Chapter Twenty One: Home

The sun was just starting to raise in the sky when Antonio finally stepped onto the porch of his small, terraced house. He pulled the knot of his tie away from his Adam's apple before loosening the top two buttons of his white shirt with his fingertips. It felt like he could breathe again for the first time tonight. There were no words to describe how much he disliked the man he worked for. Asher was arrogant and he had more money than sense. Everything was a possession to him, even Antonio and he hated it, he hated every single second of being in that environment with all the 'yes sirs' and 'no sirs'. It took him back to that time when he was fourteen running dime bags for that guy that had lived above the gym he trained at.

His broad shoulders slumped in wariness as he pushed his key into the lock and twisted it in order to open his front door. He could hear the low murmur of voices, it took him a second to realise that the TV was on. His gaze came to rest on the lone figure sitting upon the couch. Maggie's hair loose around her shoulders, her socked feet resting on the coffee table. She was wearing a black tank top and grey sweats from her days at the academy. The white socks were his.

"Maggie?" he questioned, his tone low and soft. "It's four in the morning."

His hands were already removing the tie from his collar, tossing it to one side. He moved around to the comfortable chair before shrugging off his black suit jacket and folding it over the back of it. His dark eyes already taking in the papers that were spread out over the coffee table.

"I couldn't sleep." she said before nodding at the paperwork at the table as she removed her feet from it. "I wanted to check everything was in order for me moving in at the weekend."

"Nightmares?" he asked quietly, dropping down onto the couch alongside of her, his hip nudged hers lightly. Maggie pressed her hands together between her knees before nodding reluctantly.

"Too many to talk about." she dismissed, looking distantly at the thin sheets of paper spread out all over the battered coffee.

Antonio's heart went out to her, he knew what it was like to wake up in the middle of the night, your heart hammering in your chest because you didn't have a clue where you were or what was happening. He knew what it was like to deal with that alone, it was a burden that no one should carry, not by themselves. He was holding himself back, he had been since the moment she had left the operation but he felt that time had passed now. She needed to know that she didn't have to sleep alone, that he cared about her more than anyone else in the world.

"Maggie." he whispered her name as his warm fingertips brushed her chin guiding her pale face until the two of them were looking at each other, mere inches separating them. The material of their clothing brushed lightly, making a rustling sound as Antonio's warm hands encompassed Maggie's dainty features. His calloused thumbs skated across the apples of her cheeks as he pressed his finely sculptured lips to hers.

The moment they touched Antonio was lost. The two of them had been fighting against their feelings for so long, it felt as if the dam was breaking. He felt Maggie surrendering under his hands, her body pressing against him with the same urgency that he possessed. His tongue delved into her hot, seeking mouth, his fingers raking through her loose chestnut hair, dragging her down even deeper under his spell.

Kissing her was like seeing sunshine for the first time after years of being blind. Antonio needed her in every way possible. Long ago the depth of his feelings had terrified him but now he relished them. He had fallen so recklessly in love with her it drove everything else right out of his mind.

Maggie climbed onto his lap, seeking out even more of him. Her thighs came to rest on either side of his hips, giving him access to her in a way he had never experienced before. His heated fingertips trailed along the curve of her spine causing her to moan, her pelvis tipping forward. He hissed through his teeth at the sensuous friction as she ground against his erection through their clothes. His hands were in her chestnut hair once more, guiding her swollen lips back to his. Her teeth grazed his lower lip causing a thrill of exhilaration rushing through him. She was intoxicating, he wanted to touch every inch of her, to make her cry out his name in euphoria. There was a possessiveness in him that reserved only for her, he wanted to claim her as his own. It was a primal urge, one that was deep and savage.

His hands ghosted up along her sides, his palms peeling up the hem of that black tank to inch by inch until they broke apart for a moment. Maggie's pretty blue eyes were focused entirely on his as she raise her arms for him to strip her of the offending item. Her skin was all peaches and cream, clad in simple black bra. He could see those scars of hers, especially the white thin line that decorated the space just under her collarbone. He had caught glimpses of it over the years but he had never seen it in all of its glory. He pressed his lips to the space just above her cleavage, where the scar started, his tongue flicked over the ridged flesh causing Maggie to cry out, her head tipping back as her fingers raked through his dark hair. That sound nearly tipped him right over there and then. His hands slid down to her heart shaped ass, grasping it tightly to keep her pressed against him as he rose to his feet and carried her to his bedroom.

He lay her down delicately on the cream sheets and covered her with his body, kissing her until she lay submissive and gasping beneath him. Her cobalt eyes were filled with desire as he stripped off his white shirt, allowing it to flutter to the floor. Maggie smiled wickedly as she slowly wriggled her way out of those light grey sweat pants, revealing a simple pair of black panties.

For the first time he drank in the view before him, this Irish American goddess was laid out, her chestnut hair falling over her shoulders. His control was threadbare as her fingertips trailed down between her breasts before delving even lower. This was where she belonged, right here in his bed.

"Maggie..." he murmured, the left side of his mouth tilting up into that contented smile of his. "You are such a tease."

She was perfect in his eyes, everything from that white jagged scar just under her collarbone to the Celtic cross tattooed on her left ankle. His thumb skimmed across it lightly as he climbed onto the bed between her parted legs. His lips descended on hers, his tongue delving into the hot confines of her mouth as her gentle fingertips traced along the plains of his chest running over each of those ragged bullet holes with the utmost care. It made him feel revered. He wore his badges of honour on his flesh, the same way she did hers. There was a sense of belonging here with Maggie that he hadn't believed was possible. A gluttonous groan tore from his throat as her delicate hands delved lower, her deft fingers were already unzipping his trousers before he helped her to remove them and his underwear completely.

Her cobalt blue eyes glittered with desire as she took in his powerful athletic form. Her eyes were drinking him in as she unhooked her black bra and shucked out of her panties. The feel of her slick, molten skin against his addictive. He was lose in her touch once more as her glorious hands smoothed over his needy cock, her thumb lightly rubbing over the tip leaving him gasping as he hovered over her.

"Maggie." he warned through grinding teeth as the palm of her hand stroked over him in a slow, deliberate motion.

She released him and instantly Antonio felt himself craving her touch once more. Her hand delved under the pillow before she removed a thin foil packet. He raised his eyebrows questioningly as she tore it open, removing the condom from the wrapper.

"I was hopeful." she explained, reaching down between the two of them.

The instant she touched him it was like every single one of his synapses were on fire. He held the base of his dick as she rolled it down the shaft, making him arch into her grasp. She let go of him unwillingly, her hands running through his thick dark hair drawing his demanding lips back to hers.

Antonio's mouth smothered Maggie's as he penetrated her with antagonizing slowness. Her hips arched into his thrust burying Antonio's cock even deeper into her supple, inviting body.

Connecting had never been such a sweet experience for Antonio, he found himself drowning in the serenity of the moment as they began to consummate the most basic of acts. They merged together, tongues mingling, hands fumbling and touching every single inch of each other as they rocked in unison. Maggie's moans were getting louder, her nails raking down his back, urging him on as they began to pick up the pace. They were close, his nerves were blazing with the ecstasy as he drove her further into that gratifying oblivion.

His name was on her lips as she started to climax, her head tipping back, exposing her throat as she cried out in ecstasy. His mouth descended on the curve of her throat, biting down as his own orgasm claimed him. He could feel her heart beating against his own as he lowered his mouth to hers, their kisses becoming lazy and sanguine as they lay tangled up in one another.

"I have no idea how we lasted so long without doing that." Maggie murmured against the corner of his mouth. Antonio placed a kiss on her collarbone before removing himself from her body and disposing of the condom. He propped his head up on his right hand as he reached out and used his left to tuck a stray strand back behind her ear.

"Idiocy." he confessed distractedly as he allowed his fingertips to trail along the outline of her shoulder, tracing a fine line along her torso. "I've lost track of the amount of times I've wanted to kiss you since you walked back into my life."

Maggie shifted allowing Antonio to settle down beside her on his back before he gathered her up in his arms and drew her to him. She fit snugly into his side, her legs entwining with his amongst the mess of sheets that barely covered their hips. Her mused up, chestnut brown hair, tickled his neck as her head came to rest upon his shoulder, his fingers stroking through it absent-mindedly as he pressed a kiss to her hairline. Maggie's fingertips came to rest upon the space where his heart was beating safely underneath the plains of his chest.

This was where she was meant to be, right here with him.