Barron pulled into his reserved parking spot and cut the engine. Instead of hopping out straightaway, he took a moment to sit with himself in silence.

When his mind was busy he usually quietened it by coming to work and sinking into his paperwork for a few hours. This time, however, being at work was the last thing he wanted to do.

Tomorrow was his twenty-fifth birthday and he was dreading it. Birthdays had been hard for him since he lost Eden. Too many memories. He had hoped that this year would be different. After all, he thought things were going good with Eden.

Sure, they weren't at the level he was hoping for yet, but they were going at a steady upward pace. At least, that's what he envisioned on his end. He still had no idea what Eden was thinking.

Those two days with her in New York had been amazing. Magical, even.

He had been to New York once before as a kid for a family vacation. It wasn't that far from New Haven by plane, or even by car. He would've gone again sooner if Eden hadn't moved there at eighteen. The thought of her living her best life in the city had put him off. He also knew that if he went, he wouldn't be able to stay away from her and would immediately try to seek her out. The image of her rightly slamming the door in his face was enough for him not to attempt a visit.

His plan for New York was to do touristy things with Eden. Take her out to a nice dinner, visit the Statue of Liberty, or maybe take a trip to Coney Island.

What actually ended up happening, though, was right out of his fantasies. It blew his fucking mind.

He couldn't describe fuck all about New York because the only view he had was the inside of Eden's bedroom. Her wall, her eyes rolling back in her head. Her spectacular ass.

They barely left her room. Well, there was that one time he left to grab a bottle of water and some snacks for them from her kitchen.

His good mood had screeched to a halt as he came face to face with a blown-up black and white photo of Eden's first photo shoot. The one with Levin Denim. With Grant H fucking Tucker. Yes, he still remembered his name. After all, his mind had been tortured for a long time over the two of them, wondering if they ever hooked up. He couldn't sleep without their sexy photoshoot popping into his mind.

He had managed to erase the image from his forefront for a long while, putting the mental picture to the back of his mind.

He hadn't planned on coming face to face with a forty-by-twenty-inch version of it.

When Eden, clad only in his shirt, had come out of her room to check on why he was taking so long, he had said nothing. Instead, he lifted her up and roughly arranged her on her couch facing the photo.

Her hands were against the backrest with her delectable ass on display for him. He spanked it before ordering her not to move and to keep facing the wall, facing the photo that had begun his nightmare.

After smoothing down a condom and shucking his shirt off her frame, he proceeded to fuck the hell out of her. All the while glaring at the photo as if it was a personal affront to him. And it was. This Grant fucker was the first man after him to see his girl topless. The first one to touch her bare breasts. He didn't care that it was a job, that there were probably ten other people in the room. He didn't even care if she wore little nipple pasties. All he cared about was that this pretty boy fucker got to touch his girl.

And the only way to soothe his bruised ego was to plow his girl's ass while shooting daggers at the large image. Specifically Grant's smug face. Eden hadn't cared one bit at his rough display of dominance. Her hands were curled against the fabric as she lifted her ass - her silent indication that she was enjoying his hard fucking. The most primal moans and cries were also spilling from her mouth as she urged him to fuck her harder.

Afterward, he held her tightly as they spoke softly and tiredly to one another. Pillow talk with her was still the same deep and meaningful insights as they had been when they were teens. Except this time, instead of talking about their college plans, homework assignments, and what was said at the cafeteria; they spoke of their current careers and future goals. He learned that his Mom's classes had inspired her to look up more volunteer options that followed a similar fashion. And he had told her that he had coached a soccer game for his Mom during summer school which led him to look into coaching at their local high school.

He could feel them entering a new level of intimacy. That was why he decided to broach the topic of their relationship. But his hopefulness was dashed as she quickly changed the topic before distracting him with her mouth. On his cock.

He was a little disappointed that he couldn't have a deep conversation about them but he didn't let it deter him. He was serious about them, meant every word he said to her about waiting for her to be ready. So he swallowed the blow and concentrated on creating new memories with her to erase the old.

He left New York in a state of euphoria. And their relationship - whatever definition it was - continued to flourish. He didn't want to crowd her too much so decided not to do any more surprise visits unless she asked him to come. Unfortunately, Eden's calendar had been booked with events and showcases so they weren't able to physically be together again as quickly as he liked. But they still chatted constantly. Every day at multiple times.

So he had no idea why he couldn't get a hold of her. Their last conversation had been at 2:04 pm yesterday. It was the longest that he had gone without speaking with her since she had left New Haven. A million different scenarios went through his head - her phone broke or was stolen, but then he remembered that she had a laptop and tablet. If she was hurt he was sure her Mom would've been notified. Was she purposefully ignoring him? The thought alone gave him heartburn.

With a frustrated sigh, he hopped out of his car into the cool evening air. The slight chill had him zipping his jacket up tighter.

Fall had well and truly arrived in New Haven. Eden loved this time of year. Like a magical prelude to Christmas, she would say. She'd drag him to hayrides and pumpkin patches where she'd force him to look at what felt like a hundred pumpkins for the perfect one to carve up for Halloween.

She would walk around town with a cup of Pumpkin spiced latte while admiring the bright array of gold, red, and brown foliage that littered their town.

He remembered that she couldn't resist a pile of leaves, always taking a joyful leap to collapse against them so she could do her version of a leaf Angel. And then she'd make him pick all the leaves and twigs out of her hair. He always pretended that there was more stuck in there when really he just wanted to keep running his fingers through her soft hair.

He opened the door to the side entrance of The Good Home, not bothering to come through the main doors. He really wasn't in the mood for small talk and niceties.

He wasn't even supposed to be here today. He had pushed off his work to Ian, giving the other man more and more responsibility. His dad had broached the subject of franchising The Good Home, given how successful it was in New Haven.

Opening another branch in one of their neighboring towns seemed like a profitable idea but Barron wasn't quite ready to pull that trigger yet. He still had a lot to consider, accounts to rifle through and research to be done. He had his dad's expertise as well as family money to support the idea and had also been put in touch with a couple of potential investors.

But that's all it was at this point - just an idea. For now, he decided to keep passing on more responsibility to Ian. Just in case he decided to branch out, he needed trustworthy employees beside him to help run his establishments.

Although, now he was feeling a little salty at Ian for calling him in. Their large private room had been booked for some engagement dinner. The bride or groom had gotten their panties in a twist over what was promised to them. Ian was strangely vague on the phone, telling him that they were swamped so hadn't been able to focus on the private group as much as he'd like. Barron really wasn't in the mood to play the role of a placid customer service representative.

As he entered the main floor he frowned as he surveyed his business. He began walking through the patrons, nodding to them in greeting but not stopping. The place was certainly busy but not atypical for a Saturday night.

He spied Ian behind the bar, cool as a cucumber chatting away to a customer. Ian had expressed on the phone to him that it was urgent and that he needed to get here ASAP. Where was the fucking fire?

As soon as Ian saw him approaching he immediately straightened, a look of panic on his face as he glanced in the direction of the large private room.

"Well?" Barron growled. "What's happening?"

"Sorry, boss, they said they wanted to speak to a manager."

"You're the manager," he stressed. He was seriously having second thoughts about the competence of Ian's management skills.

"Sorry," Ian grabbed his phone and started quickly typing something.

"Don't let me keep you," Barron ground out before strolling towards the private room. He breathed deeply and slowly, his attempt at calming down. If the party member was already irate, the last thing they needed was the owner coming in with the same energy.

"Wait, wait!" Ian frantically called out before rushing alongside him, edging him out of the way so he could be in front.

"What the fuck, Ian!" He kept his voice low not wanting to alarm the patrons that there was an employee tiff happening. He watched as his normally calm and collected manager hightailed it ahead of him. Ian opened one of the double doors a fraction, peeking inside like Timid Tim before closing the door again and turning back to face him.

"Through there," Ian stepped aside.

"Yes, I know where the private rooms are, Ian!" He snapped, his exasperation level on overdrive. He swore he could see the other man fighting a grin, too.

Barron fixed a pleasant smile on his face before pushing open the double doors.

"SURPRISE!"

Barron leaped back just as a flash exploded in his face, causing him to turn his head. His heart was frantically beating from the shock.

"Oops! I think I blinded him." The amused voice sounded familiar but he was too busy blinking the blue and white dots from his eyes.

"What the fuck?"

"Language!" Okay, that voice definitely belonged to his Mom.

"Ma? What the fu- hell is going on?"

His mouth dropped as, through blinking eyes, he finally took in the room.

A long table was center of the room. It had a fancy black tablecloth with some gold crap on it. Fake candles, flowers, matching plates, and cutlery. It sure looked like a fancy setup for an engagement dinner.

Except the eager, smiling faces staring at him were his own family and friends. And the big as fuck sign on the wall in front of him that read "Happy Birthday, Barron!" clued him in on whose dinner this was for.

"Oh, shit," he murmured as his heart sank. It was a surprise birthday party for him.

He stood there shell-shocked as he took in the faces of his parents, his Uncle Ray and Aunt Gail with Simon. Uncle Kevin and Aunt Sara with a grinning Bailey. Ryan, Sofia, and Rosa were present. His friends from soccer. And in the corner were Susan and Mike.

Susan was smiling largely at him and his heart seized as he attempted to return her expression. As lovely as it was to see her, it just reminded him of how much he missed Eden.

And then, as he was about to plaster a fake smile on his face and put his high school performing arts classes to the test, Susan and Mike parted.

And an angelic beauty in a short, black, low-cut dress stepped through them. A shy smile was on her beautiful red-painted lips.

At first, Barron thought he'd dreamed her up. Like someone wandering the desert, dying of thirst, and seeing a mirage of an oasis that wasn't really there.

The only thing that took him out and convinced him that this was really fucking happening was Ian's hand on his shoulder and a low whisper, "Dude, you're making things awkward."

Eden was still standing there.

She was real.

Without saying a word, Barron strode forward and snatched his girl up, swallowing her yelp with his mouth. Her arms automatically wrapped around his neck as she eagerly returned his kiss. He held on tight to her waist as he poured every bit of love and adoration that he felt for her into their passionate embrace.

He heard the faint sound of wolf whistles and laughs but he didn't care.

Until the sound of his Dad's voice grumbling, "what are we, chopped liver?" caused Barron to break away as he fought to focus on the fact that they weren't alone.

As much as he loved and missed Eden, the reminder that his parents were there was a surefire boner killer.

"Happy birthday, Barron," Eden softly said. He was thankful that she wore some sort of kiss-proof lipstick as her mouth still looked as luscious and red as ever. Or maybe that was the aftermath of their hot as fuck kiss.

"Thank you, baby," he softly told her as he drank in her lovely features. His anxiety over their separation and loss of contact had vanished. Now he knew why she hadn't been contactable the last 24 hours. He went to frame her face but stopped when she cleared her throat.

"Um, everyone's probably waiting for you to acknowledge them," she laughed.

He wanted to say "fuck them" before dragging her delectable ass to his office to fucking devour her body. But, decent manners forced him to play nice.

"Hey guys," he greeted. He wrapped an arm around Eden's shoulders as he finally addressed the awaiting crowd of loved ones.

Most appeared amused and embarrassed at the public display.

His aunt Sara, though, was glaring at him. Even though Bailey was beaming ear to ear next to her, Sara clearly wasn't amused by their amorous display in front of his cousin. Oops.

"Thanks so much for coming. Uh..." he rubbed the back of his neck, pretending to be nervous but in reality, the scent and feel of Eden in his arms was starting to pull on his groin. The last thing he needed was a chub in front of his extended family.

Luckily his Mom cut him some slack and came forward to give him a hug. "Thanks, Mom," he sincerely told her. Now that Eden was tucked securely by his side, he was pretty fucking happy to see everyone.

"Don't thank me, son. This was all Eden's idea."

He turned to look down at her in surprise as a warmth filled his body over that unexpected news. "Yeah?" He smiled wide.

She shrugged as a pink tinge appeared on her cheeks. "The idea was mine. Your Mom planned the majority of it."

"Let me guess," he teased his Mom, "Eden suggested an intimate family dinner at home but you bulldozed her into something bigger."

His Mom turned her nose up at him, indignant. "Well! Excuse me for wanting to make a fuss over my only child turning a quarter of a century old."

"Speaking of dinner," his Dad interrupted, "let's feed the troops before they revolt."

Kelly clapped her hands, clearly loving her hostess role. "Yes, I've texted Joe to start bringing out the entrées."

The rest of his family and friends came forward to offer their own birthday greetings and hugs before taking their seats around them. The atmosphere was jovial and buzzing with loud chatter and laughter.

Barron curled his arm around Eden and brought his mouth to her ear. "Let's sneak to my office for a quickie. No one will know."

Eden gave a soft laugh as she clasped the hand that was around her. "I think people will notice if the birthday boy disappeared at the start of dinner."

He pressed his mouth further against her. "Fuck 'em. I've been without you for so long. I need to feel your wet cu-"

"Guys, you can feel each other up later," Sofia loudly interrupted. "Sit down so dinner can start on time."

Eden just rolled her eyes at her before pulling him towards the table.

He sighed internally. He had no idea how he was going to get through this dinner with Eden within reach. It was going to be a long meal.

As it turned out, he had a great time at his surprise birthday dinner. He chatted and laughed with everyone, swapping stories of birthdays gone by.

He took delight in embarrassing Eden when he relayed how she would bake him a cake for each birthday, cheekily asking whether she had picked the tradition back up.

Everyone had mixed well. His friends from his soccer group were all chatting with his family as well as Eden's. Sofia seemed to be infatuated with Toby, their goalie, and vice versa. Mama Rosa was swapping recipes with his Aunt Gail and Ryan had even brought, Gabe, the man he was seeing. They had been feeding food to each other most of the night.

All this wouldn't have been possible without the woman sitting next to him. If it hadn't been for her kind, generous heart, he wouldn't be sitting here with people he never thought he'd mix with again. Hell, even Simon was more than tolerable tonight.

So, as everyone was distracted chatting away during a lull between courses, Barron had whispered to Eden to meet him by the bathrooms. The bubbling love he was feeling for her was overwhelming him. He needed an outlet and the only cure was to bury himself in Eden's sweet body.

After bending her over his desk and eating her dripping cunt from behind, he had her on her back - his usually meticulous paperwork strewn carelessly on the floor - with her legs on his shoulders as he plunged his hard cock into her sopping pussy.

He gritted his teeth as he watched carnal pleasure cross her features. He memorized how she looked as he changed his angle to get deeper inside her. The pink flush on her face and chest, the way she moaned and bit her lip, turning her head from side to side as her need for release mounted. And when she gasped and moaned her climax, her legs tightening around his neck, she shouted out for him to keep fucking her through it.

The anxiety he had been feeling about where Eden was at with their relationship washed away as his own orgasm shook his legs and caused his own shout of release.

He felt like a two-tonne weight had been lifted. Eden had come home to surprise him. Eden had planned this birthday dinner for him. She eagerly welcomed his public displays of affection and returned her own loving touches. Surely that meant that they had entered a new phase in their dating relationship? One, dare he hoped, where labels could be cemented?

And later that night, after she again delighted him with a decadent cupcake that she had baked, his mind was at peace. Words would come soon enough when she was ready, but right now he was pretty confident that Eden's resolve was softening and perhaps their happily ever after was closer than he thought.