Page 65 of See You at the Sunset

“You feel so good,” he said.

“Henry, I want you deeper,” she told him. She pressed down with her hands, trying to bring his body closer.

Henry was, Jia was finding, incredibly responsive to her sounds and her needs, both her encouragement and her begging. He dragged himself out almost completely before pressing himself back in, hard. He did it again, and the delicious push and pull of him ignited all of Jia’s nerve endings. She felt it in her toes.

Henry lifted one of Jia’s legs and placed it on his shoulder, the position causing her to rise a little onto her hips. The angle felt completely different and reached new, hidden parts inside her she didn’t even know could be touched. He pumped into her at an angle, their bodies slapping each time they came together with his thrusts.

He buried himself as deep as she could take him and then slowed down to small movements. Henry moved his hand from her leg down to her clit, and with each thrust of his penis, he pressed against her most sensitive spot.

“Oh god,” she cried out. “Henry, I think I’m close.” He’d already made her come once with his mouth earlier. She couldn’t believe she was already there again so quickly.

He wrapped his arms around her and turned them, flipping them so that Jia was now on top. “Ride me, Jia. Ride me until you come,” he said.

She placed one hand on his shoulder, and with the other, she lined him up and then lowered herself onto him in one move.

He groaned so loud she felt the vibration in his chest. She lifted herself up and pushed herself back down. Over and over, each time slightly rubbing her clit against his body. The friction and the fullness were all she needed. Jia’s pussy tightened as the orgasm rippled through her, wave after wave. “Oh god,” she cried out. “Yes, god, yes.” It felt like it went on forever, a pleasure almost to the point of pain. Jia couldn’t imagine surviving it.

She hadn’t realized she’d shut her eyes. But when she finally opened them, it was just in time to watch Henry’s neck cord and his entire face freeze in pleasure. He pushed up into her one, two more times before he stiffened and yelled “Fuck, Jia. Fuck yes.”

He was beautiful. And in that moment of completely spent bliss, she thought to herself that she would be willing to do whatever it took to see Henry’s face, unguarded and completely released, whenever she wanted for as long as she could.

The first time they had hooked up, when they were nameless and unknown to one another, Jia had snuck out of his apartment in the middle of the night. She’d felt a bit of regret about it. Not because she owed him to stay longer, but because she’d actually kind of wanted to.

This time, they had all night. And she was surprised to find that Henry was a cuddler. She was thrilled by this.

Jia’s legs tangled with his, his arm casually draped over her body holding her close as they faced each other. He looked at her, his expression soft, and she watched as his eyes examined every part of her face. She wiggled her toes a little, and he met her movements with his own. They sat there quietly, just enjoying each other’s presence.

“I have to go back to New York in a couple days,” he said, breaking their safe cocoon.

Jia knew that Henry’s time at The Sunset was coming to an end. She just didn’t realize it was so soon. She nodded. “I figured.”

The mention of New York changed Henry’s face, hardening what Jia had just come to see of his soft edges. She could spend hours, days, years, longer if he’d let her, learning all the expressions of his face, his body, his heart.

But she couldn’t even let herself think of that without finally telling him what had been on her mind.

“Henry.”

He raised his eyebrows and tightened his grip on her hip in reflex.

“I need to tell you something. And I, well, I need you to tell me what you think I should do,” she said.

She saw it... the flare in his eyes, how he shut down his features and put them on lock. He knew. He must have known all along.

“Jia,” he stopped her from going further. “We can’t talk about this.”

“But I think we have to,” she said. “I’m confused, and I’mnot sure what to do. And since you’ve kinda, sorta been involved—”

“Stop. Don’t go on.” Henry moved to sit up, and she immediately missed his body on her. He lay back against the headboard and looked straight ahead. “Jia, it’s a conflict of interest. I can’t talk to you about this. I can’t talk to you about the company. About what happened to you. About this lawsuit.”

“You know,” she said. Of course he knew it. But hearing it come from his mouth, knowing that they’d both held it in the entire time they were together tonight just so that they could have this before whatever happened next, broke her heart. “I’m sorry. I didn’t mean to put you in a bad position by bringing it up.”

He turned his face to look at her. He reached his arm out and invited her to come to him. She snuggled closer, laying her head on his chest as his arm wrapped around her, cocooning them in. She listened to his heartbeat, steady and strong.

“I don’t know what to do,” she whispered.

“Jia, you have to do what’s right for you. Not what you think someone else wants. Not what you think other people need. What doyouneed? That’s what’s most important. Whatever happens, whatever you decide, that’s all that matters.”

Had anyone ever given Jia permission, encouraged her even, to make a choice completely for herself, without anyone else to consider? Had she ever allowed herself this choice? Did she even know how?