contact but you can tell he didn't expect this. He didn't expect you to get inches away and hold the silence like a knife to his throat. His lip curls into a smile, breathlessly anticipating some flustered, snappy comeback paired with an angry look. Instead, what you say shocks him.

"You couldn't handle it, Miller."

The confidence in your voice is what makes him falter. You clock it and grin, very satisfied with yourself, before turning and heading back to your house. The world begins to wake up around him again. Sounds begin to crescendo slowly in the air: power tools, his crew's voices, cars rumbling down the street. But his eyes are fixed on you. On the way you carry yourself back up your porch and into your house without the courtesy of a single glance back.

When your screen door snaps shut, he blinks. Clears his throat. Then forces his feet to move.

After that, Joel spends the rest of the afternoon praying he doesn't get distracted enough to lose a finger.

***

The weekend is thankfully quiet, but long. You pace around trying to keep busy, but you miss it. You hate it, but you miss peeking out your window to see what Joel is up to. You miss whatever has been brewing between you over the last two weeks. You miss the excitement and electricity that crackles between you when you stomp over there for one reason or another.

By Sunday night, you decide it isn't healthy to be so fixated on this. You're not even sure what's gotten into you. Usually, your life is mundane and quiet, yet this man has burrowed his way in and found a piece of you to bring to life you didn't know existed.

He pisses you off, you remind yourself. It's not good. He's not good. Let this go, the sooner the better.

So on Monday, you force yourself to stay in your house all day. It's hard, but you know it's the right thing to do. You need to focus on work and Joel is just a distraction. A big, annoying, sexy distraction.

On Tuesday, you do the same thing. It's a littler easier this time. You get a decent amount of work done with your earbuds solidly in place. You only look up from your computer to check your window a handful of times. Once or twice you swear you catch Joel glancing expectantly towards your house, but you push down the butterflies in your belly and focus back on the project in front of you.

Wednesday is more difficult because on that day, there's a legitimate reason to be annoyed. Joel's crew is using a portion of your lawn to toss old pieces of wood from the porch next door. When you first notice, you find yourself rising to your feet, propelled by anger. But then you catch yourself and slowly sit back down.

It's fine. They'll clean it up. Don't worry about it.

You finish your workday without stepping foot outside, although you had to close your curtains so you'd stop looking at the mess.

Thursday is loud. Drills pierce the air earlier than usual. You assume it has to do with the rain clouds forming on the horizon, but it still grates your every nerve to hear metal grinding into solid wood first thing in the morning. You pop your earbuds in and turn the volume up. It works, until the rain starts. The water streaking suddenly down your windowpane catches your attention, so you pull your earbuds out and look up.

Across your driveway, Joel's crew is packing up early. They're running, getting absolutely soaked in the rain while trying to get everything valuable back into their trucks as quickly as possible.

Good, you think. Peace and quiet a little earlier today.

Then you see him. Joel. With his dark curls plastered against his forehead and his white shirt sticking to his torso like he had just jumped into a pool. Your brain buffers and your lips part at the sight. You could tell before he's strong, but now his shirt is leaving very little to the imagination.

"Shit," you whisper as you watch, unblinking, while Joel packs up his truck and then turns to help his crew. His muscles flex under his rain soaked skin, water drips furiously down the sides of his head, and you forget how to breathe.

Fuck him for being so irritating and goddamn good looking at the same time.

The image is seared into your brain for the rest of the night. It has you tossing and turning in bed until you can't stand it anymore and you give in, sliding one hand down the front of your shorts in search of relief. It's fleeting and not as good as you hoped, but at least you're able to fall asleep.

Friday is when everything comes to a head.

You're tired from a restless nights sleep and on your third cup of coffee when you notice the end of your driveway is blocked. Your jaw clenches as you push a curtain aside to get a better view and of course, it's Joel's truck.

"Son of a bitch," you mutter, narrowing your eyes like you could destroy the car with your mind if you tried hard enough.

It's fine. He'll move it. He's probably waiting on some delivery, like last time.

But this time, his truck remains parked haphazardly at the end of your driveway all day. When you manage to spot him working next door, he's all smiles, completely unbothered. At last around three you see him walk to his truck, but it's just to get something from the console. The way he strolls back to his crew like he had every right in the world to encroach on your property makes your blood boil.

That's it. You've had enough. You've kept to yourself all week long, it's almost the weekend, you did pretty good. And this isn't unreasonable. He's in your fucking driveway! He's had multiple chances to move and he didn't!

Before you could stop yourself, you reach forward, lift open your window, and lean out.

"Joel Miller!"

He stops dead in his tracks, along with half his crew, to track your voice from your office window. When he spots you, he lifts his hand to his eyes to shield himself from the sun and he grins.

"Yeah?"

"Move your goddamn truck out of my driveway or else I'm havin' it towed!"

His crew chuckles and goes back to wrapping things up for the day. Joel tilts his head at you like he's amused.

"Thought you moved," he says, "haven't heard that smart mouth all week."

"Unfortunately for me, I'm still here," you snap, "now move that hunk of junk right now!"

"She ain't no hunk of junk," Joel says with mock offense. "She's the only lady in my life that never let me down, don't talk 'bout her like that."

"Stop talking about your car like it's a woman, that's gross."

Joel whistles low and comes closer so he doesn't have to shout. "Jealous?"

"Of a car? Give me a break," you snort.

He tsks and inches closer. By now, he's halfway across your driveway. "Why don't you try askin' me real nice, then maybe I'll move it."

"Why don't you get a little closer and I'll make you do it."

The deep groan that rumbled from his chest made your thighs clench.

"Don't tease a fella now," he warns with a playful look, "'cause if you talk like that I'm gonna make you follow through."

You roll your eyes, grateful you have an entire wall between you to hide the way you're practically squirming in place.

"Will you please shut up and move the truck?"

"Don't love the shut up part, but y'did say please, so I will."

"Thank you," you reply, overly sweet with a fake smile. Still, Joel stifles a laugh, entirely enthralled with how riled up he manages to make you.

"No problem. I'll be done in an hour, then I'll get outta your hair."

The smile falls from your face to be replaced with a scowl. "An hour?"

"Yeah. An hour," he confirms, turning back to his job site. "Don't worry. Won't get in the way of your Friday night plans."

"Joel—"

"It'll be longer if you keep flirtin' with me," he says loudly over his shoulder so his entire crew can hear. Your cheeks instantly heat up but you slam your window shut before you can give him the satisfaction of witnessing your embarrassment.

You sit back down and try to focus on work, but it's impossible. Why does this man get under your skin so easily? And why do you find him so irresistible at the same time? It must be because it's been a while since the last time you've been with someone. You've been so focused on work the last several months, you can't even remember the last time you went on a date, let alone took a man home.

Your gaze drifts up against your will. Most of Joel's crew has cleared out next door. There's two guys left plus Joel, cleaning up the rest of the lawn before the weekend. You can see the relaxed smiles on their faces as they chat, probably discussing weekend plans. It makes you wonder what Joel does on the weekends. You have a feeling he's single based on his earlier comment about his truck. So what does a single man do with their spare time?

Probably pick up girls. The thought makes your stomach twist into a knot. You shake your head and focus back on your computer. That's none of your business. Who cares if he's getting laid? It doesn't matter.

Your lips press together when your eyes lift to find Joel through the window again, but now you realize the yard is empty. The remaining trucks are gone. The supplies are picked up. It's quiet.

For some reason, you're relieved when you stand and hurry to your window to find Joel's truck still idle in your driveway. You stand there staring at it while you weigh your options in your head.

It's a bad idea, you think. Joel isn't good for you. He drives you crazy. Yet you have to admit, you can't remember the last time you've felt such a spark with someone before. He's certainly not boring, you'll give him that. And he's funny, in his own way. Would it really be so bad?

Fuck it. You rush to your bedroom to change your shirt for a simple light dress and freshen up as fast as you can, all the while straining to hear for the telltale sound of his motor turning over, then you slow down.

You decide to leave it up to fate. If he's still there by the time you're ready, then you'll go for it. If he's gone, then he's gone, no big deal.

After tapping on some subtle, fruity flavored lip balm and spritzing just a tiny bit of perfume in your hair, you step out of your bedroom, mustering up as much confidence as possible as you walk to your front door. You decide not to practice what to say, that you'll just let it happen organically if it feels right. But when you swing your door open only to be met face to face with Joel, who has one fist raised in the air as if he were about to knock, all that confidence goes straight out the window.

Shit.

"Hey," he says with a crooked grin. His arm lowers to his side and your heart kicks in your chest when you notice his eyes sweep up and down your body before meeting your gaze.

"What can I do for you?" you ask, leaning against the doorframe with a small smile. His grin widens and you feel like you've stepped into yet another trap.

"That's a loaded question, sweetheart," he says, voice low. You suppress a shudder. "Wanted to tell you I'm headin' out. Looks like I got good timin', too." He gestures to your appearance and you look down.

"I'm not going anywhere."

He quirks up an eyebrow. "You got someone comin' over?"

You shake your head and try to bite back the smile that threatens to stretch across your face.

Joel makes a soft noise and casually lifts his arm to rest against the frame, right above your head. He's towering over you like this and you think it's on purpose.

"Just gettin' all dolled up to sit home alone?" he asks. You shrug and cross your arms, hoping your breasts lift when you do. His gaze flickers down quickly, confirming you're successful.

"You think this is dolled up?"

Slowly, he lets himself take in your appearance again, this time making sure you saw.

"Just used to seein' you in shorts or that little robe of yours."

"You don't like my shorts or robe?"

"Never said that."

You have to stifle a laugh and his eyes practically glitter with amusement.

"Do you have any big plans this weekend?" you ask, hoping to come across casual.

"Nothin' too crazy," he tells you, leaning in a little further. "Watch the game. Mow the lawn. Come up with new ways to get you yellin' at me."

You laugh and shake your head. "You've been doing a great job so far."

"Not so sure 'bout that," he says, swiping his palm over his chin. "Been tryin' all week. Didn't get your attention til I parked in your driveway."

The expression on your face instantly melts into one of annoyance. "You did all of that on purpose?"

His enjoyment couldn't be contained. With a huge grin, he replies, "Yes, ma'am."

"The mess on my lawn? The extra early noise?" You could feel your anger rising, flooding your chest with heat.

"That's right," Joel replies. "Parkin' in your driveway was a last resort."

Your jaw tenses as you stare him down in disbelief. "What is your goddamn problem?" you seethe. Your earlier plans to ask if he wanted to come in for a drink vanish. Screw this guy.

"Thought you were dead or somethin'. Consider it my version of a wellness check."

"I don't need you to do a wellness check on me!" you yell, throwing your hands in the air to stop yourself from pushing him. "I've put in the shittiest work this week because of you! Why are you hellbent on bothering me so much?"

"'Cause it's fun and you're cute when you're all pissed off."

"I'm cu—"

The words die in your throat as your brain formally processes what he just said. You're still angry and red in the face, your chest is still heaving from adrenaline, and yet you're frozen solid, blinking up at him like an idiot. A slow smile spreads across his face, revealing that dreadfully adorable dimple.

"Probably the only woman on earth who looks prettier when she's readin' me the riot act," he adds just to watch your mouth open and shut like a fish.

"You—"

You're at a loss for words. The emotional whiplash has you reeling. He's into you, but he's showing it like an elementary school boy. It's kind of endearing but mostly immature, so you stand your ground.

"How old are you? Because you act like you're no older than twelve."

"I'm definitely older than twelve," he chuckles without missing a beat. "But listen... I really am sorry if your work suffered 'cause of me. Lemme make it up to you."

"How could you possibly—"

"Lemme take you out to dinner tonight."

The floor practically gives out from under you. What the hell is going on? The last ten minutes has your brain scrambling and your heart racing faster than any workout. How does this man manage to drive you to the brink of insanity only to pull you back at the last second with something sweet?

"You can yell at me the whole time, if you want," he says once too much time has passed without an answer. If you could see through your rage, you'd be able to pick up on his nervousness: his hand flexes at his side and his weight shifts from foot to foot with anxious energy.

"How about I just yell at you right here?" you snap. Joel laughs.

"If that's what you want, darlin', then sure."

Frustration bubbles up with a growl. You push away from the door to pace up and down your small hallway, raking your fingers through your hair while you attempt to calm down. All the while, Joel remains where he is, planted just outside your door, watching you spiral.

"You seem tense."

"I am tense! Because of you!"

"I can help with that."

You freeze and stare at him, long and hard. All those thoughts you've had about him, those images of him working in the rain, his way of turning a phrase to just barely imply he could ruin you... all of those moments crash down over you like a tidal wave and you decide that maybe he could help, after all.

In the blink of an eye, you close the distance keeping you apart. Your hand fists his sweaty, dirty shirt and you yank him forward. He stumbles a few feet into your house with surprised huff. You see the way his eyes widen right before your mouth crashes over his and finally, for a few blissful minutes, you get your coveted silence.

Joel only needs a moment before he catches up. His lips soften against yours as you pull him deeper into your house. He kicks back one foot and it collides with your door, slamming it closed behind him, then his hands are on you, pushing you gently against the wall so he can take control.

His teeth greedily graze your lower lip and your mouth parts for him with a soft moan. Driven by the sound, his tongue eagerly slips past your lips and his hands drop to cup the backs of your thighs. He hauls you up and your legs circle his waist while your tongues tangle together, hot and angry. It's desperate and messy and exactly what you need. The broad heft of his body pressed up against yours, the heady scent of the outdoors and sweat and him invading your senses, the faint taste of coffee on his tongue... it's utterly perfect.

"Where'd this come from, hm?" he asks, voice low and rough as his lips skim the edge of your jaw. Your head tilts back and your eyelids remain closed, offering your throat up to him without a fight.

"You said you could help," you murmur, craning your neck to give him better access. He finds a spot below your ear and sucks, leaving the beginnings of a mark that will take days to disappear.

"I did," he mumbles against your skin. "Meant a drink or somethin', but I ain't complainin'."

Your chin drops, hunting for his mouth, but then his hand is there tipping your head back, cupping your cheek with his thumb pressed on the underside of your jaw.

"Ain't done," he grumbles before continuing his assault on your throat. You pull your bottom lip between your teeth and let him move your head this way and that, enjoying the way he's taken control. You get the sense he's wanted this as badly as you because he seems determined to taste every inch of your skin. When his mouth travels lower to ghost over your shoulder, you shrug, allowing the strap of your dress to fall and expose more skin. Joel makes a pleased grunt before his lips explore the newly revealed territory.

"Christ, you're soft." It almost sounds like he's talking to himself, the way his voice is full of quiet wonder. A shiver rolls down your spine and you tug impatiently at his hair.

"Joel," you whine, but your thought is cut off with a gasp when he presses himself firmly against the cradle of your hips. You can feel him there, hot and hard behind his zipper. One of your hands drops to his belt and you slip your fingers past his waistband, but just as you're about to reach your target, his body jolts and he swats your hand away with a chuckle.

"Eager thing," he grins before sealing his lips over yours again.

"Bedroom," you manage to mumble when he takes half a second to breathe. "Behind you."

"Bossy," he scolds. His mouth covers yours with a deep groan before he tightens his grip around your legs. He pulls you from the wall and swings around to carry you in the general direction of your bedroom, all while never breaking the kiss.

It's kind of comical the way you stumble into your room. The door swings open too fast and knocks back against Joel's shoulder but it doesn't slow him down. He refuses to pull away to look where he's going, but when his boot collides with a half empty laundry basket on the floor, he curses under his breath and finally tears himself away.

You take the opportunity to squirm out of his grip. When your feet hit the floor, you instantly rise to your tiptoes, lips seeking out the warm skin of his throat. You moan a little when your tongue drags over his pebbled skin, tasting salt and sun that remains there. It's addicting to taste the product of his day's hard work, so you do it again and relish in the way he shudders from your attention.

"Shoulda just told me from the start what you wanted." His fingers fumble with his belt buckle after he hears the quiet sound of your zipper coming undone. "Would've saved us both alotta time, darlin'."

"Shut up," you grumble before your teeth pinch a spot next to his Adam's apple. Your dress falls into a pool at your feet, hands free to help him lift his shirt over his head.

"I need a shower," Joel says after his shirt is discarded. You just shake your head and press your mouth over his collarbone, then his sternum, mapping his body while he works on kicking off his boots and jeans.

"I like you like this," you whisper. He smirks, stepping out of his clothes as best he can with your mostly naked body pressed against his own. "You smell good," you add after a minute, and he seems pleased with that.

"Get on the bed, sweetheart. Lemme see you."

You pull away from the faint red marks you left littering his chest and look up at him through your lashes. "You first."

Joel frowns. "Wha—"

With a grin, you give him a gentle push. His back hits the bedding and he barely has a chance to register it until you're climbing on top of him, legs bracketing his hips with a giggle. He smiles so big that his eyes squint, revealing those damn dimples again beneath his beard. Then his gaze drops to your bare breasts and his eyes darken.

"Fuck, you're pretty," he mumbles, palming them greedily. When his rough thumb grazes your nipple, you lunge down and capture his mouth with a searing kiss.

"You want me like this?" he asks, words tumbling against your swollen lips. "Wanna ride me, baby?"

"Yes," you whine while tugging down his boxers with one hand. His palms glide over your thighs, squeezing and pulling you back and forth so your hips begin to grind down on his lap.

"Take these off 'fore I ruin 'em," he warns you, fingers hooking into the band of your panties. You suppress the shiver of arousal at his tone before you do exactly as he says.

When your bare cunt comes in contact with the underside of his cock, you suck in a deep breath. He's so hot and throbbing against your soaked folds, making every slide of your hips steal your breath away.

Joel watches you move with heavy lidded eyes, seemingly just as lost in the feeling as you. His chest rises and falls a little faster when the tip of his cock presses against your clit and your whole body shudders with a moan he will end up dreaming about for weeks.

Reality hits when a streak of his arousal leaks and smears across your skin, bringing him back down to earth for one second.

"Wait, my wallet—"

He extends one hand towards the floor and your eyes follow, connecting the dots and sliding off him to grab his pants. You find it tucked into his back pocket and toss it his way. He catches it and fishes out a little foil packet from its depths while you resume your spot in his lap, lips parted and heart racing with anticipation as he rolls the condom on with care.

"Alright honey, I'm all yours," he announces, smirking as he folds his arms behind his head. You roll your eyes but still shimmy forward and raise your hips, using one hand against his chest to prop yourself up and the other to guide him to your entrance. The moment you sink down, however, his lips melt into a soft circle and his eyelids flutter shut, filling your chest with pride before caving into the pleasure yourself.

You sigh and tilt your head back when you finally take all of him. The stretch is exquisite, or maybe it's just been a while, but it doesn't matter. All the static that's been electrifying your brain lately, all that stress from work, from pushing yourself too far every single day dissolves away.

"Oh, shit," he whispers, voice cracking. His fingers dig into the meat of your hips. "Feel so goddamn good."

You drop your head forward to look at him, chest and neck all flushed underneath you. Your eyes trace his body as you begin to move, just slow rolls of your hips while you take in every detail: strong arms built from work, not weights. Skin slightly sweaty and a shade lighter where his shirts protect him from the sun. Broad shoulders and a firm stomach, but not too lean. One of your hands drifts over the planes of his chest and the curves of his muscles, humming with admiration as you continue to slowly ride him. His eyes light up and you swear you can see the pleasure in his expression when he clocks your appreciation for him.

"Make yourself feel good, honey," he says, voice low. Your gaze flickers up to his and you share a smile. "Wanna see what you like. Wanna watch you fall apart on it."

Your hips lift and drop a little faster, skin slapping against skin. "Should've known you never stop talking, even when you're getting laid," you tease, and Joel chuckles.

"Bark and bite, I like that."

"Yeah, I figured that out." You gasp when he thrusts upwards, hitting a spot deep inside you can't reach on your own. He notices and files it away for later.

"Takin' notes on me?" he asks, ghosting his palms over your ribs before landing on your breasts, watching in a daze while they bounce in his hands.

"You wish," you pant. He tsks, eyes still fixed on your chest.

"I got a few things figured out 'bout you, too."

You stop moving to glare down at him and catch your breath. His dark eyes dance with amusement at your annoyed look.

"Like what?"

He shrugs but the smile still tugs at the corners of his mouth. "You work hard but don't ever blow off any steam. Don't know yet if it's cause you're too tired or you feel like you don't deserve it."

That stuns you. Even though you're naked and he's currently buried inside you, you suddenly feel very exposed. He sees he might have overstepped, so he backtracks with a joke.

"You can call me anytime and I'll be happy to help you unwind."

You snort and begin moving again, shaking off the unexpected flash of vulnerability. "Why don't you focus on making this memorable enough for me to call you again?"

Joel laughed then, loud. And despite yourself, you giggle.

"Baby, when you're done playin' cowgirl, I'm gonna flip you over and fuck you so hard, you'll feel it on Monday when you're watchin' me through that office window of yours."

Your pussy clenches involuntarily and you begin working faster, fucking yourself on his lap now like you mean it.

"That's a-a lot of big talk, Miller," you reply, breathless from the exertion. You circle your hips and moan loudly when you find an angle you like.

"Ain't just talk," he says, big hands back on your hips, helping you move. His gaze is fixed on where you're connected, on the slick smearing between your bodies, and his stomach tightens. "Been thinkin' 'bout fuckin' you every which way to Sunday, got a head full'a ideas."

"You've been thinking about fucking me?" you repeat almost shyly.

"Don't be coy, now," he tells you, grunting softly when you plant both hands on his chest for leverage. "You know you came over there that first day with these perfect fucking tits pokin' through that little robe on purpose."

"Did not," you breathe, but all the fight has left your body. You're getting close and it's all you can focus on now.

"Uh-huh," Joel says, clearly not believing you. He swallows hard and his cock twitches impatiently inside you. He could come like this, with you riding him, getting yourself off, but he doesn't want to. He doesn't want it to be over just yet, especially if you expect this to be a one time thing.

Shit, he hopes it's not just a one time thing.

"C'mon, baby, let go," he says before mouthing at your breasts. His tongue glides over one nipple then grazes it with his teeth before moving to the other one. You jolt and whine and push your chest even closer to his face.

"Joel..." you whisper. Your muscles are tired, you're slowing down. Sweat dots your forehead, collects behind your knees, and you're gasping for air.

He sits up suddenly, understanding right away what you need, and wraps one arm around your waist while the other braces himself against the mattress. He's able to fuck up into you like this and instantly your legs relax and your body slumps forward, causing him to relinquish the attention to your chest.

"That's it," he coos, "lemme help you."

You rarely accept help. The thought flickers across your mind for a moment before you push it away. This is different. This is just sex.

"M'close," you mumble shakily, fingers digging into the thick muscle of his shoulders, forehead pressed intimately against his.

"I know," he breathes, "give it to me, darlin'."

A few more harsh snaps of his hips has you falling, whimpering his name as white hot heat rolls through your limbs and soaking your brain with a drunken haze. He's murmuring to you the whole time: how tight you feel, how beautiful you look, what a good job you did, how perfectly you fit on his cock. The praise goes straight to your head and fills a much needed void somewhere inside you. Some piece of you that is always pushing you to do more, try harder, work faster... efforts that rarely give you desired results. Or, at least, the results you're after. But this—this man—he's giving you something you desperately crave without even realizing it.

Your breath stutters like you've been knocked off kilter, and maybe you have. Joel thinks it's an aftershock of your orgasm and doesn't think anything of it.

He lifts you off his lap and you gasp, eyes flying open in shock. You have about half a second before you're tossed face down onto the bed next to him, then he's climbing behind you, rough hands gentle on your hips as they pull you back up to your hands and knees.

"That's it," he grunts when you obediently spread your legs and arch your back. He smirks to himself before pushing back inside you with a heavy sigh. "Goddamn, you're warm," he says after sliding slowly all the way in, giving you a chance to adjust to the new position. You bite your lip and breathe through it, not wanting to give him the satisfaction of knowing just how deep he feels like this. How good he feels.

"Fuck me, Joel," you moan, pushing your ass back, encouraging him to move. He rolls his hips forward, slow and deep.

"I know," he pants, "I know what you need."

He moves a little faster. Your ass bounces with every push. He grabs it with one big hand and squeezes before giving you a playful smack and doing it again.

"No, you don't. You barely—barely know me," you remind him. Your words stumble over each other as you feel yourself losing focus again. He feels so good, it's impossible not to.

"Know you better than you think," he shoots back. He smoothes over the spot on your ass he had spanked, soothing the area before sliding his palm up and over your spine. He can feel every knot and twist, every stress point you keep locked away deep inside. His fingers seek them out with ease, like maybe he really can see more than you think.

Still, you're stubborn.

"You only know what I want you to know." Your jaw is clenched, the words escape through your teeth but your point is made. You swallow down a moan and close your eyes, giving in to the way he expertly takes you apart.

"I knew you needed this from the first time we met," he tells you, "could've fucked this out of you back then and saved us both the trouble."

"You like it," you hiss over your shoulder. His pace is relentless now, hips swinging roughly against your ass, burying his thick cock as deep as it'll go. He wants to split you open and make you scream his name. He wants your mind blank and your body satiated. "You like—ohh... f-fuck—"

"What's that?" he goads. Joel drops forward so both his arms bracket yours. His chest presses against your spine and his breath is hot in your ear. You shiver and your jaw falls open.

"You..." Your throat is dry. Heat is building behind your navel and your legs are starting to shake. You swallow and keep talking. "You like trouble. You like it... when I yell at you. Whe—when I—"

"Yeah, I know," he admits, "somethin' real sexy 'bout you when you get all pissed off."

"—Like when I tell you... tell you what to do."

He's silent for a moment but his pace never falters. The wet sound of skin on skin is deafening, addicting. Your face warms as he punches the air from your lungs with every devastating thrust.

"Yeah. Maybe I do."

You hum and breathe deep through your nose. Fuck, he's right. You're going to be sore. You can already feel it.

"So tell me what to do now," he adds. It takes you a second to process it, but when you do, you force your eyes open.

What does he want to hear?

Don't overthink it.

"Touch me," you demand, firm and clear despite how your heart is racing.

Joel doesn't hesitate.

He leans back, leaving your sweaty back exposed to the cool air, and he reaches around to play with your clit. Instantly, you gasp and buck under him.

"Like that?"

If you had any clarity at all you would have shot him back some sarcastic remark because of course the answer is yes. Your entire body is shaking, you can barely speak and he knows it.

"Mhm," you manage, "ye—yeah, just like that. Fuck, keep going—"

"Jesus Christ," he mutters when your body begins to work in tandem with his, meeting him thrust for thrust. "Shit honey, you're gonna make me come like this."

You whine and throw your head back. His fingers don't stop circling your clit. Sweat coats your skin now. Gasping breaths and the sound of his hips meeting your ass over and over are filling the room, punctuated by Joel's deep grunts and your breathy moans.

"Joel—" you whisper as your body locks up. Your muscles ache, your cunt aches even more, but you continue to take it all. Your hand feverishly finds his between your legs and you leave it there, loving the way his fingers feel while they play you like a guitar.

"Sweetheart, I'm gonna—"

But you cut him off before he could finish his thought with a sharp cry. Your orgasm washes over you, harsh and unforgiving. A moment later Joel follows you over the edge with a loud curse, then a rough, deep grunt you can feel in your bones as he empties himself into the condom.

"Oh, holy fuck," he gasps, removing his hand from between your legs. He still thrusts weakly into you as the last of his orgasm streaks through his veins. It's cut short when he feels your body shaking violently under him and just like that, his focus is back on you.

"You okay?"

"I'm—" You're out of breath. Your vision is spotty and your muscles are weak. You swallow hard and try again. "I'm good, just need to—"

You fall onto your elbows and Joel takes the hint. He eases out of you, ignoring the way his chest pangs at the loss of your body, before he collapses into bed and hauls you down next to him.

Now you can rest. You close your eyes and breathe, deep and heavy. He does the same while the sweat cools on both your bodies and slowly, your brain begins to come back online. When it does, you realize his body is loosely curled around yours, keeping you warm and grounding you. It's strangely intimate but you don't pull away. Not yet.

"How 'bout I take you for that dinner now?" he mumbles before carefully pressing a soft kiss against your neck. His sweaty chest is pressed against your back, sealing you together.

"Let's just order something instead," you sigh with your eyes closed.

"Did I tire you out, darlin'?"

"Didn't sleep well," you say, unwilling to give him any credit just yet, "the damn construction crew next door woke me up way too early."

"Uh-huh," he teases before tightening his arm around your middle. It feels nice, so you lean into him just a bit. And for a while it's quiet and peaceful. Your breath steadies, your head clears, but your muscles stay soft and relaxed. Joel doesn't say anything. His thumb rubs idly over your stomach, lips occasionally graze over your back or shoulder, and it feels good until that defensive part of your brain wakes up, right on schedule.

This isn't serious. This didn't mean anything. It was just stress relief. Don't get attached.

"So," you say, voice a little hoarse when you gently slip out of his grip. He rolls onto his back with a soft, reluctant noise and he watches you stand to pick up your clothes. "This is what it takes to finally shut you up, huh?"

You grin at your joke as you press your clothes to your front, hiding your bare body from him like he hadn't just touched every inch of it minutes ago. When he doesn't answer right away with some smart remark, you pause and meet his eye.

He's stretched out on your bed, looking at you like he's seeing something not meant for him. You swallow nervously and try not to let yourself enjoy how good he looks in your space, amongst your things, in your life.

"Yeah," he finally says, "guess that'll do it."

His voice sounds flat and you begin to feel bad, so you clear your throat and inch towards your bathroom. "Let's order something to eat before you go."

Before you go. Joel heard it and got the message. He didn't know what to expect but for some reason, it stings.

"Yeah, what are you thinkin'?" He sits up and reaches for his jeans, where his phone is still tucked into his pocket.

"I don't care. Whatever you like." Then the door to the bathroom quietly snaps shut. Joel sighs once's he's alone and rubs his face before looking around your room. It's neat and organized, nothing like his own. He chews the inside of his cheek while he thinks, but before he lets himself get too lost, he snaps out of it and looks at his phone.

Chinese is a safe bet, so he orders that before standing to rid himself of the condom and get dressed. Suddenly he feels out of place. He's rough and dirty and you're... not. And that's fine. This was fun, it doesn't have to be anything more. Yet when he wanders into your kitchen for water, he can't help but feel an empty pull in his chest at the thought of leaving.