#ourlifeba

cove moved to sunset bird a few hours ago and he hated the place. he hated being without his mother, and he hated living without her. he hated how his dad brought him to this new place, and how he was just expected to start here all over again.

he missed his old room, his old house, his hill. he missed the things that made where he used to live, home.

as he found himself on a hill covered in these white poppies, he heard a sweet melody carried by the wind. a voice singing some unknown tune, coming from the beach. wiping his tears, he got up and walked down the hill, and followed the voice, his steps light and curious.

as he got to the beach, he saw a silhouette of a someone that looked his age, but they were in the water.

“…hello?” cove said, not too loud but loud enough for the person to hear him.

the person turned around, made eye contact with cove with a smile, and dived underwater. it was dark and the moon was out but cove swore he saw a tail as the person dived.

cove knew exactly what the person was. a mermaid. a real smile finally broke through his face as he got excited and ran across the shore and into the water. he got as deep as he could do the water wouldn’t touch his cast.

“are you a mermaid..?” cove asked, looking around. “my name is cove!”

a few meters away, a head popped up from underwater, looking at cove. they made eye contact again, before the mermaid smiled.

“i’m y/n. what are you doing out here?” they said, tilting their head to the side.

“i followed your voice.” cove said quietly. y/n swam closer to cove, as their tail started to touch the sandy floor.

y/n giggled, before smiling widely. “did i sound good? it’s a song that i heard when i was exploring, and i wanted to try singing it!”

“it sounded really good! you’re a really good singer.”

cove and y/n smiled at each other, before y/n dived underwater again, and came back up holding a seashell as an offering.

“cove… can we be friends?”

cove nodded repeatedly, making y/n laugh as they tossed him the seashell. cove caught it, clutching it on his chest.

“you’re my first ever human friend! this is going to be so much fun! we can go swimming together—“

“after i get my cast off.”

“yes, after you get your cast off. we can also talk all the time, and hang out, and do what friends do! i can tell you about the people that live here too! you gotta stay away from the grumpy old people in the neighbourhood over there! they’re kinda rude, or at least, that’s what lizzie said to shiloh.”

“who’s lizzie?” cove whispered, curiously.

“she’s this girl that lives here and she always plays at the park close to the beach, a little that way.” y/n pointed before continuing. “she says it’s her park but you can’t own a park! that’s so silly!”

“i owned a hill back home.”

“oh! well then, i guess you can own stuff!”

cove and y/n laughed together before cove trailed off.

“how do you know them? i thought that i was your first human friend.”

y/n’s face fell slightly, before they sighed and a small smile came on their face. “they don’t know i exist. honestly, no one is supposed to know. i just like listening to them talk, and watching them hang out together! shiloh and lizzie are best friends and i wanted to be a part of that… you know?”

cove nodded slightly, before cracking a smile.

“well, i promise i won’t tell anyone you’re a mermaid and that i’ll be the bestest human friend ever!”

y/n giggled softly. “i promise i’ll be the best mermaid friend ever! use that shell to contact me whenever! i’ll always answer! just like, talk in it!”

cove nodded, and as he said was about to say something, he heard his father calling his name. cove sighed before turning to y/n.

“i need to get back…” cove whispered, and y/n smiled.

cove’s dad was getting closer and closer, by the way his voice was getting louder. y/n waved goodbye, before swimming to deeper waters and diving underneath the calm waves.

cove smiled, and stepped out of the water, holding onto the shell, before walking towards his dad. maybe this new place wasn’t so bad.

...

It felt so good. Cove never wanted it to end. He loved it when Jamie touched him like this, how she somehow managed to find places not even he realized were sensitive. At times her fingers brushed across his chest, feather light, sending shivery sensations through him. Then she would surprise him with a firm, but still gentle squeeze to his pecs that sent a much more intense jolt of pleasure to those sensitive places.

Despite the distraction, Cove noticed how Jamie leaned in against him, giving him the perfect opportunity to kiss her ear, which he was only too eager to do. He was well aware of how sensitive her ears were, not just in terms of hearing, but every time he traced the shell of her ear with his mouth, she would tremble with pleasure against him. It also made the noises she let slip that much more delightful.

Jamie tilted her head to give Cove easier access, which he was only too eager to accept. The heat of his mouth spread to her ear, his ragged breaths sending shivers through her body. It was almost too much, making it difficult for her to continue pleasuring him when combined with the attention he paid to her thighs, but, oh, she didn’t want him to stop, not yet, not yet.

Cove marked a trail of kisses from Jamie’s ear to her jawline. She sighed at the sensation and murmured his name as she angled her chin attentively where he moved his mouth. He worked his way along the edge of her jaw until he reached the other side. There he lavished attention on her neglected ear, heating it up as well and drawing out more pleasing moans from his girlfriend.

A squeak escaped Jamie that ended in another moan as she felt Cove nibble her ear delicately before kissing where his teeth had been, almost apologetic for his boldness. His breath in her ear, hot and rough just made the things he did to her with his mouth feel so much better.

Jamie couldn’t stop her thoughts from straying to dangerous places. Although Cove delightfully distracted her with the attention he paid to her body, and she tried to keep her gaze above the waist, she couldn’t help but notice how his pants looked quite uncomfortably tight on him.

It was thrilling to see such proof of how much she aroused him. Normally when things got to this point, Cove would get overwhelmed by his own body’s reaction and that would be the end of things. However, this time he gave no indication that he wanted to stop just yet.

This fact encouraged Jamie to drag her hand lower along his chest, feeling each familiar hill and valley until she started to venture to territory less traveled. She felt his stomach tremble underneath her palm once she skirted across his abdominal muscles before tensing.

The temptation was there to cross the border marked by his belt and offer Cove even more pleasure, but that tension made Jamie hesitate. She focused instead on rubbing his abdomen, gently coaxing him into relaxing, though with only minimal success. She noticed the way his movements slowed with distraction. He stopped paying attention to her ear, but rather his focus was now on her hand. His eyes widened a little as he watched her trace the edge along his belt and his breath caught in his throat.

Jamie realized that if she wanted to do this, really wanted to take the next step, she needed to actually voice her intentions clearly and give Cove the chance to decide if he was ready for it. She took a moment to breathe deep and steady her nerves as she tried to figure out how to approach the topic. When she was sure of what she wanted to say, she looked up into his eyes. “Cove…,” she said softly before pausing to wet her lips. “I want t-to go further with you.” She lightly tapped on his belt for emphasis. “Do you want… I-is that okay?”

For a moment, Cove couldn’t breathe as he stared at Jamie with wide, disbelieving eyes. Did he really just hear that right?

Did Jamie really just offer to… get sexual with him?

Cove couldn’t deny he ached for Jamie to go even lower to where he felt so unbearably confined. He lost count of how many guilty fantasies he had of his girlfriend touching him where she made him so achingly aroused. He wanted it so badly, that relief and release, and he wanted her to be the one to give it to him instead of himself.

This wasn’t a fantasy. This was really happening. First Jamie told Cove that she loved him and now she asked for his permission to touch him sexually.

Jamie started to worry that maybe she went too far when Cove finally started breathing again, gasping for air for a moment before he could even his breathing out into something close to normal.

“A-are you sure?” Cove barely squeaked out, his voice shaking with nerves. As much as he wanted this, he couldn’t help but fear that Jamie might not really be ready to take that next step.

Jamie nodded without hesitation and brushed her palm along his stomach, feeling Cove tremble under her touch. She was nervous, her heart hammering hard enough that she was almost sure he could hear it too, but she refused to let that stop her. She straightened up, her face set in determination as she gazed deeply into his beautiful ocean blue eyes. “I want to… I want you, Cove. I love you so much, and I want to m-make love to you.”

A gasp escaped Cove at hearing Jamie state her desires so explicitly. Those words, plus the reminder that she loved him made his heart clench with emotion even as it pounded hard and fast in his chest.

“But only if you want to,” Jamie said, her voice softening. “It’s okay if you’re not ready, or if you don’t want to do it at all.”

Cove couldn’t help the short staccato of laughter that escaped him. “That’s not… I mean how could I not…?” He faltered for a moment before trying again. “I… I mean… I-I want t-to.” He squeezed his eyes closed as he forced the words he wanted to say out before his nerve failed him. “I want you, too! I want to ma-make lo-love t-to you, Jamie.” His voice grew weak and he had to take a moment to swallow to alleviate the dryness in his throat. When he opened his eyes again, he gazed deeply into those night blue eyes of hers that always enchanted him. “You’re… you’re the only one who makes me feel this way.”

Relief washed over Jamie and her smile lit up like sunshine even as her heart continued to pound hard. “I feel the same way about you,” she said softly before closing the distance between them in a tender kiss.

The admission left Cove feeling lightheaded, and he was only too eager to return the kiss. He pulled Jamie even closer, as close as their bodies could allow, reveling in her softness and heat against his burning body.

This was really happening. It was terrifying, thrilling, and left Cove feeling like he was floating on air.

When they finally came apart to breathe, Cove sucked in a deep breath, gathering his nerve before he dove in for another kiss. This time, he indulged in the temptation that he had retreated from before and tentatively ran his tongue across her lower lip.

Jamie gasped, inadvertently breaking the kiss due to surprise. Although they both just consented to getting sexual, she was caught off guard by such a bold action from her shy boyfriend.

Cove had a hard time looking Jamie in the eye as he nervously cleared his throat. “Um… was that alright?”

Jamie smiled, thrilled by his eagerness while at the same time finding his bashfulness adorable. “Definitely,” she said breathlessly.

Relief washed over Cove, and he took another deep bracing breath before he edged closer to Jamie. She met him halfway and briefly flicked her tongue across his lips, sending a jolt through him, much like he did to her. That little bit of coaxing was enough to encourage him to grow bolder, and he gently guided her lips apart with his own so that he could finally taste her sweetness on his tongue.

This type of kiss was a new experience for the pair, both of them tentative but eager to explore each other in a whole new way. Jamie let Cove take the lead, shivering delightfully as she felt his tongue slip into her mouth, delicately touching hers only to jolt again when she responded in kind. The feeling of his tongue sliding along hers was such a different sensation than she was used to, hot and wet and exciting, and the way that part of him moved against her, inside her sent a thrill through her body that was positively electric.

They broke apart briefly when the need for air took precedence over the desire to continue kissing. After they both gulped down a couple breaths, Cove didn’t hesitate to kiss her again, hungry for more of Jamie. He tried a slightly different angle this time, searching for the best fit for their open mouths that allowed him to taste more of her, to explore further and drink even deeper of her sweet flavor that he quickly found himself addicted to. The way her tongue tenderly slid across his, eagerly welcoming him inside sent shivers down his spine and emboldened him, his hands unthinkingly kneading her thighs once again. His tender ministrations coaxed a moan from her that he felt more than heard, and the vibrations brought with it new sensations that encouraged him to keep touching her.

Another moan elicited from Jamie ended the kiss again so that she could come up for air. This new form of kissing made it difficult to breathe, but that didn’t deter either of them from diving back in as soon as they both caught their breath. It was only after a few more of those deep kisses that she remembered her original goal before Cove delightfully distracted her.

As they took a moment to catch their breath, Jamie slid her hand across his stomach and watched as Cove gasped, eyes flying open wide as she trailed her hand down past his belt, but just short of the tight tent in his pants. She paused there, rubbing small circles against his skin through his clothes as she gazed deeply into his eyes, watching as her intentions settled in.

Cove swallowed hard, his throat bobbing. This was really happening. Jamie was going to… touch him. His senses buzzed with nervous excitement and all he could focus on was her dark blue eyes and her hand rubbing him so maddeningly close to where he burned hottest. It was terrifying and thrilling in equal measure.

More than that, it was driving Cove crazy to continue hovering so close to finally crossing that line. That touch of hers, knowing that Jamie was eager and wanting but waiting for him to signal that he was ready to continue left him with a helpless feeling of want that was so intense that it was almost painful. He had to swallow again to alleviate the dryness in his throat so that he could force two small words past his trembling lips. “Jamie… p-please…”

Jamie needed no further prompting. Finally, she dared to touch the hard heat between his legs, tracing the outline of his captive manhood with her whole hand.

Cove practically felt like weeping with relief as a jolt of pure pleasure left him arching up into Jamie. He cried out, but cut it off by biting his lower lip as the intense sensations washed over him. He could barely believe this was happening, but even with his clothes separating them, it felt too good, too real to be even his most intense wet dream.

Jamie felt Cove twitch against her palm, but the unexpected movement didn’t deter her from exploring the contours of his length. It was exciting beyond words for her to finally touch the man she loved so intimately, to watch the blissful expressions he made and listen to the little pleasured noises that he struggled to contain. She took care to be gentle with her caress, not wanting to be too rough or overwhelm him.

Cove buried his face in her shoulder as he lost himself to this new intense level of intimacy. He had to grab onto her hips to steady himself as the pleasure left his legs weak, relying more on Jamie and the wall to remain standing as she continued to pleasure him.

Jamie was touching him there. It was her fingers making him feel this way, not his, and no matter how light the touch was, no matter that there were still barriers of cloth between her hand and his hard manhood, it felt so much better than anything he had ever done to himself.

At the same time, it wasn’t enough.

Jamie was being so careful with Cove, too careful. Her touch was so delicate as she took her time to trace every inch of his arousal with her fingertips and make sweeping passes with her palm. The pleasure he felt from her initial touch was so intense, but he could see now that it was just a small taste of what he really needed, and it made him hunger for more.

Cove couldn’t stop his hips from grinding into her hand in a desperate plea for more friction, more heat, more of Jamie. Small noises escaped him, senseless vocalizations of his need that he couldn’t hope to put into words.

Fortunately for Cove, Jamie caught onto what he wanted and applied a little more pressure to his arousal. He jerked into her hand as he let out a stuttering cry that ended almost like a whimper. The sound squeezed her heart, and she tried to take a proper hold of him in the way he was wordlessly begging for, but his stiff dress pants were making that difficult.

The clothes needed to go.

“I’m going to take your pants off now, okay?” Jamie said softly, her warm breath caressing her boyfriend’s ear and causing him to shiver against her. 

Cove nodded before the question truly sank in, and buried his face into her neck once it did. As nervous as the prospect made him, at this point he would probably agree to anything as long as Jamie didn’t stop.

It was tricky for Jamie to undo his belt and find the fastenings and zipper to his pants when Cove was curled up against her as he was. She couldn’t see what she was doing. The way he squirmed with her every touch only made it even more challenging, and she kicked herself for not suggesting that they strip before she worked her poor shy boyfriend up to this extent.

This wasn’t working. Jamie needed to change tactics. She looped her arms around his waist and urged Cove towards her as she stepped back. He moved at her guidance, his legs shaky. He finally lifted his head to look at her face, his breathing rough and hot. “The bed,” she said in answer to his silent question.

Although Cove felt his pulse quicken at the proposition, and all the implications with it, he nodded. “R-right.”

Jamie couldn’t help but shiver a little at the throaty way Cove spoke, so rich with desire. It was a further incentive to hurry her along. The moment she guided him close enough to the bed, she turned so that his back was to it and tugged at the back of his shirt, tipping him off balance so he fell down onto the soft mattress.

Cove had little chance to do more than gasp, startled by the unexpected fall, before Jamie went to work. He could only stare in wide-eyed fascination as his girlfriend loomed over him, stripping him of his already mostly undone belt. However, instead of going for his pants next, she targeted his shirt instead, undoing each button before spreading it open, exposing his chest.

Cove had to swallow to alleviate the dryness in his throat as Jamie took a moment just to appreciate the sight of him underneath her chest exposed. Even in the dim light of the moon she watched his already deep flush spread from his cheeks and ears to his neck. The look she gave him made him feel like she was getting ready to devour him.

A part of him couldn’t wait until she did.

Jamie didn’t bother to fully remove the shirt as she returned to her task. She admired how his nervous excitement showed in his face as she undid the zipper to his pants, the sound loud in a room where the only other noise was their heavy breathing and her heartbeat echoing hard and fast in her ears.

Oh, so Cove wore boxers. Jamie always felt a thrill run through her when she learned something new about him that she had never known before, but this particular discovery made her heart beat harder. She also noticed that the blue striped cloth was stretchy, a fact made no more obvious than where it strained to contain his sizable manhood as it stood proud and erect.

Jamie knew better than to stare for too long and risk making Cove more nervous than he already was. She focused instead on pulling his pants down, trying not to think of how her own hands shook just a little in the process of stripping her beloved.

Cove barely had the sense to raise his hips on cue, then kicked his shoes off when they prevented her from getting the pants off him completely. He took the initiative to toss his shirt and jewelry off the bed as well, not wanting anything in the way of this moment.

When Cove was left with only his underwear, Jamie gently coaxed him further up onto the bed, making sure he laid back comfortably against the pillows before taking a seat on the bed beside his legs. He let her take the lead, his heart hammering hard in his chest and his senses buzzing with nervous excitement.

Jamie touched the waistband of his boxers before hesitating. As badly as she wanted to see the treasure hidden underneath, she was more concerned about how Cove felt about being totally exposed. She slipped a finger inside the elastic band and gave it a small tug as she looked him in the eye.

Cove flinched at the action, but didn’t give himself a chance to overthink. He shakily nodded in answer to her silent question as his fingers dug into the bedsheet to grip it tightly.

After taking a deep breath to steady herself, Jamie carefully tugged the underwear downwards, only to go still the moment she saw his arousal spring free from its fabric prison.

Oh, oh boy.

No, that was the wrong turn of phrase. This was definitely not a boy before her. This was a man. Quite a man indeed.

Although Jamie tried not to stare, she couldn’t help it. The male anatomy was a mystery to her, one she only dared learn about in drawn illustrations in regards to sex education. There was only ever one male’s anatomy that she ever wanted to look at for real, and now that she was, it was more than a little overwhelming. The shape of it, the color, the size… she had to take a moment just to drink it all in.

Then there was the bigger picture. Cove was absolutely spellbinding. For the first time, he was totally laid bare before her, and Jamie couldn’t help but appreciate his sculpted body, his tan skin, his pale green hair… which she now could see was not just on his head.

It took effort to force herself to continue. Jamie kept admiring his gorgeous body as she removed his boxers completely, tossing them off the bed without a care. She couldn’t look away from Cove.

The sight of Cove, lying naked and aroused in front of her, hit Jamie with such an intense feeling of heat that made her core throb with need and left her clothes feeling almost unbearably stifling. Still, she ignored that ache as best she could so that she could savor this moment.

However, what drew her attention more than anything else were those ocean blue eyes staring at her with growing worry. Jamie realized that she spent too long silently staring at Cove without saying anything, and it was making him anxious.

“Beautiful,” Jamie breathed, giving voice to the word that kept popping into her mind the most. “You’re so beautiful, Cove.”

Her words pierced Cove right through the heart, sending it beating wildly out of control, and he sputtered, his hands flying up to cover his red face. He couldn’t look at Jamie anymore, not after she saw him laid bare like this and called him beautiful. He could barely squeak out a reply. “Th-thank you.”

Jamie felt her heart squeeze with adoration as she saw just how deeply her praise affected Cove. “You’re so hot,” she said, intentionally lowering her voice an octave. “Absolutely breathtaking.”

Another squeak escaped Cove, as words were just too much for him in this situation. Although he kept his face hidden, it wasn’t well enough that Jamie couldn’t see the smile gracing his lips, or how it grew with every syllable.

It made her want to compliment him even more.

“You’re really sexy,” Jamie said, intentionally adding a husky timbre to her voice. “So sexy I can hardly stand it.”

Jamie moved closer, shifting her position so that her knees sunk into the soft mattress on either side of his legs. If she sat down she would be outright straddling him, but she avoided that… for now.

The feeling of the mattress shifting startled Cove enough to peek through his fingers at Jamie, his eyes flying open wide as he saw her hovering above him. The smile she wore, so loving and so seductive, had his heart thundering hard against his ribcage.

“You’re perfect,” Jamie said, her voice softening as she leaned in even closer until her nose almost brushed his hand. There was no other way to describe Cove that could possibly do him justice. “Just absolutely perfect.” She then pressed a delicate kiss on the back of his hand.

“Jamie…,” Cove murmured. It was all he could manage, overwhelmed by his feelings for Jamie, yet instead of making him want to run it just made him ache for her even more. He stopped hiding to wrap his arms around her neck and arched up to meet her lips with his.

Jamie was the one to initiate deepening the kiss this time, gently flicking her tongue across his lips until Cove welcomed her inside, greeting her tongue with his own. She could feel the way he shivered as she explored his mouth like he did with hers earlier, his fingers stroking encouragingly along the nape of her neck, and a quiet moan escaped her as his eagerness only fueled her excitement.

Adjusting her weight to one hand allowed Jamie to free the other so that she could caress her boyfriend’s chest. This time, there was nothing stopping her from feeling his skin directly, hot and soft and shuddering slightly where she touched him.

Cove had to break the kiss in order to pull in a ragged breath, only to yelp when he felt her fingers delicately trace the same sensitive spot that Jamie had startled him earlier. He saw from the look in her eyes and bent to her smile that this time it was entirely intentional, and a shiver of excitement ran up his spine.

Jamie watched Cove’s expression closely as she slowly teased one of his nipples, drawing slow circles around it with her finger. He was embarrassed - that was to be expected - and her touch had him squirming against her. When she gently pinched the sensitive nub, she elicited a loud squeak from her beloved.

“Oh… Oh my God,” Cove couldn’t help but gasp as a jolt of pleasure shot through him. He knew it felt good when Jamie touched his chest, but he had no idea that he was capable of feeling something this powerful from there.

That reaction encouraged Jamie, and she marked a trail of kisses that started from his neck and worked her way down to his chest. The heat of his skin against her lips was exciting. She could feel his ragged breaths, the way his chest vibrated with the noises he struggled to contain even as she continued her delicate manipulations with her fingers, and his heartbeat thundering loud and fast. Finally, she reached her goal, and placed a tender kiss on the nipple she neglected before taking it between her lips, delicately sucking as she gave the other another gentle squeeze.

The reaction was immediate and intense, leaving Cove arching up into her as a shudder of pleasure shot through his body and made his hips buck instinctively against her. This caused his erection to brush against her stomach, and the feeling of her soft heat rubbing against his most sensitive place sent him only intensified the pleasure. “Jamie… oh fuck!”

As much as Jamie enjoyed how strongly she got Cove to react, she couldn’t help her own reaction to his outburst. “What?!” she practically yelped as she raised her head to stare at her boyfriend, stunned. “You cuss?!”

Her surprise startled Cove out of the moment, his eyes flying open. “Oh!” He fumbled to gather his wits, as the dizzying sensations made his mind hazy. “Sometimes, I guess,” he muttered before looking sheepish. “But I don’t have to.”

When Jamie got over her surprise, she felt a bit silly for reacting so strongly and spoiling the mood. Just because Cove used to act so scandalized whenever someone swore when they were younger didn’t mean that he would always feel that way. If anything, the fact that the first time she ever heard a swear from him was because of how turned on he was thrilled her - it showed her just how well she was doing at making him lose control like that.

Jamie offered Cove a gentle smile before moving in close to press her forehead lightly against his. “It’s really cute you only do it in times like this.” She placed a brief but sweet kiss on his lips before letting out a giggle. “It’s really flattering. Don’t stop.”

A shaky breath escaped Cove before he let out an awkward giggle of his own. He was relieved that he hadn’t somehow ruined the moment with his outburst, and a little flustered by the fact that Jamie enjoyed it. “Okay,” he said in a tiny voice. “I’ll try.”

The way Cove squeaked out his words was just too adorable, and Jamie couldn’t help but kiss him again, which he shyly returned before slowly relaxing into it. It was wonderful knowing that getting closer physically was helping the two of them to open up and grow closer in other ways as well.

It was also very encouraging. Without breaking the sweet kiss, Jamie slipped her hand down to continue touching his chest. Cove cried out against her mouth, startled by the unexpected jolt of pleasure as her fingers returned to playing with his nipples, and broke the kiss to gasp for air. He barely had a moment to catch his breath before she was back to using her mouth on him as well, rolling one nipple between her fingers while she attempted to mimic the action with her tongue on the other.

“God, oh God, Jamie!” Cove cried out as he squirmed helplessly from the pleasure beneath Jamie, blindly groping at her back. His hands took fistfuls of her pajama shirt and twisted, tugging it upwards unintentionally. “Oh fuck!”

The reactions were so encouraging, so arousing. Jamie could feel the fire in her core blazing hot as she felt Cove writhe beneath her. She gasped softly against his chest as she felt his erection brush against her stomach again as he arched his hips instinctively up into her. It had been thrilling before, but because he pulled her shirt up she felt keenly how hot and hard his manhood truly was as he rubbed against her skin to skin.

The feeling was intense, and not just for her, as such contact only heightened Cove’s pleasure. However, once he got a moment to breathe and recover from it, he realized what he had done and a jolt of panic shot through him. He let go of her instantly, his eyes flying open wide. “Sorry!”

“Don’t apologize,” Jamie said a little breathlessly. “I liked it.”

Cove stared at her for a moment before his head fell back onto the bed as he let out a relieved exhale. “Jamie…,” he murmured before offering her a shy smile, still flustered by what he had just done. “I’m glad.”

Jamie looked deeply into eyes, smiling tenderly at Cove as she gave him a moment to calm from his panic. When the tension in his face eased, she lowered her voice into a throaty hush. “Besides… I’ve kept you waiting long enough.”