Of-fucking-course Beau Martin had to be sitting in this coffee shop. All I wanted was some caffeine as a pick-me-up, but the universe didn't want to make today easy on me. This must be payback for handling this whole situation so poorly.

Beau's eyes found mine, surprised, and I realized how I must look. Gone was the girl from last night. No red dress. No perfect hair or make-up. The only thing on my face today was likely tear stains.

Why had I said his name? Why hadn't I just walked past or, better yet, walked out?

Walking away from Beau felt really hard—that was why. But it shouldn't be. We weren't anything to each other besides one night in bed—just one night.

So I forced my feet to turn, and I ran into the one place he couldn't follow me: the bathroom.

But not even thirty seconds passed before there was a knock on the door. Followed by my name.

"Collins?"

_

A car.

He bought me a car.

"I'm gonna spoil you, baby. And there's nothing you can do about it."

I remembered that night in the taxi when he said that to me, and I thought that there was no way he would do half the shit he'd already done in our short, one-month relationship. Part of me felt guilty for letting him treat me like a queen when I so often felt unfit for a crown, but another part of me—a bigger part—felt good sitting on a throne when I usually settled for any chair with four legs. Even wobbly ones.

What I wouldn't do to spoil him back, though. I'd never be able to do that—not like he did with me. But I'd remembered today. I'd known that Beau wouldn't let an anniversary, small though it was, pass without making a commotion about it. So I made sure I had a gift for him, too. But it was...it wasn't a car. That was for damn sure.

As soon as Beau opened the rear passenger door of the SUV, I took a step back and pushed him into the rear seats ahead of me. He laughed as he scooted across the bench, half-laying, half-sitting against the opposite door and window. After crawling in after him, I closed the door behind me.

The interior had a really pretty leather that I would never have included if I were the one picking out the car. Not because I didn't like it. I loved it. But I would have stuck with the base model and applauded myself for even being able to afford that.

However, this moment with Beau wasn't about the car. It was about him, and I eagerly went in for a kiss, a deep and slow one. Beau's grin curved against my lips like he couldn't hold it back. He was so happy.

Not all the time. I'd learned that Beau wasn't nearly as happy as he wanted people to believe, but his happiness was infectious right now. And I let his pure joy leak into me, into the kiss, as I pressed my smile to Beau's lips.

"I don't think you realize what this means to me," I whispered.

It meant relief. That new car smell swirled around me, a reminder that this SUV hadn't seen the roads I had, hadn't survived accidents, hadn't collected tears. None of that. Every mile that ticked on the odometer would be a new one. New paths I was ready to follow.

"I think I do," Beau replied as he continued to press kisses all over my face. He spoke in a soft, husky whisper. "You're happy? You like it?"

"The car?"

He shrugged. "Or the boyfriend. Either one."

I laughed at his cuteness and then leaned in closer to mutter in his ear. "I love both."

Beau stilled, and for a split second, I wondered what I'd said. But then I realized, and I felt my skin heat and my pulse race. I opened my mouth to say something—to brush it off like I hadn't just casually admitted that I loved him, and in such a terrible way, in a moment where he might think that I only loved him when he gave me larger than life gifts—but Beau pulled me back to his mouth before I could speak.

His lips crashed against mine, and he kissed me in a wild way, shifting the tone of our car make-out session. Breathing my name, Beau parted my lips, clearly wanting to deepen the kiss. His tongue flicked against mine, and goosebumps rose on my skin. My hot, flushed skin.

"Clothes off," Beau panted, and as much as I wanted to strip down, to feel his skin against mine, I had other things in my mind. And I was too eager to get to them.

"No," I said, pushing off of Beau's chest to sit, straddling him.

"No?" The incredulity in his expression made me laugh, which only seemed to confuse Beau more. "Is something wrong?"

He choked those words out, even though it definitely seemed like he would have rather demanded that I strip. Beau knew nothing was wrong. He saw the curve of my lips. He felt the rapid beat of my heart. He'd absorbed my moan into his mouth no less than thirty seconds ago.

"No," I reiterated. "I want you to strip first."

A bit of understanding dawned across Beau's handsome face, and he pushed his hair out of it to look down the length of his body, which I had pinned to the backseat bench.

"You're gonna have to help me out with that, baby girl."

Gladly.

Inching down Beau's body, I dragged his pants and boxers with me until they sat at his knees. Beau wiggled his legs, trying to get rid of them completely, but I let them stay there as I smirked up at him, flicking my gaze between his face and his erection. When Beau moaned in frustration, I pushed his sweatshirt up just enough to admire that V on his hips while thanking the heavens that the car had tinted back windows and that the street we lived on was quiet.

"Collins," Beau groaned, getting my attention. His jawline was taut, and his eyes were intense. The expression he wore made it clear that he couldn't decide how he felt about this situation, the one where I had control.

I cocked my head to one side when I glanced down at him. "Are you gonna hold my hair for me?"

Beau's mouth dropped open as he watched me pull my hair up into one easy-to-grab bundle before wrapping my fingers around his hard length with my free hand.

"Fuck," Beau swore, reaching up to take my hair from me and yank me lower. "Yes."

"Yes, you'll hold my hair for me? Or yes, you want me to suck you off?"

"Both." His eyes glittered with a familiar look, one that I continued to crave repeatedly. "This is not how I saw this going, but I'm not going to complain."

"You better not," I shot back, leaning down to drag my lips along the curve of his erection before sucking him into my mouth when I reached the tip. He was hot and hard, and I pulled him in deep before glancing up to find him watching me with an equally hot gaze. His grip on my hair tightened as he began to direct my head how he wanted it.

"I would never," he rasped. "Not when you're so fucking good at this."

I smiled around his dick before hallowing my cheeks and taking Beau all the way to the back of my throat—just in case he needed a reminder of how fucking good at it I was. Beau kept me there for a moment, holding my head as he swore up at the car's ceiling. Breathing through my nose, I ignored the slight watering of my eyes until he released me, and I got back to business. Swirling my tongue in all the right places, I watched Beau's expression twist and morph.

"Tell me, baby," I said, taking a short break to catch my breath. "Do you want to come in my mouth or my pussy?"

"What—" Beau sputtered, raking his free hand into his own hair and pulling. "Oh my god, Collins."

"What?" I fluttered my lashes innocently, which seemed to drive Beau to some sort of breaking point.

"Stop asking impossible questions," he grunted through clenched teeth. "How the hell am I supposed to pick between those?"

"You'll pick if you want either," I replied with a slight shrug, leaning back down to take him in my mouth again.

"Oh hell, Collins," he moaned, flexing his hips upward so more of him would slide in between my lips. "You should see yourself right now. Wearing my clothes with my cock in your dirty mouth."

"Your cock isn't going to stay in my dirty mouth if you don't answer my question," I mumbled, flicking my gaze up to pin him with a stare while I let him revisit the back of my throat.

"Jesus Christ." Beau redoubled his grip on my hair. "You're going to pay for being so fucking naughty."

All I did was smirk around my mouthful at him. He tugged my make-shift ponytail to direct me, but that only spurred on my motivation to drive him wild.

"Don't you fucking stop," he finally growled. "Suck me dry, baby."

Heat unfolded in my stomach at the demand. I was happy he chose that. If he'd wanted me to climb on top of him, I would have, but then it would have become about me and my pleasure because Beau didn't know how to do sex any other way. Not that I was complaining. But I wanted Beau to take what he wanted for once.

His roughness was a good indicator that he was about to. His hips slammed up, and his grip pushed me down, all while watching to make sure it wasn't too much. It wasn't. His eyes shone while he muttered my name like a prayer, and within a minute, he was shooting his release down my throat and shaking beneath me.

Beau's fingers tightened as he swore loudly, but then he let go, his body relaxing into the cushiony seat. He rubbed a hand over his face with a satisfied moan.

"Now you," he said, shooting little finger guns at me while he panted, unable to form complete sentences.

But I shook my head as I bent down to lick the last remaining drop of cum from his tip and then pull up his pants for him. "You just had the chance to get between my legs, and you passed it up."

"Collins," he muttered warningly.

"I'm serious, Beau," I said with a slight smile.

Beau's fist hit the back of the driver's seat as he groaned and glared at me.

"Careful with my new car," I scolded mockingly.

"Get the fuck up here and sit on my face, Collins," he scolded back. Except I could tell it wasn't said mockingly at all. And damn was it tempting to obey.

But something stopped me. And that something was how perfect an opportunity this was, to let Beau know what it felt to be me. To be unable to reciprocate how I wanted all the damn time. He deserved to have that little taste of his own medicine, even though I would never take back any of the gifts he had given me or how Beau treated me. I just wanted him to know.

"Don't you want to go for a ride?" I asked, gesturing to the front of the car, with its shiny new steering wheel and gorgeous dash display. I still couldn't believe it was mine.

Beau gripped my chin, turning it to face him again. His eyes were pleading, and a muscle jumped in his jawline. "I think I'm making it pretty clear that I'm only interested in the ride you're about to take on my face."

Ignoring him and my pulse—that annoying betrayer—I quickly hopped out of the car and ran to the driver's side. By the time I jumped in, Beau was sitting, resting his elbows on either side of the front seats and leaning forward to glare at me.

"Collins," he said lowly when I slid behind the wheel.

"Yeah?"

"What are you doing?"

"Driving my new car."

"Why are you running away from me?"

"Because as much as I love your gift, Beau, I thought maybe...." I glanced at him in the rearview mirror. "I thought maybe it was time you realize how it feels not to be able to give someone something in return."

"Okay," Beau said slowly, letting a stream of air out between his lips as he digested that. He wrapped an arm around my middle from behind, giving me a little half-hug. His hand fumbled with my sweatshirt before slipping beneath it and dragging his finger up and down my sides. "Lesson learned. It sucks." He moved his hand lower, toying with the waistband of my sweatpants. "Now, let me touch you."

"No," I said stubbornly while simultaneously swallowing a groan. God, I wanted him to touch me. "That ruins the point of the lesson."

"You're killing me, Collins." He sighed, drifting his hand back to my side and resuming his gentle teasing. "Do you wish I hadn't given you the car?"

I shook my head. "I love the car. I just wish that I could get you a car, too."

"I already have a car," he said plainly.

"That's not the point."

"The point is that I got you the car because I care about you, and it was something that I knew would make a difference in how you could live your life. It had nothing to do with the cost."

"I know that. And I'm so—" I had to stop to clear my voice because of the crack in it. "I'm so grateful. But still..." After a pause and a deep inhale, I admitted, "I have a gift for you, too. But it isn't anything like this." I gestured to the car before twisting in my seat to face Beau.

"You got me a gift?" he asked, surprise leaking into his voice. He perked up a little, a bit of giddiness to his movement. His head tilted thoughtfully to one side. "Was it the blow-job? Because that was the best fucking—"

"No." I shook my head with a laugh. "I did that because I wanted to. Turns out I like doing things for you just as much as you do for me," I said, giving him a knowing look.

But Beau seemed puzzled. Stumped. "Then what?"

I sighed. "Let me show you."

"Okay," he agreed slowly. "But then I'm sitting you on top of me, and you're not getting off until you've come all over my face. Or my dick. Your choice."

"Nice try, but no."

No sounded foreign leaving my lips after a month of saying, screaming, moaning yes when it came to Beau. But I was sticking to my convictions on this one.

Beau groaned, but he followed me out of the car anyway.

✨

thanks so much for the well-wishes

much love to you all

any guesses on what Collins got him?

xoxo amelie