“You haven’t sat all day. You’re acting like your ass has been slapped raw.”

I could feel my face flame red from her accurate assessment.

“Just tell me it was consensual. That you like it,” she rushed.

“More than like it.” I winked, and she fake-gagged.

It opened me up to the torture of all the sexual innuendos she could think of.

Alicia turned off the oven. “Do you call him Daddy Owen? Does he spank you when you’ve been a naughty girl?”

“Who spanks you, Mama?” Austin piped from the stairs, and Alicia chuckled while I gave her the evil eye.

“No one, Austin. Aunty is being naughty.”

“Oh… Does that mean you’re going to spank her?”

Alicia keeled over with all-out laughter as I ruffled my boy’s hair. “Yes, Austin, I just might.”

Austin’s party was a success. He was utterly spoilt, and all the kids were having a great time.

Birthday cake was smeared all over his face, right alongside his best friend, Cooper, as they stuffed themselves silly.

I couldn’t believe my boy had turned the big five. The moment was bittersweet for me, but I was overjoyed by the gigantic smile Austin had the whole day.

As long as my boy was happy, I was happy.

As that thought processed, the other male in my life settled beside me. Owen massaged a discreet palm over my tender ass cheek while he bent his head to whisper in my ear. “How are you feeling, baby?”

Heat razed a path beneath my skin, directly pooling between my legs. Owen knew exactly what he was doing, as told by his teeth that found a home in my earlobe, which I rewarded with a barely restrained whimper.

“Stop it,” I said half-heartedly, whacking him away. He held his hands up in surrender, a devilish smile coating his mouth.

“I’m innocent,” he said, his eyes twinkling. Mine narrowed, but I couldn’t help the subtle smirk that peeked through. “If I was too rough, my Lex, you must let me know. I’m sorry if I got carried away—”

I shushed him by giving him a chaste kiss. “Don’t apologise. I want to do it again… soon.”

His gaze tracked my tongue that wet my lips. And by his expression, I knew I was in for trouble as soon as we were alone.

It had nearly been a year since we decided to give us another go, and it had been amazing so far. We took our time, studied those new sides of each other, which also included exploring our latent sexual desires.

Of course, like every couple, we had our setbacks, especially when those dreaded past insecurities reappeared. Yet, we had grown from the people we were before. We openly communicated, and no matter how ridiculous the notion or feeling, Owen always made me feel heard and vice versa. We hashed everything out, moving forward as a team.