honeyedmiller

[honeyedmiller]

i’ve been advocating and speaking out on other social media platforms and protesting, but i feel it’s important to say something on here too.

i feel sick to my stomach every time i see a video of families getting torn apart. there’s way too many people going about their days with the “business as usual” attitude while these horrors ensue.

what’s happening in california right now, and across the u.s., is fucking devastating and downright inhumane. people are literally being kidnapped off the streets. they’re getting detained and deported without due process—even if they do things the “right way.”

ice does not give a single fuck. they don’t care to check if someone is a citizen or not (and, by the way, not being a citizen is not a criminal offense—it’s a civil offense. same fucking thing as not filing your taxes on time or jaywalking across the street). these masked men are racially profiling people and targeting anybody who looks Hispanic / Latino without giving people a chance to show any form of identification or ask for a warrant from a judge, etc. before they’re detained.

our communities are hurting immensely.

a person should not have to live in fear in their own homes or their own communities.

no one is illegal on stolen land.

speaking up for those who cannot speak out on behalf of themselves (especially if you’re white—use your privilege!) and spreading awareness is so detrimentally important, whether it’s how to help these families, sharing resources, directing people to immigration lawyers who can help, protecting those who cannot protect themselves, protesting, or advocating for them.

if you’re in the u.s. and you’re not speaking up because this doesn’t affect you personally, you really need to check your privilege. don’t get too comfortable, because i can guarantee people notice when you’re silent. silence is complicity.

one last thing: fuck 47, fuck ice, and fuck anyone who voted for that piece of shit. i hope guilt eats you motherfuckers alive.

[honeyedmiller]

hi. fuck ice. here is how you can help families affected by unlawful deportation

edit: and FUCK LAPD. here is how you can help bail out protestors who are in the trenches, facing mass arrests and putting their bodies on the line.

[honeyedmiller]

Thank you so much 🥹🤍

Sarah’s Birthday

a firefighter!joel miller x f!reader drabble

series masterlist

synopsis: Sarah turns fifteen, and you and Joel bask in what your future will be together.

rating: explicit. 18+, minors do not interact.

word count: 3.3k

warnings: illusions to smut, a lot of fluff, family dynamic, no use of y/n.

a/n: this was originally part of part ten but i felt like it dragged on for too long, so i made it into its own little part (shoutout to nini for the idea)! hope you enjoy <3

You wake up with a good kind of ache in your bones. 

The one where you’re sore from your… escapades with your fiancé the previous night. 

Your fiancé. 

You can still feel his lips ghosting your skin, still hear his sweet whispers of endearment. See the look in his eyes when he made love to you all night long, making you feel so cherished and protected. 

You awaken to those thoughts and the dawn of the summer sun peeking through your shared bedroom window. You stretch your limbs before a glint catches your eye. You pause, admiring the shine. 

You get so lost in thought that you barely feel Joel stir next to you. It’s only when he gives your bare shoulder a kiss do you look away from your dream ring. 

“Look how beautiful it looks in the sunlight,” you muse. 

You can see Joel’s soft smile from the corner of your eyes as you watch in awe how the sun catches perfectly on your ring. 

“Not as beautiful as the woman wearin’ it.” 

You turn your head to face him now, admiring him in his sleepy state. His eyes are barely cracked open, his curls are in disarray, and his voice—god, his voice—is thicker than molasses in the morning. It’s this deep, raspy drawl that makes you swoon like a person crazy in love. 

Fuck, you are crazy in love. 

“Love it when you sweet talk me,” you say. He sleepily grins and leans in to kiss your forehead, pulling your body into his. 

“We have to get up to set up Sarah’s surprise,” you murmur into his chest. Your lips fall graciously onto his warm skin, and he hums in content. 

“Five more minutes,” he mumbles, giving you a brief squeeze. 

Your head pops up from his chest and you look down at him with a quirked brow. His eyes shoot over to his bedside alarm clock, bright red numbers blinking 6:30 right back at him. His eyes flick back to your face, softening as they study your face. A soft smile plays at his lips before he leans up to kiss you. 

“Baby, she doesn’t usually get up until ten in the mornin’. You really think it’s gonna take that long?”

You sigh, laying back down on his chest. “S’pose not. I am pretty sore from last night,” you tease. 

Joel’s chest lightly rumbles as he chuckles at your words. 

“Want me to kiss it better?” There’s mischief laced in his tone as his warm hand travels down your naked body. Goosebumps arise on your skin at his touch, and you can practically feel Joel grinning from ear to ear with how receptive you are to him and his touch. 

“No. ‘Cus then we’ll really not get anything done, and I don’t think my body can take one more round right now.” 

He gently grabs your jaw and turns your face up toward his. He looks concerned now—maybe even a bit worried. 

“Fuck, did I push you too far last night? Did I hurt you?” His sweet brown eyes are worrisome, and you shake your head immediately. 

You switch positions so you’re now on top of him. You straddle him and cup his face, leaning down to kiss the worry line between his brows. 

“Oh god no, Joel. Never. I just don’t think I’ve had that many orgasms back to back to back,” you laugh, and the tension immediately dissipates from his shoulders and you see him visibly relax. 

“I’m sore in the best way possible, baby. If it was too much I would’ve let you know. I promise.” 

He nods. “Okay, good. Last thing I want is to ever hurt you, especially when we’re intimate.” 

You smile down at him. “I love you.” 

He returns it. “I love you too, darlin’. Let me run you a bath since it’s still so early. Sore muscles ain’t fun.” 

“As long as you join me,” you bargain. 

He laughs and gives your hips a love tap. “How could I say no?” 

And so you both clamber out of bed and Joel draws you both a bath with your favorite scented bubbles ‘for extra relaxation’, as he’d put it. 

“Come on in, cowboy. The water feels really good,” you say. 

“Just gimme one second baby,” he says, and you nod. You sink into the warm water, relaxing your aching muscles. He comes back a second later and climbs in behind you. He leans you back against his body, and you sigh in content as your eyes flutter shut. 

“So, I wanted to give you this,” he starts. You open your eyes to see a beautiful silver band engraved with three flowers on the front, a micro diamond in the middle of each. Inside of the band are three tiny words that read honorem, fides, amor. 

“Honor, loyalty and love…” you trail off, and you feel Joel nod behind you. 

“My dad had this ring made for my mom when they were newlyweds. She passed it on to me and told me to give it to the woman I’d someday marry.” 

Tears well in your eyes at his words, and you can only let out a whisper. “It’s beautiful.” 

He slips it onto your right hand ring finger, kissing your knuckles. “It’s my promise to you that I’ll honor you, be loyal to you, and love you for the rest of our lives. You’re half of my heart, baby. I don’t want you to doubt that even for a second.” 

“When did you know?” You ask, and when he’s silent for a few beats, you elaborate. “The moment you knew you wanted to marry me.” 

“Honestly?” 

You nod. 

“At your sister’s wedding.” 

You crane your neck to peer up at him. “Joel,” you whisper. “That soon?” 

He nods like what he just told you is the most casual thing in the world. 

“Mhm. Knew right then and there when I saw you standing up there near your sister that I want to be up at that altar with you one day. Make you my wife.” 

“When did you ask Sarah? My parents?” Your voice is a mere whisper, trying to wrap your head around his words. 

His hands move up your torso, palms slightly grazing your breasts. Your nipples tighten and you gasp at the contact, and Joel softly chuckles behind you before his hands move to your shoulders. He starts to massage the tightness out of your muscles, and you relax even further into him. 

He leans down to kiss just below your ear before answering you. 

“I asked your parents at the hospital when Emily had Mateo. Your mom was so excited, and I think your dad may have teared up a little.” 

You laugh at that, knowing your dad isn’t a very emotional man. 

He squeezes your shoulders, kissing your skin once again. 

“I asked Sarah shortly after my accident. She’s been completely on board this whole time and has been houndin’ me about when I was gonna ask ya.” 

You smile at that, knowing how persistent she can be sometimes. 

You’re quiet for a few moments as you admire the ring before turning your neck so you can kiss him. “I… have no words. Just—thank you. Thank you for taking a chance on me, thank you for believing in me, and thank you for being patient with me. I can’t believe I lucked out with the man of my dreams.” 

“You have no idea what you do to me,” he whispers. 

You squeeze his knee underwater. “It’s a good thing we have the rest of our lives for me to figure it out then, isn’t it?” 

-

You want to make sure everything is perfect for Sarah before she comes downstairs to see her small surprise. You have balloons, a personal heart-shaped cake, and a couple of presents you and Joel bought her set up on the dining room table. 

You finish making the appetizers and desserts in time, and Tommy and Maria make their way over to help set up for the party. You’re in the middle of making chocolate chip waffles for breakfast when you hear Sarah coming down the steps. 

You plate her breakfast, setting it down on the table before she rounds the corner. She rubs her eyes as she makes her way into the dining room, and you try to hold in a laugh as it takes her a second to process everything. 

“Wait what? This is all for me?” 

“Happy birthday, baby girl,” Joel says, bringing her into a hug. 

“Thanks dad,” she laughs, moving to hug you next. “Thank you for setting all of this up for me.” She gives you an extra tight hug, to which you return. 

“How’d you know it was her?” Joel asks, crossing his arms over his chest as he pretends to be offended. 

“Please, dad, I love you so much but you don’t have cute ideas like this. Like, ever.” 

You, Maria and Tommy all laugh as he sticks his tongue out at her, and she rolls her eyes. 

“Happy birthday, sweetheart,” you say, and she beams at you. 

“Thank you.” 

She hugs Tommy and Maria too as they wish her a happy birthday. She looks down at the table, and excitement is written clear as day on her face as she sees the chocolate chip waffles. 

“Ugh, I love you guys. Thank you.” 

She digs into her breakfast and opens her presents, thanks everyone again, before she rushes upstairs to get ready for her party. 

You laugh as she dashes up back to her room, loving that she’s so excited for her celebration. 

Within a few hours, the party is officially in full swing. Music is playing over a speaker, the grill is piping hot, and drinks are sweating in the palms of many hands. 

You’d think that teenagers wouldn’t entertain the idea of a bouncy house water slide, but it turns out, all of them absolutely love it. They’re all having a blast running around, while the adults are mingling. 

You make your way up to the grill where Joel, Tommy, your brothers, and your dad all stand. 

“Gentlemen,” you greet them. “Why are you guys standing like a pack of wolves around the grill?” You tease, and they all laugh. 

“Why do you women sit at one table and talk for hours on end?” Andy retorts, and you point at him knowingly. 

“Touché.” 

“I hear congratulations are in order,” your dad says, wiggling his brows. 

You grin shyly and show off your ring, and your dad and brothers all seem to nod in approval. 

“You’re a good man, Joel. I’m glad it’s you that my daughter gets to marry.” 

“Aww, dad, you haven’t gone all soft on us have you?” You grin at him, and he rolls his eyes. 

“Don’t give me that. You’re my baby girl, so of course I’m gonna go soft on you for this. I’m allowed.” Everyone laughs and you hold your hands up in surrender. 

“That’s definitely fair.” 

“What can I do for ya, pretty lady?” Joel asks, slinging an arm around your shoulder before pulling you into him. 

“I need a cheeseburger, Miller, or this pretty lady will be raging with hunger real soon.” 

“Well fuck, no one wants to see that,” your dad says, and you bark out a laugh. 

“No, they really don’t.”

“I’ll take care of it. Give me ten minutes and I’ll serve you a plate with the fixin’s you like on it,” Joel says. 

“Thank you.” You grin at him and pat his chest before pecking his lips and stepping away, but Andy pulls you to the side before you can even take another step. 

“Dude, I need you to do me a solid,” he says. 

You quirk a brow at him. “What’s up?” 

His eyes dart past you and back to the table where you were sitting with your mom, Maria, and Maria’s cousin. 

“Who’s that gorgeous woman sitting next to Maria?” He asks, and your lips form into a smirk. 

“Why do you wanna know?” You tilt your head to the side, and he groans as he turns his face toward the sky. 

“Shadow, please. She’s fucking beautiful and I haven’t been able to take my eyes off of her. Can you find out if she’s single, and, I dunno, put in a good word for me if she is?” 

You wipe the smirk off of your face, because you truly can see how smitten Andy is over her. You remember your conversation with him back at your parent’s house a few weeks back, and you know teasing him about this is in your nature, but you decide to pump the brakes and take it easy on him. 

“That’s Maria’s cousin, Natasha. She’s an attorney and she is, in fact, single.” 

“Jesus, you women are like the fucking FBI.” 

“Or we just actually talk to each other to get to know one another. Like normal people,” you say, rolling your eyes. 

“Yeah yeah, okay. Fine. But can you, I dunno, introduce me to her?” He’s fiddling with his hands, and you don’t think you’ve seen him this nervous in a long time. Andy was usually always so confident and suave around women he had interest in, so this truly surprises you. 

“Come on,” you say, nodding your head back to the table. 

He pauses for a beat. “Wait, really? Just like that?” 

You roll your lips into your mouth, trying to refrain from rolling your eyes at him for what seems like the millionth time today. 

“Yes, Andy, just like that. I’m not that mean. I wanna see you get the girl too, you know,” you sigh, and he laughs. 

“You’re not mean, baby sis. Maybe a little insane, but not mean. And, well, thank you. I appreciate you.” 

“I’ll show you insane if you don’t shut up. But, enough with the emotional shit. C’mon,” you nod your head, and you walk back over to the table with Andy in tow. 

Natasha’s eyes land on Andy and he smiles at her, to which she immediately returns. 

“Andy, honey, why don’t you sit next to Natasha here. I’m gonna go get myself a plate,” your mom says, and you have to stifle a laugh. That woman works quicker than anyone you know. 

“Oh, uh, sure,” he says, looking at her. “Is that alright with you?” 

She softly laughs, waving her hand to the chair next to her. “By all means.” 

He gives her a small smile before plopping himself down next to her, and you and Maria share a knowing look before you dive into your own conversation. 

And the rest of the day blurs into nighttime, singing Sarah happy birthday with an almost gutted-looking Joel at her side as realization that his baby girl is growing up hits him. You know it’s been a bittersweet day for him.

Guests eventually dwindle as the hours of the day tick down. Sarah wanted to end her birthday with a slumber party at her friend Katie’s house, so by the end of the night, it was just the Millers brothers, Maria, Natasha, and your family left.

You’re all sitting around the living room in good conversation. You’re leaning into Joel’s side, and his lips brush your cheek lovingly as you rest your left hand on his thigh. 

“So Joel,” Maria starts. Everyone’s attention moves to her, and she offers him a kind smile. “How did you propose to her?” 

All eyes are on Joel now, and he clears his throat as he sits up straighter. His right hand covers your left that’s settled on his lap, giving it a squeeze. 

“It was at the ranch. Already knew that place would be somethin’ special when Tommy and I were little boys runnin’ around causin’ a fuss,” he chuckles. “‘N now that I know the land will be ours officially, I wanted to ask her where new memories will be created for the rest of our lives—startin’ with that one.” 

“Actually,” you start, looking at him and then to Maria. “He asked me a while ago, and I’ve been giving him a hard time. I didn’t say yes right away. He knew I wouldn’t say no, though, but I had to keep him on his toes.” 

“Are you serious?” Andy snorts. “Classic. Sounds like some shit you’d do.” He points the neck of his beer bottle at you, and you smile at him before flipping him off. 

“Hey now, I deserved to work for it. She’s one thousand percent worth it,” Joel says, kissing your temple. “But then I called her my wife yesterday after we had a little run-in and nothin’ more has ever felt so right. The day she described her dream ring to me, I phoned a buddy of mine whose wife makes custom engagement rings. Then I gave her the ring my mom passed on to me to give to the woman I’d someday marry.” 

The women aww in unison, but Cole holds his hand up. “What the hell do you mean by a run-in?” 

You scoff and roll your eyes. “Oh yeah. Forgot to mention we fucking ran in to Christian yesterday at the grocery store while we were getting the rest of the stuff for Sarah’s party.” 

“Are you fucking serious?” Andy asks. Everyone who knows about him looks at you in disbelief. 

You nod in confirmation, but gently nudge Joel in the ribs. “Yeah. But Joel socked him hard as fuck across the nose after he tried to play tough guy and said some disrespectful shit.” 

“Holy fuck,” Cole says, while Andy and your dad laugh in unison. Your mom and Maria look mortified, but Joel just shrugs. 

“He deserved much worse in my opinion, but I definitely broke his nose. He threatened to have me arrested.” 

Tommy laughs now, taking a swig of his beer before pointing the neck at Joel. “This fucker has a mean right hook, I’ll tell y’all that.” 

“I’m glad to hear my soon to be son-in-law is protecting my baby girl like that. That’s one of the many reasons I gave him my blessing.”

“He’s a good man, sweetheart. It’s about time you found true happiness with someone who reciprocates the love you put into them,” your mom says, and tears start to well in your eyes. 

“No more cutting the onions, mom. Jesus,” Andy says. 

“I have a knack for knowing these things about my children, Andrew. Watch yourself.” She gives him a warning look, and he holds his hands up in surrender. 

The night goes on as normal conversation ensues, and eventually the house is left with just you and Joel by the time it hits midnight. 

You’re putting the last of the leftovers in the fridge when Joel comes up and hugs you from behind, wrapping his arms around your waist. You turn in his arms, sliding your hands up his chest and around the back of his neck, intertwining your fingers together. 

“Thank you for everything you did for my little girl today, baby. Guess she’s not so little anymore,” he sighs. “It means the world to me that you love her like your own.” 

You smile and peck his lips. “Of course, Joel. I just hope she enjoyed herself today.” 

“Oh, she definitely did,” he starts, leading you up the stairs and into your shared bedroom. “I haven’t seen her have this much fun in a long time. ‘N I definitely have to give credit where credit is due, darlin’.” 

You sit down on your side of the bed, leaning against the headboard while Joel lays down on his back before tossing his arms above his head and closing his eyes. 

“Well I appreciate you, honey.” 

Your hands smack your thighs as you look down at him, wiggling your eyebrows. 

“You know what this means though, right?” 

Joel peeks one eye open to look at you. 

You give him a knowing look. It’s one that makes him twist his torso so his face is now buried into his pillow, and he lets out a loud, pained groan. 

His little girl is growing up too fast. 

“It’s time to start planning for her sixteenth birthday party.” 

taglist: @raspberrybesitos ; @nostalxgic ; @punkshort ; @clawdee

@pascalpvnk ; @bensonispunk ; @merz-8 ; @darkblue-tennesseee ; @typewriter83

@lizzie-cakes ; @sawymredfox ; @keylimebeag ; @nandan11 ; @pedropascalsbbg

@pimosworld ; @yxtkiwiyxt ; @anoverwhelmingdin ; @kikaaauu ; @buckyispunk

@untamedheart81 ; @picketniffler ; @paleidiot ; @survivingandenduring

@party-hearses ; @harriedandharassed ; @brittmb115 ; @sunnytuliptime

@frodofreakingbaggins ; @aceaubrianna ; @tangled-tumbler-blog-blog ; @bunniboo0015 ; @aerihina

@pedritospunk ; @ro-nahime-things ; @ananonymousaffair ; @just-mj-or-not ; @melsunshine

@wayward-dreamer

If you would like to be added or removed from the tag list, please let me know.

dividers by @.saradika-graphics

[honeyedmiller]

Sarah’s Birthday

a firefighter!joel miller x f!reader drabble

series masterlist

synopsis: Sarah turns fifteen, and you and Joel bask in what your future will be together.

rating: explicit. 18+, minors do not interact.

word count: 3.3k

warnings: illusions to smut, a lot of fluff, family dynamic, no use of y/n.

a/n: this was originally part of part ten but i felt like it dragged on for too long, so i made it into its own little part (shoutout to nini for the idea)! hope you enjoy <3

You wake up with a good kind of ache in your bones. 

The one where you’re sore from your… escapades with your fiancé the previous night. 

Your fiancé. 

You can still feel his lips ghosting your skin, still hear his sweet whispers of endearment. See the look in his eyes when he made love to you all night long, making you feel so cherished and protected. 

You awaken to those thoughts and the dawn of the summer sun peeking through your shared bedroom window. You stretch your limbs before a glint catches your eye. You pause, admiring the shine. 

You get so lost in thought that you barely feel Joel stir next to you. It’s only when he gives your bare shoulder a kiss do you look away from your dream ring. 

“Look how beautiful it looks in the sunlight,” you muse. 

You can see Joel’s soft smile from the corner of your eyes as you watch in awe how the sun catches perfectly on your ring. 

“Not as beautiful as the woman wearin’ it.” 

You turn your head to face him now, admiring him in his sleepy state. His eyes are barely cracked open, his curls are in disarray, and his voice—god, his voice—is thicker than molasses in the morning. It’s this deep, raspy drawl that makes you swoon like a person crazy in love. 

Fuck, you are crazy in love. 

“Love it when you sweet talk me,” you say. He sleepily grins and leans in to kiss your forehead, pulling your body into his. 

“We have to get up to set up Sarah’s surprise,” you murmur into his chest. Your lips fall graciously onto his warm skin, and he hums in content. 

“Five more minutes,” he mumbles, giving you a brief squeeze. 

Your head pops up from his chest and you look down at him with a quirked brow. His eyes shoot over to his bedside alarm clock, bright red numbers blinking 6:30 right back at him. His eyes flick back to your face, softening as they study your face. A soft smile plays at his lips before he leans up to kiss you. 

“Baby, she doesn’t usually get up until ten in the mornin’. You really think it’s gonna take that long?”

You sigh, laying back down on his chest. “S’pose not. I am pretty sore from last night,” you tease. 

Joel’s chest lightly rumbles as he chuckles at your words. 

“Want me to kiss it better?” There’s mischief laced in his tone as his warm hand travels down your naked body. Goosebumps arise on your skin at his touch, and you can practically feel Joel grinning from ear to ear with how receptive you are to him and his touch. 

“No. ‘Cus then we’ll really not get anything done, and I don’t think my body can take one more round right now.” 

He gently grabs your jaw and turns your face up toward his. He looks concerned now—maybe even a bit worried. 

“Fuck, did I push you too far last night? Did I hurt you?” His sweet brown eyes are worrisome, and you shake your head immediately. 

You switch positions so you’re now on top of him. You straddle him and cup his face, leaning down to kiss the worry line between his brows. 

“Oh god no, Joel. Never. I just don’t think I’ve had that many orgasms back to back to back,” you laugh, and the tension immediately dissipates from his shoulders and you see him visibly relax. 

“I’m sore in the best way possible, baby. If it was too much I would’ve let you know. I promise.” 

He nods. “Okay, good. Last thing I want is to ever hurt you, especially when we’re intimate.” 

You smile down at him. “I love you.” 

He returns it. “I love you too, darlin’. Let me run you a bath since it’s still so early. Sore muscles ain’t fun.” 

“As long as you join me,” you bargain. 

He laughs and gives your hips a love tap. “How could I say no?” 

And so you both clamber out of bed and Joel draws you both a bath with your favorite scented bubbles ‘for extra relaxation’, as he’d put it. 

“Come on in, cowboy. The water feels really good,” you say. 

“Just gimme one second baby,” he says, and you nod. You sink into the warm water, relaxing your aching muscles. He comes back a second later and climbs in behind you. He leans you back against his body, and you sigh in content as your eyes flutter shut. 

“So, I wanted to give you this,” he starts. You open your eyes to see a beautiful silver band engraved with three flowers on the front, a micro diamond in the middle of each. Inside of the band are three tiny words that read honorem, fides, amor. 

“Honor, loyalty and love…” you trail off, and you feel Joel nod behind you. 

“My dad had this ring made for my mom when they were newlyweds. She passed it on to me and told me to give it to the woman I’d someday marry.” 

Tears well in your eyes at his words, and you can only let out a whisper. “It’s beautiful.” 

He slips it onto your right hand ring finger, kissing your knuckles. “It’s my promise to you that I’ll honor you, be loyal to you, and love you for the rest of our lives. You’re half of my heart, baby. I don’t want you to doubt that even for a second.” 

“When did you know?” You ask, and when he’s silent for a few beats, you elaborate. “The moment you knew you wanted to marry me.” 

“Honestly?” 

You nod. 

“At your sister’s wedding.” 

You crane your neck to peer up at him. “Joel,” you whisper. “That soon?” 

He nods like what he just told you is the most casual thing in the world. 

“Mhm. Knew right then and there when I saw you standing up there near your sister that I want to be up at that altar with you one day. Make you my wife.” 

“When did you ask Sarah? My parents?” Your voice is a mere whisper, trying to wrap your head around his words. 

His hands move up your torso, palms slightly grazing your breasts. Your nipples tighten and you gasp at the contact, and Joel softly chuckles behind you before his hands move to your shoulders. He starts to massage the tightness out of your muscles, and you relax even further into him. 

He leans down to kiss just below your ear before answering you. 

“I asked your parents at the hospital when Emily had Mateo. Your mom was so excited, and I think your dad may have teared up a little.” 

You laugh at that, knowing your dad isn’t a very emotional man. 

He squeezes your shoulders, kissing your skin once again. 

“I asked Sarah shortly after my accident. She’s been completely on board this whole time and has been houndin’ me about when I was gonna ask ya.” 

You smile at that, knowing how persistent she can be sometimes. 

You’re quiet for a few moments as you admire the ring before turning your neck so you can kiss him. “I… have no words. Just—thank you. Thank you for taking a chance on me, thank you for believing in me, and thank you for being patient with me. I can’t believe I lucked out with the man of my dreams.” 

“You have no idea what you do to me,” he whispers. 

You squeeze his knee underwater. “It’s a good thing we have the rest of our lives for me to figure it out then, isn’t it?” 

-

You want to make sure everything is perfect for Sarah before she comes downstairs to see her small surprise. You have balloons, a personal heart-shaped cake, and a couple of presents you and Joel bought her set up on the dining room table. 

You finish making the appetizers and desserts in time, and Tommy and Maria make their way over to help set up for the party. You’re in the middle of making chocolate chip waffles for breakfast when you hear Sarah coming down the steps. 

You plate her breakfast, setting it down on the table before she rounds the corner. She rubs her eyes as she makes her way into the dining room, and you try to hold in a laugh as it takes her a second to process everything. 

“Wait what? This is all for me?” 

“Happy birthday, baby girl,” Joel says, bringing her into a hug. 

“Thanks dad,” she laughs, moving to hug you next. “Thank you for setting all of this up for me.” She gives you an extra tight hug, to which you return. 

“How’d you know it was her?” Joel asks, crossing his arms over his chest as he pretends to be offended. 

“Please, dad, I love you so much but you don’t have cute ideas like this. Like, ever.” 

You, Maria and Tommy all laugh as he sticks his tongue out at her, and she rolls her eyes. 

“Happy birthday, sweetheart,” you say, and she beams at you. 

“Thank you.” 

She hugs Tommy and Maria too as they wish her a happy birthday. She looks down at the table, and excitement is written clear as day on her face as she sees the chocolate chip waffles. 

“Ugh, I love you guys. Thank you.” 

She digs into her breakfast and opens her presents, thanks everyone again, before she rushes upstairs to get ready for her party. 

You laugh as she dashes up back to her room, loving that she’s so excited for her celebration. 

Within a few hours, the party is officially in full swing. Music is playing over a speaker, the grill is piping hot, and drinks are sweating in the palms of many hands. 

You’d think that teenagers wouldn’t entertain the idea of a bouncy house water slide, but it turns out, all of them absolutely love it. They’re all having a blast running around, while the adults are mingling. 

You make your way up to the grill where Joel, Tommy, your brothers, and your dad all stand. 

“Gentlemen,” you greet them. “Why are you guys standing like a pack of wolves around the grill?” You tease, and they all laugh. 

“Why do you women sit at one table and talk for hours on end?” Andy retorts, and you point at him knowingly. 

“Touché.” 

“I hear congratulations are in order,” your dad says, wiggling his brows. 

You grin shyly and show off your ring, and your dad and brothers all seem to nod in approval. 

“You’re a good man, Joel. I’m glad it’s you that my daughter gets to marry.” 

“Aww, dad, you haven’t gone all soft on us have you?” You grin at him, and he rolls his eyes. 

“Don’t give me that. You’re my baby girl, so of course I’m gonna go soft on you for this. I’m allowed.” Everyone laughs and you hold your hands up in surrender. 

“That’s definitely fair.” 

“What can I do for ya, pretty lady?” Joel asks, slinging an arm around your shoulder before pulling you into him. 

“I need a cheeseburger, Miller, or this pretty lady will be raging with hunger real soon.” 

“Well fuck, no one wants to see that,” your dad says, and you bark out a laugh. 

“No, they really don’t.”

“I’ll take care of it. Give me ten minutes and I’ll serve you a plate with the fixin’s you like on it,” Joel says. 

“Thank you.” You grin at him and pat his chest before pecking his lips and stepping away, but Andy pulls you to the side before you can even take another step. 

“Dude, I need you to do me a solid,” he says. 

You quirk a brow at him. “What’s up?” 

His eyes dart past you and back to the table where you were sitting with your mom, Maria, and Maria’s cousin. 

“Who’s that gorgeous woman sitting next to Maria?” He asks, and your lips form into a smirk. 

“Why do you wanna know?” You tilt your head to the side, and he groans as he turns his face toward the sky. 

“Shadow, please. She’s fucking beautiful and I haven’t been able to take my eyes off of her. Can you find out if she’s single, and, I dunno, put in a good word for me if she is?” 

You wipe the smirk off of your face, because you truly can see how smitten Andy is over her. You remember your conversation with him back at your parent’s house a few weeks back, and you know teasing him about this is in your nature, but you decide to pump the brakes and take it easy on him. 

“That’s Maria’s cousin, Natasha. She’s an attorney and she is, in fact, single.” 

“Jesus, you women are like the fucking FBI.” 

“Or we just actually talk to each other to get to know one another. Like normal people,” you say, rolling your eyes. 

“Yeah yeah, okay. Fine. But can you, I dunno, introduce me to her?” He’s fiddling with his hands, and you don’t think you’ve seen him this nervous in a long time. Andy was usually always so confident and suave around women he had interest in, so this truly surprises you. 

“Come on,” you say, nodding your head back to the table. 

He pauses for a beat. “Wait, really? Just like that?” 

You roll your lips into your mouth, trying to refrain from rolling your eyes at him for what seems like the millionth time today. 

“Yes, Andy, just like that. I’m not that mean. I wanna see you get the girl too, you know,” you sigh, and he laughs. 

“You’re not mean, baby sis. Maybe a little insane, but not mean. And, well, thank you. I appreciate you.” 

“I’ll show you insane if you don’t shut up. But, enough with the emotional shit. C’mon,” you nod your head, and you walk back over to the table with Andy in tow. 

Natasha’s eyes land on Andy and he smiles at her, to which she immediately returns. 

“Andy, honey, why don’t you sit next to Natasha here. I’m gonna go get myself a plate,” your mom says, and you have to stifle a laugh. That woman works quicker than anyone you know. 

“Oh, uh, sure,” he says, looking at her. “Is that alright with you?” 

She softly laughs, waving her hand to the chair next to her. “By all means.” 

He gives her a small smile before plopping himself down next to her, and you and Maria share a knowing look before you dive into your own conversation. 

And the rest of the day blurs into nighttime, singing Sarah happy birthday with an almost gutted-looking Joel at her side as realization that his baby girl is growing up hits him. You know it’s been a bittersweet day for him.

Guests eventually dwindle as the hours of the day tick down. Sarah wanted to end her birthday with a slumber party at her friend Katie’s house, so by the end of the night, it was just the Millers brothers, Maria, Natasha, and your family left.

You’re all sitting around the living room in good conversation. You’re leaning into Joel’s side, and his lips brush your cheek lovingly as you rest your left hand on his thigh. 

“So Joel,” Maria starts. Everyone’s attention moves to her, and she offers him a kind smile. “How did you propose to her?” 

All eyes are on Joel now, and he clears his throat as he sits up straighter. His right hand covers your left that’s settled on his lap, giving it a squeeze. 

“It was at the ranch. Already knew that place would be somethin’ special when Tommy and I were little boys runnin’ around causin’ a fuss,” he chuckles. “‘N now that I know the land will be ours officially, I wanted to ask her where new memories will be created for the rest of our lives—startin’ with that one.” 

“Actually,” you start, looking at him and then to Maria. “He asked me a while ago, and I’ve been giving him a hard time. I didn’t say yes right away. He knew I wouldn’t say no, though, but I had to keep him on his toes.” 

“Are you serious?” Andy snorts. “Classic. Sounds like some shit you’d do.” He points the neck of his beer bottle at you, and you smile at him before flipping him off. 

“Hey now, I deserved to work for it. She’s one thousand percent worth it,” Joel says, kissing your temple. “But then I called her my wife yesterday after we had a little run-in and nothin’ more has ever felt so right. The day she described her dream ring to me, I phoned a buddy of mine whose wife makes custom engagement rings. Then I gave her the ring my mom passed on to me to give to the woman I’d someday marry.” 

The women aww in unison, but Cole holds his hand up. “What the hell do you mean by a run-in?” 

You scoff and roll your eyes. “Oh yeah. Forgot to mention we fucking ran in to Christian yesterday at the grocery store while we were getting the rest of the stuff for Sarah’s party.” 

“Are you fucking serious?” Andy asks. Everyone who knows about him looks at you in disbelief. 

You nod in confirmation, but gently nudge Joel in the ribs. “Yeah. But Joel socked him hard as fuck across the nose after he tried to play tough guy and said some disrespectful shit.” 

“Holy fuck,” Cole says, while Andy and your dad laugh in unison. Your mom and Maria look mortified, but Joel just shrugs. 

“He deserved much worse in my opinion, but I definitely broke his nose. He threatened to have me arrested.” 

Tommy laughs now, taking a swig of his beer before pointing the neck at Joel. “This fucker has a mean right hook, I’ll tell y’all that.” 

“I’m glad to hear my soon to be son-in-law is protecting my baby girl like that. That’s one of the many reasons I gave him my blessing.”

“He’s a good man, sweetheart. It’s about time you found true happiness with someone who reciprocates the love you put into them,” your mom says, and tears start to well in your eyes. 

“No more cutting the onions, mom. Jesus,” Andy says. 

“I have a knack for knowing these things about my children, Andrew. Watch yourself.” She gives him a warning look, and he holds his hands up in surrender. 

The night goes on as normal conversation ensues, and eventually the house is left with just you and Joel by the time it hits midnight. 

You’re putting the last of the leftovers in the fridge when Joel comes up and hugs you from behind, wrapping his arms around your waist. You turn in his arms, sliding your hands up his chest and around the back of his neck, intertwining your fingers together. 

“Thank you for everything you did for my little girl today, baby. Guess she’s not so little anymore,” he sighs. “It means the world to me that you love her like your own.” 

You smile and peck his lips. “Of course, Joel. I just hope she enjoyed herself today.” 

“Oh, she definitely did,” he starts, leading you up the stairs and into your shared bedroom. “I haven’t seen her have this much fun in a long time. ‘N I definitely have to give credit where credit is due, darlin’.” 

You sit down on your side of the bed, leaning against the headboard while Joel lays down on his back before tossing his arms above his head and closing his eyes. 

“Well I appreciate you, honey.” 

Your hands smack your thighs as you look down at him, wiggling your eyebrows. 

“You know what this means though, right?” 

Joel peeks one eye open to look at you. 

You give him a knowing look. It’s one that makes him twist his torso so his face is now buried into his pillow, and he lets out a loud, pained groan. 

His little girl is growing up too fast. 

“It’s time to start planning for her sixteenth birthday party.” 

taglist: @raspberrybesitos ; @nostalxgic ; @punkshort ; @clawdee

@pascalpvnk ; @bensonispunk ; @merz-8 ; @darkblue-tennesseee ; @typewriter83

@lizzie-cakes ; @sawymredfox ; @keylimebeag ; @nandan11 ; @pedropascalsbbg

@pimosworld ; @yxtkiwiyxt ; @anoverwhelmingdin ; @kikaaauu ; @buckyispunk

@untamedheart81 ; @picketniffler ; @paleidiot ; @survivingandenduring

@party-hearses ; @harriedandharassed ; @brittmb115 ; @sunnytuliptime

@frodofreakingbaggins ; @aceaubrianna ; @tangled-tumbler-blog-blog ; @bunniboo0015 ; @aerihina

@pedritospunk ; @ro-nahime-things ; @ananonymousaffair ; @just-mj-or-not ; @melsunshine

@wayward-dreamer

If you would like to be added or removed from the tag list, please let me know.

dividers by @.saradika-graphics

[honeyedmiller]

that guy from that show sure has done a number on me

[honeyedmiller]

ROSH. When i tell you i nearly cried reading your reactions / thoughts on this chapter. Oh my GOD. You have no idea how much it means to me that you’d take the time to write out your thoughts on this and how much you truly love this story. Thank you from the bottom of my heart for every part of this, and the previous ones. I can’t wait to show you what I have in store for the rest of the story 🥹🩷

A Burning Desire part ten

firefighter!joel miller x f!reader

series masterlist

synopsis: Joel is determined to make up for lost time, all while starting his journey of healing.

rating: explicit. 18+, minors do not interact.

word count: 9.7k

warnings: fluff, mentions of therapy and anxiousness, (again) incorrect insurance payout mentioned, mentions of labor and a hospital visit (reader's sister), a teensy bit of drama, mentions of fight or flight regarding a person of the past, reader gets into a brief uncomfortable situation, slight violence (not against reader), a generous amount of smut (including unprotected piv, breeding kink if you squint, some dirty talk, f!oral receiving), possessive!joel, no use of y/n.

a/n: thank you for your patience. hope you enjoy. <3

“Marry me.” 

Marry me. 

Marry me, marry me, marry me. 

His words ring in your head, bouncing around wildly as you try to process what was just said to you. 

Your jaw is popped open, body completely frozen. Your eyes scan his face again, and his hands move to your hips to give them a small squeeze. 

A playful glint reaches his beautiful brown eyes, and while you’re so glad his charm is exuding his body right now, you’re at a loss for words. 

Of course you want to marry Joel, but you didn’t expect him to ask so soon—especially being just a month shy of your one year anniversary. 

Then your sister’s words ring in your head from nearly a year ago: if you know, you know. 

And you know. 

Before your scrambled brain can make up something to say, he leans forward and pecks your lips. 

“You don’t need to give me an answer right now, baby. I know it’s sort of sudden. But one thing’s for sure and two things for certain, I love you and I want to spend the rest of my life with you.” 

“Joel.” His name is a whisper on your lips, and you feel the sting of tears at the back of your eyes. 

You sniffle, glossy eyes shifting to the house that’s a clear shot across the land. The house that’ll someday be your home. 

“I have something to confess,” you say, and Joel’s body goes rigid. The look of worry crosses over his features, and your hands move up to his shoulders. You give him a small squeeze of reassurance, but you can tell it doesn’t necessarily ease him. ”I’m buying your uncle’s ranch.”

He leans back, confusion dancing in his eyes as he assesses you. He probably thinks you’re joking, but your serious face and tender touch has him furrowing his brows. 

“I know I should’ve asked you first, but I wanted it to be a surprise. I know how much this ranch means to you and Tommy, and I wanted to keep it in the family for you both. I just,” you sigh, “I’m sorry if I overstepped by doing this, I just—”

Joel doesn’t let you finish because something of a groan or a whimper, you’re not sure which, evades his chest before he grabs your face and kisses you. 

Like really, really kisses you. 

Kisses you in a way you haven’t had with him in what feels like forever. 

All of your senses come back alive that have been dormant for the past couple of months, and your body is suddenly buzzing with a surreal amount of need.

You softly whimper against his lips as his hands slide down to your ass, gripping it with such force that sends a shiver down your spine. 

He pulls apart from you, breathing labored as his hands travel up and rest at your tailbone. 

“You’re buyin’ the ranch,” he restates, and you nod. “How—why—fuck, when? What?” 

“I hope I didn’t overstep by doing this, but you said how much this place means to you and your brother and I honestly thought it would be the perfect place to create new memories, too.” 

“Baby, you didn’t overstep. Believe me. I can’t even wrap my head around this. How did this happen?” 

You brush his curls back behind his ear, sporting a small smile. 

“You know that accident I got into the day we met?” 

He nods, worrying his bottom lip between his teeth. 

“Well, turns out the kid who hit me has some VIP parents or some shit, because they cut me an insanely large check for, well, everything.” 

Joel releases his lip from his teeth and frowns, brows furrowing once again. You reach up to smooth out the worry line on his glabella, leaning forward to kiss the tip of his nose. 

You can tell he wants to ask how much the check was, but he’s not one to meddle in your finances. He probably doesn’t think it’s his place to know. 

“It was half a million dollars,” you murmur. 

Joel’s eyes nearly bug out of his head at that. His jaw pops open, and he shakes his head like he’s trying to comprehend what you just told him. 

“What?” 

“Mhm.” 

“Well fuck, that’s a generous amount,” he says. You huff a laugh at his disbelief. “Does anyone else know you have this money?” 

“Just you and Maria. She took a drive with me here to talk to your uncle about buying the land while you and Tommy were in San Angelo.” 

“I reckon you keep that money in a safe place,” he chuckles. 

You smile at the sound. 

“I will. Your uncle only asked for seventy five, but when I tried to offer more, he shut me down.” 

“He’s a stubborn ol’ man.” 

“A Miller trait, I presume,” you tease. Joel cocks an eyebrow up at you and grabs your waist, suddenly flipping you onto the plush grass beneath you both. 

You let out a yelp at the surprise, laughing as he straddles your thighs while burying his hands underneath his old t-shirt you’re adorning. 

Your laughter dies down as you look up at him in wonder, grateful that he’s hopefully feeling a bit more like himself now. You silently vow to him at that very moment that you’ll do whatever it takes to take the burden of worry off of his shoulders, whether that be letting him talk to you, supporting him to see a therapist, or simply just holding him—even if there’s no talking involved. 

“I love you so much,” Joel whispers. You grin at him and pull him down so his weight is on top of you. 

“I love you too,” you murmur against his lips, kissing him again. You both stay like that for a while, kissing each other effortlessly. Every part of your body screams I missed you! and his body reacts just the same. 

You feel his growing bulge against your leg, and you break the kiss to softly laugh. 

“Missed me, huh?” You love teasing him, because he’s so receptive to it. 

“I really did, baby. I’d love to show you, if you’ll have me.” 

The sincerity in his voice makes your heart melt, but you know he’s in a vulnerable state with his emotions right now. As much as you want him, you don’t want to do anything that might take advantage of his vulnerability—though you know you’d never do that intentionally, anyway. 

“Are you sure, Joel? You’re fresh off the heels of admitting something extremely traumatic—”

“I absolutely love that you care so much, honeybee. I’m okay—well, in a sense enough to want to do this with you. Shuttin’ you out for the past couple of months has absolutely killed me,” he says. “Wanna make it up to you.” 

“You don’t need to—”

He shakes his head and brings a finger up to your lips, shushing you. He grins down at you and kisses your temple. 

“Let me.” 

You stare at him for a few seconds, finally giving in. You nod and his lips are on yours again, and the kiss is heated, but in a steady way. He takes his time with you. 

For a minute, you worry that someone will see you, but everything is far away from this huge tree that hides your bodies so well. 

His hands move to your hips, giving them a squeeze. You gasp against his lips, and he takes the opportunity to slip his tongue into your mouth. You moan softly as he rubs circles into your hot skin, hands moving up to slide through his soft curls at the base of his skull. 

“Missed you so much,” he breathes against your lips. 

“Missed you too, baby.” 

He moves his hands up from your hips, taking his shirt you’re wearing with them. He brings it over your head and tosses it aside, pleased to find out you’re not wearing a bra. 

“Forgot you wore this to bed last night,” he chuckles. 

You shoot him a small smile. “Woke up late today and didn’t think about changing before coming to find you.” 

He hums and leans down, kissing down your neck, nipping at your shoulder, moving down to your sternum before his plush lips make their way to one of your breasts. 

You suck in a breath as Joel envelopes a nipple into his mouth, licking and sucking like his life depends on it. A wave of arousal hits you and you can feel your wrecked panties in your sleep shorts. You squirm beneath him, trying to keep your mewling to a low volume. It’s nearly impossible though, because this kind of attention from him always makes you a wreck—but you absolutely love it. 

You blindly reach for the waistband of his joggers, tugging them down desperately along with his boxers. He groans at the release, biting down on your nipple before switching to the next one. You suck in another breath as you lift your hips to shimmy your shorts down, and in the urgency of the moment, he starts to buck his hips. 

His length slides between your folds, completely drenching himself in your arousal. You’re both a panting, moaning mess as you take hold of his length every time he slides through your slick pussy. 

You toss your head back onto the grass, mouth agape as the feeling of his head catching on your clit every time nearly sends you over the edge. 

“Joel,” you whine, one hand gripping onto the back of his neck in desperation. 

“I know baby, I know,” he coos, sitting up for a split second to rid himself of his shirt before coming back down to you. He slides his length through your folds twice more before lining himself up with your entrance. You look up at him and bite your lip in anticipation, and when he pushes in, you both close your eyes at the pure bliss you’re consumed with. 

Both of your bodies are slicked with sweat, Texas summer heat nearly unbearable, but neither one of you seems to mind at the moment. He’s slowing it down again, taking his time to thrust in and out of you at a slower pace. He’s got both of his forearms on either side of your head now, looking at you with such adoration. 

You look right back, butterflies rumbling in your tummy at the mere thought of how this is who you’re going to spend the rest of your life with. Without a doubt, you know Joel will be the best husband. 

Fuck, just referring to him as your husband has you all giddy and prideful. 

Your thoughts whoosh away as he starts to thrust his body upward, heavy cock hitting the perfect spot that has you seeing stars. You gasp as your eyes roll back, jaw slack as you unintentionally claw at his back and biceps. 

“Yeah? Right there, sweet girl?” 

You nod frantically, pussy fluttering around him as he repeats the movement. 

“Feel so fuckin’ good, baby. Missed this pretty pussy. So fuckin’ tight. All mine,” he babbles. 

“Yours,” you breathe. He hums in satisfaction and kisses you again, swallowing your gasps and moans as he picks up the pace a fraction. 

“Fuck that feels so good,” you cry. “You take such good care of me.” 

“N’ I plan on it for the rest of our lives.” 

You cry out once more at that, chanting his name as your orgasm rips through you. He follows suit right after, pumping you full of his cum. 

You’re a heaving, sweaty mess as he slowly pulls out. You sport a lazy grin, eyes hooded as you stare up at him. He smiles down at you and kisses you before reaching down between your bodies to swipe some of your spend mixed with his. He circles your sensitive clit once, making your body buck up toward him. 

“Always so receptive to my touch,” he teases with a glint in his eye.  

“Can’t help it. You’re the only one who gets me feeling like this.” 

“Good,” he says with a firm tone, bringing his fingers up to your mouth. You open obediently, and he smirks as you suck on his digits. His fingers come out of your mouth with a small pop when they’re all clean. 

He kisses you once more before sliding his joggers and boxers back onto his hips, sitting up to help you with your panties and shorts. You slip your—his— shirt back on before standing up. You feel his spend leaking out of you as you stretch, legs a little shaky from your escapades. 

He wraps an arm around one of your legs and nuzzles his face into your stomach, kissing your clothed skin repeatedly. He’s kneeling in front of you, and it almost feels like he’s worshipping you like this. 

And then he looks up at you as he’s doting on you. It nearly knocks the air out of your lungs.

“You’re so handsome,” you whisper, cupping his face as you run a hand over his scruff. He turns to kiss the palm of your hand, and he softly smiles at you before standing up to his full height. 

“And you’re beautiful,” he says with finality. 

“C’mon, cowboy. Let’s go wash up at home.” 

You hold your hand out to him, and he takes it with no hesitation this time. He gives your hand a squeeze as you walk toward your vehicles. 

You squeeze right back. 

-

You spent the rest of the night discussing with Joel how you can help him and who he can go to, and he ultimately agreed he’d talk to his captain before his next shift. He says the fire department has resources across the entirety of Travis County, so finding him someone to talk to shouldn’t be too arduous. 

The next day, you drive with him to the station for moral support as he talks to his captain. You leave them to it, as you don’t want to eavesdrop on a private conversation, so you sit in the lounge area and you read a magazine left on the coffee table. 

You’re deep into an article about how to make fluffy chocolate croissants when Joel walks up the steps and nudges you gently to get your attention. You look up at him from where you’re comfortably sitting, eyes shifting to his captain behind him. 

“Hey, baby. You ready to go?” His voice is tender and soft. 

You nod, setting down the magazine on the coffee table before standing up. 

“Take care of yourself, Miller. No matter what that looks like—as long as it’s healthy and legal,” he chuckles. Joel laughs with him and nods before they briefly hug, and he shakes your hand. You smile at him and curtly nod before Joel takes your hand, leaving the firehouse. 

“Everything all good?” You ask, buckling yourself into his truck after he opens your door for you. 

He nods. “Mhm. Gave me the name of a guy who’s helped many firefighters struggling with trauma and PTSD.” 

“That’s good…” 

He smiles at the concern in your voice. 

“I’m gonna give him a call today to see when he can pencil me in for an appointment.” 

You feel like you can breathe a little easier at his words. You simply offer Joel a nod and a small smile, and he reaches over the console to grip your thigh. You rest your left hand on top of his, and he briefly glances down at the contact before he peels out of the firehouse parking lot. 

“So, I know you haven’t given me an answer yet,” he starts. The words make you sit up straighter in your seat, eyes darting over to the handsome man. “But what kind of engagement ring have you always dreamed of having?” 

You roll your lips into your mouth as you face forward again, really putting some thought into your answer. 

Then you go on to describe your absolute dream ring—something that you know will be timeless and fit you perfectly. 

Joel’s fingers dig into your bare flesh slightly as reassurance, letting you know he’s listening to every minute detail you’re giving him. 

You sit in a comfortable silence for a few more minutes as you look out onto the road before turning to him again. 

“What are we doing for Sarah’s birthday? It’s coming up pretty soon,” you say. 

He nods and smiles, chuckling to himself. 

“She actually told me that she wanted to rent a bouncy house water slide for her and her friends from the soccer team and school.” 

You can’t help but crack a smile. Most soon-to-be fifteen year olds wouldn’t ever dream of doing anything like that, but then again, Sarah isn’t like most soon-to-be fifteen year olds. You love that she’s unafraid to still have fun and make the best memories she can for herself. 

You’ve met a few of said friends over the past few months, as some of them would come over after school to do homework together or go up to her room to talk about boys they have crushes on or music they’d listen to. 

Girlhood is such a special thing, and you’d do anything to make sure it lives on throughout her life. 

“That’s actually really cool. What are we thinking for food? Dessert? Appetizers?” 

Joel chuckles again as he squeezes your thigh once more, pulling into your neighborhood. He parks in the driveway and fully turns to face you. 

“Honestly, I haven’t thought about it much,” he says. The look of guilt is clear as day on his face, and you feel bad that he clearly feels awful about it, so you give him a beaming smile as you lean across the console. 

“Don’t worry about it, cowboy. I’ve got it covered.” You peck his lips and he pulls you back into him before you get too far. You giggle against his lips as they mould to yours effortlessly. 

You pat his chest twice before separating from him. 

“Let me talk to Sarah to see what she’d like food-wise and we can go from there.” 

He sighs, head tilting back to hit his headrest. “What would I do without you?” His voice is soft as he turns his head to look at you, hand reaching out to cup your cheek. 

You shrug, giving him a playful grin. “I dunno. Probably be fianceé-less and have to make your own chocolate chip cookies.” 

You wink at him as he sits straight up in his seat at your words, eyes blazing. Before he can say anything, you hop out of his truck and trudge to the front door. 

He scrambles to get out of the driver’s side, breathless when he asks you, “Does that mean it’s a yes?” 

-

You’re reading a book in bed when you get the call. 

It’s a Saturday morning, and Joel is sleeping like a bear after his twenty-four hour shift. 

Your phone buzzes on your nightstand, and you see Josh’s name light up across the screen. Your heart drops to your ass because you know it’s probably time. 

“Hello?” You whisper, dog-earing the page you left off on in your book. You slide out of bed slowly, tiptoeing across the carpet to the door of the room so you can slip out without waking Joel. 

“Hey you. Just letting you know Emi’s contractions have gotten much stronger and closer together, so we’re heading to the hospital now.” 

You can’t help but smile and get teary-eyed. “Cool, thank you for letting me know. You going to Saint David’s?” 

“Mhm. She’s gonna text the family right now, but she wanted me to call you first. We’re loading our stuff in the car right now.” 

“Sounds good. I’ll meet you guys over there in an hour or so.” 

“See you soon, soon-to-be auntie.” 

You laugh. “See you soon, soon-to-be dad.” 

You hang up with him and come back into the room as quietly as possible, shifting through your side of the closet for some lounge clothes. You hop into the shower quickly and get ready as fast as possible before walking over to Joel’s side of the bed. He’s still sleeping soundly, and you feel bad for having to wake him, but you don’t want him to worry about your whereabouts. 

“Joel, baby,” you whisper, stroking the side of his face with your hand gently. 

He furrows his brows, and you bend down to kiss his forehead. His eyes flutter open slowly, taking you in. His eyes move down your body that’s wrapped in a towel, and he quirks a tired brow. 

You stifle a giggle. “I’m going to Saint David’s. Emi is in labor.” 

“Oh shit,” he murmurs. He presses the heels of his palms into his eyes, rubbing the sleep out of them before sitting up slightly. 

“Let me get ready and I can go with you.” 

You shake your head. “I want you to get some sleep, baby. I know you came home only a few hours ago.” 

He hesitates for a moment. “Are you sure?” 

You nod this time, cupping his cheek. “Yeah my love. You can just meet me there later if you’d like.” 

He grabs your hand and tugs you to him, causing you to topple onto him. He lets out a grunt before flipping you over, and it all happens so fast that you barely have time to catch your breath. Your towel falls open in the process, and you laugh as Joel attacks your neck and chest with kisses. 

“Joel,” you breathe, failing to push him off of you. 

His head pops up. “What?” 

You can’t help but admire him like this: all messy bedhead and sparkling, playful eyes. His voice is rough and raspy from having just woken up, which sends a fresh wave of arousal to your core. 

“I gotta go.” 

“I’ll be real quick. Swear.” He smirks at you, and you’re so easily turned on that you don’t have the will to say no. 

“Fuck, fine. But you’re not getting the returned favor until later.” 

“I don’t even need the favor returned, baby. I could eat this pretty pussy for breakfast lunch and dinner for the rest of my god-given life.” 

You hum at that, raking a hand through his mussed curls. He grins in satisfaction and doesn’t waste any time. He spreads your legs open, whistling at the amount of slick he sees before throwing your legs over his shoulders. 

He dives down and eats you desperately. Sloppily. Yet, somehow, meticulous. 

The slurping and sucking sounds he makes are obscene. You’re honestly both lucky that the doors are thick enough to block out a majority of sound, because with the way he’s groaning into your pussy, the whole neighborhood would probably wake. Not to mention, your desperate whimpers that escape your throat as you grind your hips against his mouth. 

He has you unraveling in five minutes, tops. You have no idea how the hell he does it, because before him, you had a hard time coming quickly. 

He comes up from between your thighs, stubble and mustache shiny with your slick. He licks his lips and groans appreciatively, giving you a wet kiss. You taste yourself on him briefly before he separates from you, flopping back down on his back. 

“We’ll be by the hospital in a few hours, darlin’. I really am fuckin’ exhausted,” Joel sighs. You turn toward him and peck his lips before climbing out of bed over him. He gives your ass a playful slap before you trudge over to your underwear drawer, picking out a bra and panties to wear. Joel’s eyes burn holes through your body as you slide the matching pale pink garments on. 

“God, you have no idea how hard you make my dick. It’s kinda ridiculous,” he says. 

You bark out a laugh, tossing your head back before looking back at him. 

“You’re nuts, you know that?” 

He grins proudly. “I know. But you still love me.” 

You slip on your clothes and slide on some sandals before rounding the bed again, leaning down to kiss him one more time. 

“That I do, Mr. Miller.” 

You shoot him a wink, and you’re out of the door and on your way to the hospital. 

-

Emily has her baby after fifteen hours of labor. They name him Mateo Alejandro, and you cry when you first set your eyes on him. 

“I can’t believe you’re a mom. Holy sh—” you pause, looking down at your nephew. “Shoot,” you finish. 

Emily tiredly laughs and Josh bends down to kiss her forehead. 

“I know. Isn’t he perfect?” She asks, and you trace his soft hair with a feather-light touch before looking back at her. 

“He really is.” 

You coo at him and bounce him gently. The rest of the family comes into the room moments later, hearts all full and eyes glossy. 

Sarah beams as she stares at the newborn. “I can’t wait for you two to give me a sibling or two one day,” she whispers, elbowing her dad in the ribs as she wiggles her eyebrows at you. You bite your lip, peeking at Joel. He looks so smitten with you holding a baby in your arms. 

Everyone softly laughs, and you hand Mateo off to your mom to hold before you stand by Joel’s side. 

“One day,” you say, winking at Sarah. She grins from ear-to-ear. 

You wrap your arm around Joel’s back, and he kisses your temple before pulling you into him. 

“Sarah, honey, real quick,” Emily starts. Sarah’s attention turns to her, and she shoots her a smile. “I know your birthday is in a couple of weeks, but depending on how the baby is and how I’m feeling, we may or may not be able to make it.” 

Emily reaches out for Sarah’s hand. Sarah takes it and gives Emily’s a gentle squeeze. 

“No worries at all. I totally understand.” 

“Promise we’ll make it up to you if we don’t, though. We can take you out for food. Any place. Your choice.” 

“Thank you guys for even thinking of me like that. It means a lot.” 

Emily chuckles. “You’re practically our niece anyway. We’re family. That’s what we do.” 

Everyone laughs, and you take a look around the room to admire everyone gathered here. Joel gives your shoulder a squeeze, and he looks at your mom. 

“Thank you all for bein’ so invitin’ to us Millers. Getting to be an addition to the family means a great deal to us, especially since our family isn’t so big to begin with.” 

“Oh honey,” your mom starts. “You were always meant to be a part of our family. All four of you. And thank you, Joel, for taking care of our little girl. She’s the happiest I’ve ever seen her. Glows differently ever since she met you.” 

“Damn, who’s cutting the onions?” Andy jokes, wiping away a tear. Again, laughter fills the room and sniffles follow suit. You’re all an emotional bunch today. 

“I appreciate those kind words, Alexandria. But it’s her who’s made me a better man. An honest one. Has helped and continues to help me through some really rough times. She’s my rock.” 

He says all of this while looking at you, and you can’t help but let the tears cascade down your cheeks. You’d adore this man in every single lifetime, and you’re so damn lucky to have found him in this one. 

He leans to peck your lips, and you can’t help but smile against him. 

Your mom wipes a tear from her face, hands Mateo off to your dad, and points at Cole. 

“When will we be meeting your girl?” 

“Mom,” Cole says, scrubbing away at his face. “Soon, okay? I promise.” 

“Good. That’s all I wanna know.” 

You smile at your mom’s tendency to be a bit too nosey in her children’s relationships, but you know it comes from a good place in her heart. All she wanted for her children was to grow up with a good head on their shoulders, succeed at what they want to do most in their life, and find the type of love they write in the fairytale storybooks. 

You get the hopeless romantic side of yourself from your mom. It was destroyed for a while, but Joel has wholeheartedly restored that trait within you, brick by brick. 

And you don’t think there’s anything you can ever say to him to voice how truly grateful you are for that. For him. 

So, you’ll have to show him through one thing: saying yes to being his wife. 

-

A couple of weeks pass by, and it’s a day before Sarah’s party. Joel manages to get an appointment with the guy his captain recommended he talk to, and he asked you last night to go with him. You agreed right away. 

You can tell Joel is nervous as he white-knuckles the steering wheel. His hands twist anxiously over the leather, and you reach a hand over to the back of his head, running your fingers through his thick curls before scratching at the nape of his neck. 

He visibly relaxes at your touch and shoots you a tight-lipped smile. 

You arrive at the office, and when you walk inside, it’s quiet. Calm, even. You and Joel walk up to the front desk hand-in-hand, and the woman sitting there looks up at you both and smiles brightly. 

“Good morning, how can I help you?” 

You look at Joel, and the column of his throat works as he swallows nervously. You squeeze his hand for silent reassurance.  

“I have an appointment with Dr. Elias at ten.” 

She types something into her computer, moving her glasses up the bridge of her nose. 

“For Joel Miller?” She asks, looking back up at him. 

He nods slightly. “Yes ma’am.”

”Perfect, go ahead and take a seat in the waiting room and he’ll call you back when he’s all set to go.” 

“Thank you,” he nods at her appreciatively, and she shoots you both a kind smile. You make your way to the waiting area, sitting down on the black leather seats. 

Joel’s leg starts to bounce, and you place your hand on his knee to try to stop him. 

“Hey, everything’s gonna be okay, alright?” You whisper, nuzzling into him. 

He kisses your cheek and sighs. 

“I know… I just, I dunno. ‘M not the best at talkin’ about this stuff and somethin’ about opening up to a stranger makes me uneasy.” 

“That’s completely understandable, baby. Dr. Elias is here to help you, though, and I don’t think your captain would recommend him if he wasn’t a good person to go to.” 

He sighs. “You’re right.” 

You grin at him mischievously to lighten the mood. “Always am.” 

He chuckles and wraps you in his arms, giving your body a light squeeze before pressing his lips to your temple. 

“I love you, sweet girl.” 

“I love you too, cowboy.”

A door down the short hallway adjacent from the waiting room opens, and a tall man with gray hair, thick mustache and kind brown eyes steps out. 

“For Joel Miller?” He calls, and you squeeze his knee one more time before giving him a soft smile. He walks back with the man, who you assume is Dr. Elias, and you settle back into your seat. 

You take your phone out of your purse and type everything that you need at the store for Sarah’s party down on the list in your notes app. You managed to get the decorations the previous weekend to put less stress on yourself, and you’re honestly thankful you did. Scrambling around at the last second for a party is never a fun time. 

Joel insisted that he go to the grocery store with you after his appointment, and you honestly don’t mind the company. Joel seems to be much clingier to you now, which you also don’t mind…like, at all. 

It’s sweet that he wants to spend so much time with you, but you did tell him a couple of weeks ago that he doesn’t need to make up for ‘lost time’, as he had put it. You know Joel is the type of man to want to right his ‘wrongs’, so you let him without questioning it. 

Having someone want to be around you as much as Joel does absolutely fills your heart, because years ago, you settled for so much less. For someone who didn’t want to spend quality time with you. Didn’t show PDA anywhere near the amount that Joel does. 

It’s not like you want to compare your relationship with Christian to your relationship with Joel, because Joel is beyond ten times the man Christian ever was. It’s just an insanely stark contrast that has your mind reeling from time-to-time, because for so long, you put up with less than the bare minimum. You felt so unloved, so unhappy, so fucking drained not only mentally, but physically too. 

Your ex is the epitome of a manipulative disaster. 

Joel is the man of your fucking dreams. 

-

An hour later, the door to Dr. Elias’ office opens, and they both step out. You shove your kindle back in your purse before standing up as they shake hands, and Joel makes his way back to you. Dr. Elias gives you a kind smile and a wave before retreating back into his space. 

You look at Joel with a tilt of your head. “So… how’d it go?” 

He chuckles and kisses your temple, wrapping his arm around your shoulder as you walk out of the office. You say goodbye to the receptionist, making your way back into the summer sun and into Joel’s truck. 

“It went surprisingly well,” he starts. He cranks up the air conditioning before turning to you. “Wasn’t as uncomfortable as I thought it would be. Some things were a little difficult to talk about, but he said it takes time to get to the root of PTSD.” 

You nod, taking in his words before reaching over the console to grab his hand. “I’m proud of you for going today, Joel.” 

His eyes soften as he stares at you. 

“I love you, my honeybee.” 

You beam at him. “I love you too. Now, chop chop,” you say, grinning mischievously. “We have some groceries to get and some food to make.” 

A deep chuckle evades his chest, and he pecks your lips before smiling against them. “Yes ma’am.” 

It only takes a few minutes to get there, and you start crossing everything off your list you had made an hour prior. 

You’re down to the last few items, sending Joel to get a variety of chips while you scan the beer aisle for a variety pack. You’re so focused on finding the right kind that a familiar voice calling your name startles you. 

You immediately freeze in your tracks, though. You recognize that grating voice right away. 

You turn to meet the familiar, unsettling icy gaze. You take in his appearance. He looks to be in pretty rough shape for someone who cared so much about his image. 

“Christian.” Your tone is clipped, and you immediately cross your arms over your chest. 

“What are you doing on this side of town? Thought I’d never see your pretty face again.” He reaches out to try and touch you, but you step back immediately. 

“Don’t even fucking think about it,” you snap, and he chuckles while stepping closer.

“My my, you sure have gotten feisty.” 

You roll your eyes at him before turning back to the fridges, pretending to look for the beer. 

“She left me, you know,” he continues. 

“Gee, I wonder why,” you scoff. You roll your eyes once more and try to create more distance between the two of you, but he just keeps stepping closer. It makes your pulse rise up, and your fight or flight kicks in as he stands only a few inches from you. 

“I’m real fucking lonely now, and I’ve been thinking about you a lot.” 

You whip around to face him, pushing him away. “And how the fuck is that my problem? You are none of my concern anymore. You haven’t been for six years. Leave me the fuck alone and go be miserable somewhere else.” 

“Don’t be a bitch, sweetheart. You’d be lucky to have me back.” 

Your molars grind against each other in annoyance, but you don’t give Christian the satisfaction of seeing how angry he makes you. He doesn’t deserve any more of your energy. He’s already taken enough from you. 

Joel steps into the aisle seconds later, tossing the bags of chips in the cart before stepping behind you. 

“Is there a problem here?” He asks, and you can see Joel straightening his posture while he has to literally look down at Christian. 

“And who the fuck are you? This conversation doesn’t concern you,” Christian says, taking in Joel’s appearance. His eyes stop at his chest, and Christian barks out a laugh. 

“A firefighter? Really?” His head swivels back to you. “Never took you as the type to be a fucking badge bunny.” 

“That’s rich, Christian. And I never took you as the type to be a manipulative cheating asshole, but guess we’re both wrong here.” 

He scoffs and puts a dramatic hand over his heart, mock-wounded. 

Joel stiffens at the mention of his name, and he instinctively wraps a protective arm around you. 

Joel nearly growls at Christian. “You just included me in the conversation, dickhead. The way you’re talkin’ to her does concern me. Keep talkin’ to my wife like that and it’ll be your ass hitting the floor, boy.” 

Wife. Oh, fuck. You should not be feeling this aroused hearing him saying that aloud. Nor should you be aroused at the fact that Joel looks angry as hell while defending you. If looks could kill, Christian would be six feet under right now. 

Christian laughs darkly as he steps up to Joel. 

“Wife?” Christian laughs.

Joel steps even closer to Christian, boots nearly toe-to-toe. “Somethin’ funny, asshole?” 

Christian falters, and for a brief second, all you can picture right now is a small shaking dog with its tail between its legs. 

You have to stifle a laugh. 

“Hit me. I fucking dare you. I’ll have you arrested, you son of a bitch. You and that pathetic whore you call your wife.” 

Joel doesn’t blink twice before he swings at Christian, decking him straight across the nose. Christian stumbles backwards and into the freezers, clutching his nose that’s now dripping blood as he cries out in agony. 

Your jaw drops as you stare at Joel, breath ragged as you try to contain your composure. 

Joel looks at him with the nastiest glare you’ve ever seen. “Try me. I know every single Chief Officer and Sheriff in Austin. Can fuckin’ guarantee it won’t work out in your favor, asshole.” 

Joel turns to you. “You alright, baby?” He asks, pulling you into him. 

You nod. “More than okay.” 

Christian looks furious as Joel holds you against his body. 

“Have fun with my leftovers,” he snarks, and you genuinely laugh before placing a hand on Joel’s chest. 

“Oh, trust me. He is.” 

Joel’s anger seems to roll off of his shoulders at your comment, but he’s still tense. 

You and Joel watch Christian walk—more like stomp—away like a child. 

“Holy fucking shit,” you’re breathless, clinging onto Joel’s torso. “You held back on him though. How thoughtful.” 

His jaw pops as he shakes his head, flexing the hand he hit Christian with. “Broke the fucker’s nose, for sure. He definitely deserves way worse in my opinion.” 

His eyes scan over you again. “You sure you’re okay?” He asks, bringing your body into his as he holds you tightly. 

You nod. “Seeing his face shook me up a little bit, but I’m okay. Thank you for defending your wife.” You quirk a brow and grin at him, and his face reddens in a blush. 

“You caught that, huh? Sorry, it kinda just slipped out in the heat of the moment.” 

You shake your head. “Don’t be sorry. It was hot.” 

“Yeah? How about we get outta here so I can fuck my wife proper when we get home.” 

Your whole body heats up at his words. You swallow hard, eyes darting around you to make sure nobody heard this man and his filthy fucking mouth that you love so much. 

“Let’s get out of here.” 

You grab the last couple of items on your list in a hurry before checking out your things, loading everything up in Joel’s truck before he starts it up to head back home. 

Halfway there, he starts to dig through a bag at a red light before pulling out something in a crinkly wrapper. Joel tears open the small wrapper with his teeth, before presenting you a bright red ring pop. 

“For my wife.” 

He picks up your left hand and brings your knuckles to his lips, kissing them before slipping the plastic ring around your ring finger. 

You toss your head back in a laugh as he gives your hand a squeeze, and you steal a kiss before the light turns green. 

Only Joel can make you feel this good inside after a run-in with your ex. 

God, this man is everything to you. 

“Looks real good, dontcha think?” You lift your eyebrows at him as you wiggle your fingers, showcasing the huge strawberry flavored diamond on your hand. 

“Looks beautiful, baby,” he chuckles, bringing your hand back up to his mouth before he sticks his tongue out to take a lick. 

“Hey! That’s my ring. Get your own,” you tease. 

“Nah. I’d rather share with you.” 

He pulls his truck in the driveway, and you peek over at him to see that he’s still stewing in some anger. His shoulders are tense, and the muscle in his jaw is popping every two seconds. 

“Joel,” you deadpan. 

He looks at you. “Yeah baby?” 

“Why are you still so tense?” 

His shoulders slump. “Fuck,” He tosses his head back against the headrest, gripping the steering wheel tightly. He’s silent for several beats, and you’re about to speak again before he sits straight up. “Fuckin’ can’t stand it when people look at you like that. Let alone speak to you or about you in a fuckin’ vile way. Nobody disrespects my woman like that. Ever.” 

Your eyebrows shoot up at his words. “Joel are you…?”

He barely meets your eyes. “No.” 

You roll your lips into your mouth and weigh your next words. 

“Baby, look at me,” you tell him, and he slowly looks up at you. His brow is harsh and he’s frowning, but you still smile at him and cup his cheek in your hand. You lean in close to him, looking him straight in the eyes. 

“Joel Miller, I promise you there is nobody in this world that compares to you. You’re my one and only. The only person who has my attention is you. And what you did for me today,” you pause, leaning your forehead against his. “Nobody has ever stood up for me like that in any relationship I’ve been in. So thank you, baby. So much. I love you.” 

He shakes his head. “Standing up for you should be a given. I swear t’god I’ll beat the shit out of any motherfucker that disrespects you ever again.”  

“Easy there, cowboy,” you start with a grin, trying to get his mind off of that. “C’mon, help me with the groceries and I can run you a bath or something to help relax your muscles.” 

He’s quiet for a beat, but nods in agreement before you both get out of the truck and bring in all of the groceries. You’re almost done putting away the last bag in the fridge when Joel’s broad body crowds yours from behind. 

He yanks your hips back, pressing his front against your backside. You gasp as the fridge snaps closed, and his lips are at your neck as he’s kissing, biting and licking. Your head lolls back, and Joel’s hand moves down your torso and travels down down down until it’s underneath the hem of your dress. 

“Joel,” you whisper, nearly melting in his arms as he starts to rub your pussy through your underwear. 

He clicks his tongue against the roof of his mouth in mockery, shaking his head. “So fuckin’ wet. How long you been walkin’ around like this?” 

He continues his ministrations, circling your clit with his middle finger. A shiver runs down your spine as his touch becomes feather-light, and you bite your lip to hold back a whine. 

“Tell me,” he growls. 

“Fuck, since you called me your wife.” 

“Yeah? You liked that, huh?” 

You nod. 

“Mm. Now just imagine if it was the real thing,” he murmurs, voice dangerously low. He continues to circle your clit, and it has you squirming at this point. 

“Can just imagine us in our house at the ranch, christening every goddamn surface that place has to offer. You moanin’ my name, weddin’ ring catchin’ in the sunlight. Perfect pussy takin’ my cock like she’s made for it. No one around for miles so we can be as loud as we want.” 

He moves your underwear to the side now, middle finger moving through your slick slit with ease. He brings his finger to his mouth, sucking on it diligently. 

“Yeah, I don’t think the Adlers would approve of such heinous noises and activities ensuing in the Miller household,” you say with a laugh. Joel softly chuckles and kisses your neck again. 

“Hop up on the counter for me.” 

You freeze. “Wh-what?” 

“You heard me. Get. On. The counter.” 

His voice is dangerously low once again, and you know better than to have him repeat himself again. You do as you’re told, hopping up onto the counter behind Joel. 

His large hands cup your knees and he spreads your legs to slot his body between them. You look up at him, breath ragged as you wait for his next move. He grabs the back of your neck gently, tilting your head up to him. His other hand travels between your legs again, resuming rubbing your clit. 

You suck in a sharp breath as your eyes flutter closed, and Joel moves your underwear to the side once again to coat his fingers in your slick. Your eyebrows furrow as you lean back, both arms behind you to support yourself. 

Before you can even process what’s happening, Joel yanks the skimpy fabric away from your body before stuffing it in his back pocket. He lands on his knees, fingers digging into your flesh as he grips your thighs and yanks them apart. He tosses your legs over his shoulder after moving your ass close to the edge of the counter, and his mouth is on you with no hesitation or remorse. 

He eats you like a man starved, licking and sucking with such fervor. You gasp and cry his name, pants blending into moans as you reach down and thread your fingers through his thick head of curls. It really doesn’t take much for him to get you to finish. He knows exactly what makes you tick, what you like and don’t like, and how to get you to orgasm in record fucking time. 

You toss your head back, his writhing against his mouth. He hums against you, chuckling at your reaction to his skillful tongue. You’re hurtling over the edge, legs shaking as you cum. 

“Joel, Jesus fucking Christ,” you cry, and he separates his mouth from your pussy for a brief moment as he looks into your eyes—a look so wild an untamable. 

“This pussy is mine, you hear me? You’re mine. Ain’t nobody gonna ever fuckin’ get in between us,” he growls, kissing the apex of your inner thigh. 

“Tell me,” he says. 

Dazed and confused, you look down at him with a furrowed brow. 

“Tell me you’re mine. I need t’fuckin’ hear it, baby. Tell me.” 

He stands up to full height now, easily unbuckling his belt before undoing the button and zipper of his jeans. You reach down to yank his pants from his waist until they’re beneath his ass, and you wrap your legs around him to pull him closer. His clothed erection rubs deliciously against your sensitive core, and you both moan at the feeling. 

You cup the back of his neck, bringing him down to you for a passionate kiss. You’re panting when you pull apart, but you keep him close. 

“I’m all yours, Joel. Forever. Nobody will ever love me the way you do.” 

“You have no fuckin’ idea what you do to me, darlin’.” He leans his forehead against yours as he slips his boxers down, erection springing free. You reach down to pump him a couple of times, and he inhales sharply before he presses a kiss to your forehead. He leans back, taking his cock in his hand before swiping his head through your slick folds. You bite your lip and peek up at him, looking him in the eye as he pushes into you. 

“Fucking love your cock,” you murmur, satiated in pure want and desire. 

“Fuck, yeah, you do,” he grunts, reaching the hilt. 

Your jaw goes slack and your eyes flutter shut for a moment, but Joel gently grabs your throat. 

“Uh uh, keep those pretty eyes on me baby. Wanna see you when I fuck you like you deserve.” 

Your pussy flutters at his words, and he looks at you with a glint in his eye and a smug fucking smirk. 

You nudge his shoulder gently. “Wipe that look off your face, Miller.” 

“Nah. I don’t think I will,” he says, sliding out of you before slamming back in. You cry out in pleasure, wrapping your legs around his waist as he repeats this motion a few more times before finally fucking you at a pace that makes you breathless. He rocks his body up so his cock hits your g-spot perfectly every time, and you know you’re absolutely done for. 

Your resolve crumbled the moment his lips met your neck not even twenty minutes ago, and your mind is nowhere near Earth right now. You’re in a pure state of bliss as this devastatingly beautiful man fucks you like nobody else ever has. 

Your legs are shaking once again as you try your hardest to keep your eyes on him, nothing but panting and skin slapping against skin being heard through the house. 

You really can’t think of any words right now to spew out like you usually do, to tell him how good he feels inside you or whispering praises you know he secretly loves to hear. 

You thank the fucking universe you’re alone right now, because the way that burning heat rips through your body once again is otherworldly. You clamp your eyes shut and toss your head back, screaming Joel’s name as he makes you cum again. 

“There you go, that’s it,” he praises. “Atta girl. Feel so fuckin’ good squeezin’ me like that, baby, fuck.” 

You whimper at his words before reaching down to circle your already overstimulated clit, determined to prolong your orgasm while hoping to trigger his. 

“Oh fuck,” you moan, feeling Joel pulse inside you. 

“God—fuck—I’m gonna fuckin’—”

You clamp down on him one last time. “Give it to me, Joel.” 

“Jesus fuck, woman,” he moans, hips faltering at your words as he spills everything he has in you. 

You breathlessly laugh as you bury your face into his neck, kissing his sweaty skin. You give his neck a small nibble before kissing the spot again, raking your hands through his hair in the comforting way he likes. 

“You’re incredible, you know that?” He whispers, and you smile into his skin. 

“I’m only reciprocating what I receive, Mr. Miller,” you say. 

He chuckles and slowly pulls out of you, both of you groaning at the loss of contact. He pulls up his boxers and pants, fastening everything correctly before looking at you with that glint of mischief again. He takes his thumb and swipes it through your overly-sensitive folds, collecting some of his spend. Your body jerks at the feeling.

He brings his thumb up to your lips and pops it into your mouth, and you suck on it while you bat your lashes up at him. 

“Christ. The woman that you are,” he murmurs, bringing you in for a sweet kiss before he helps you off the counter. 

You stand on slightly shaky legs, walking over to the cupboard nearest to you to pull out Clorox wipes. 

Joel eyes you as you pull a couple out of the container. 

“What are you doin’?” He asks, leaning against the wall. 

“Wiping down the counter. People eat in this kitchen, Joel.” You quirk a brow at him, and he cracks a smile as he takes a wipe from your hand and helps you sanitize the counter. 

“And did I not just eat in this kitchen?” He asks, and your face heats as you look at him nearly horrified. 

“Joel!” 

He tosses his head back with a hearty laugh, and you groan as you shoulder past him after throwing away the wipes. He makes his way behind you and gives your ass a love tap. 

“Now c’mon baby, let’s freshen up. I wanna take you to the ranch real quick.” 

“What about Sarah’s party food?” 

“I promise we’ll get it done later. We can recruit Maria and Tommy to help, too.” 

You nod, following him upstairs to freshen up before changing into another pretty dress Joel had picked out for you. You don’t think much of it; though the sun is about to set, it’s still hot outside. 

You sit in a comfortable silence as Joel drives you both to the ranch, soft tunes playing throughout the cab of the air conditioned truck. His truck eventually comes to a slow stop over the gravel. 

He opens the door for you and takes your hand, intertwining your hands together as he leads you toward the creek. You see string lights strewn across the tree where you sat with him not too long ago as he fully opened up to you and gave you his whole heart. 

As you near the tree, you can see the lights twinkling softly on the creek that reflects the pink, purple, and orange hues of the sky. It’s picturesque, and the sight nearly takes your breath away. 

You’re almost in a daze as you stand under the tree admiring the calm water, until you hear a soft thump behind you. You turn to peek back at Joel, gasping when you realize he’s on one knee. 

You whip your body around to face him, and you start to tear up at the sight of the love of your life with a small velvet box in his hand, inhaling on a shaky breath. 

He clears his throat before he starts. “Darlin’,” he says, rolling his shoulders back as he looks you in the eyes. 

“To say I’m a lucky man to have found love when I was practically hopeless is an understatement. You’ve shown me what true, unconditional love looks like, and I thank the lucky stars every damn day that it’s you who was in the coffee shop that day. That slightly shy, yet bold, beautiful woman that took one look at me and decided that she’d give me a chance. And then you changed my whole world. Stuck by my side when things got ugly, and never gave up on me. Continued to show me that unconditional love and support. Love me for me; scars, trauma and all without even a second doubt. I truly, simply cannot live the rest of my life without you, baby. You’re my one and only, and I’ll spend every second of the rest of our lives provin’ myself to you and showin’ you the love you deserve ten times over.” 

You sink to your knees in front of him, gripping his face as you rub your nose gently against his. 

“Joel,” is all you can say. He’s rendered you speechless, and tears slip from your eyes as you pull him close to you. 

“You’re the love of my life, baby. I wanna spend forever with you. Will you do me the honor of becomin’ my wife?” 

You squeeze your eyes shut as you let out a sob, pulling him against you as you both stand on your knees. You slot your lips with his and kiss him with such fervor and passion as the whole world seems to melt around you. 

“I’d love to become your wife, Joel. Spend the rest of my life with you. Of course I’ll marry you.” 

He smiles against your lips as he shakily slides the ring onto your finger, and you kiss him one more time before you pull apart from him to look down at the ring. 

Shining right back at you was your dream ring that you’d described to him; each detail more intricate than the last, down to the setting of the stone. Your mouth pops open in awe as you stare at it before your eyes flick back up to the man before you. 

The look of certainty in his eyes solidifies that he’s so willing and ready to share his future with you. That you both get this version of each other for the rest of your lives.

Because that’s just the thing: you can’t imagine your future without him in it. You never want to. 

Life without Joel is simply impossible.  

In that moment, it’s just you and him as you sob happily against him, knowing how much patience and strength it took you both to get to this moment. 

Two lost souls who weren’t really expecting anything from the world had fatefully tied together on that warm summer day; where the scent of coffee wafted through the air, a number was scribbled down on a napkin, and a chance encounter had changed both of their lives forever.

taglist: @raspberrybesitos ; @nostalxgic ; @punkshort ; @clawdee

@pascalpvnk ; @bensonispunk ; @merz-8 ; @darkblue-tennesseee ; @typewriter83

@lizzie-cakes ; @sawymredfox ; @keylimebeag ; @nandan11 ; @pedropascalsbbg

@pimosworld ; @yxtkiwiyxt ; @anoverwhelmingdin ; @kikaaauu ; @buckyispunk

@untamedheart81 ; @picketniffler ; @paleidiot ; @survivingandenduring

@party-hearses ; @harriedandharassed ; @brittmb115 ; @sunnytuliptime

@frodofreakingbaggins ; @aceaubrianna ; @tangled-tumbler-blog-blog ; @bunniboo0015 ; @aerihina

@pedritospunk ; @ro-nahime-things ; @ananonymousaffair ; @just-mj-or-not ; @melsunshine

@wayward-dreamer

If you would like to be added or removed from the tag list, please let me know.

-

divider by @saradika-graphics

[honeyedmiller]

thinking of my din djarin x jedi!reader fic that’s been in the drafts for almost a year. 🥀

[honeyedmiller]

Their first and last exchange.

[honeyedmiller]

This one really got the homophobes riled up on Twitter during Pride Month.

[honeyedmiller]

i have to get up for a flight in less than four hours and i can’t sleep for shit 😃

[honeyedmiller]

request: can i plsssss req dbf joel fingering you in the car while he’s driving while teasing you abt not being able to finger yourself cause you have nails. and when u catch an attitude he slows and u have to act like it doesn’t bother you but he knows it does, then u finally give in and beg to cum. i feel like reader would be innocent/inexperienced. thank you! word count: 947 words warnings: +18 minors dni, fingering, language, and kissing!

you shouldn't have worn the damn dress. not in his truck, especially not after that smirk he gave you across the dinner table when you leaned forward to grab the salt, your newly painted nails flashing in the candlelight, and your thighs parting just enough under the tablecloth for him to get a peek of your skin.

you’re not even thirty minutes into the drive back, and you already feel like you’re gonna crawl out of your skin. joel’s thick, rigid hand is between your legs. fingers all lazy and knuckles brushing the damp curve of your inner thigh. the windows are cracked just a little, the night air blowing soft through your hair, and the hum of the road underneath the tires might as well be a gotdamn vibrator with the way your whole body is buzzing.

his thumb strokes idly along the edge of your panties slowly like he’s got all the time in the world. “you keep shiftin’ in that seat like i’ve got a gun pointed at you.”

you glare over at him, chest tight, lip caught between your teeth.

“well, maybe if you actually did something with your hand instead of teasing me like an asshole—”

"hey," joel cuts his eyes toward you, mouth twitching. “watch that tone.”

you roll your eyes, but it’s a weak gesture, and he knows it.

he taps his fingers against your inner thigh. then slips one in, just under the edge of your panties, enough to feel the heat of your cunt.

“bet you tried to take care of this yourself, huh?” he mocks with a laugh. “what, couldn’t get those pretty little fingers in far enough?”

you shift in your seat again, thighs clenching tight, but his hand stays firm between you. you cross your arms and look out the window, stubborn. “they’re not little..and yeah, i can finger myself, actually.”

joel huffs out a dry laugh. “baby, you’ve got inch-long fuckin’ nails. you’d poke your own damn cervix before you’d get off.”

you don’t answer, mostly because he’s right and you hate it. hate how easy it is for him to take up every inch of space in your body and how good he is at this.

“you were prob’ly up in that bed,” he goes on, voice a little softer, dragging the words out, “fuckin’ whining all frustrated, tryin’ to get off with two fingers and endin’ up just rubbin’ your clit too hard without cumming.”

your cheeks burn as your hand grips your thigh hard. “you’re an asshole.”

joel finally slips a finger inside you. just one thick, shallow one. you breathe in sharply, bite the inside of your cheek to try to stay quiet.

he smirks, ready to mock you again.“but i’m not wrong, am i?”

you don’t answer him, refusing to give him that satisfaction. he curls the tip of his finger just enough to make you clench on his finger and squirm in your seat.

he keeps going..finger sliding in and out at a maddening pace—too slow, making you feel every second of it, but not enough to tip you over. you begin to bite your lip so hard it might bruise or bleed.

joel chuckles. “’s what i thought.”

you turn to glare at him again. your voice comes out rougher than you want.“you’re being mean on purpose.”

“yeah, well. you get mouthy, i get mean.” he adds a second finger, and your whole body tenses at the growing pleasure from his hands.

“joel—”

as soon as you speak, he slows down. so slow it feels like he's not moving, just unsatisfying thrusts.

your hand fists in your lap, eyes start sting.“that’s not fair,” you whisper.

he looks over at you, eyebrows raised, smugly. “’course it’s fair. you get attitude, you get edged.”

you try to act like it doesn’t bother you. try to sit still, cross your legs tighter, tilt your hips just a little to get more friction.

he hums, amused. “you’re twitchin’. can feel your little pussy grippin’ me. you wanna cum that bad, pretty?”

you stay silent, making his fingers still completely. you could help but let out a broken little breath that’s almost a whine.

“you were gonna make me beg anyway,” you mutter, glaring at the dashboard.

he grins, satisfied. “yeah..but it’s cuter when you try not to.”

you stare at the windshield, and exhale, turning your head toward him, voice coming out like a whine—putting your pride away.

“joel..please..want it so bad. promise i’ll be good, i promise.”

he groans like the words physically hit him, mutters something under his breath you don’t catch, and then his fingers are back in motion—faster this time, precise, curling into that perfect spot that makes your eyes roll back into your head.

you reach for the edge of the seat, gripping it hard, hips twitching toward him as he works you open. wet sounds echo obscenely in the cab—sounding so filthy.

“’s that what you needed?” he mutters, not even looking at you. “just had to ask nice, huh?”

“joel—fuck—i’m—”

“go ahead,” he says, voice dipping even lower. “cum all over my fuckin’ hand, baby.”

you're pussy clenches as you cum with your thighs trembling, mouth open, and whole body shaking quiet in the passenger seat while the truck hums along the empty road as if nothing’s happening.

joel’s fingers slow down and comes out warm and fully covered with you.

he licks them clean while keeping his eyes on the road; while you’re boneless in the seat, heart still racing.

he glances at you, smirking. “next time you give me attitude,” he says, “i’ll stop halfway through and make you walk home.”

you hum, dazed. “so worth it.”

his hand returns to your thigh, squeezing the fatty flesh. “we’ll see.”

special tags: @inbred-eater , @wintfleur , @lowrisemiller

[honeyedmiller]

to the anon who sent me this, i stopped being lazy and fully updated the story on ao3. 😂 thank you for the motivation

hiiii!! i just wanted to say, im a huggeeee fan of a burning desire!! your writing is so incredible, and i cannot believe you are putting it out for free!!

i just wanted to ask, will the fic be updated on ao3 as well, or will it just stay on tumblr? no worries either way!!

please keep writing, and stay beautiful!! :))

This is so sweet 🥹 thank you! And it will definitely be updated on ao3, I just keep forgetting to do so. I’ll update it really soon! Thank you so much for reading the series 🤍

[honeyedmiller]

hiiii!! i just wanted to say, im a huggeeee fan of a burning desire!! your writing is so incredible, and i cannot believe you are putting it out for free!!

i just wanted to ask, will the fic be updated on ao3 as well, or will it just stay on tumblr? no worries either way!!

please keep writing, and stay beautiful!! :))

This is so sweet 🥹 thank you! And it will definitely be updated on ao3, I just keep forgetting to do so. I’ll update it really soon! Thank you so much for reading the series 🤍

[honeyedmiller]

So happy you enjoyed it. Thank you so much for the feedback and all the love you’ve shown this story 🥹🤍

A Burning Desire part ten

firefighter!joel miller x f!reader

series masterlist

synopsis: Joel is determined to make up for lost time, all while starting his journey of healing.

rating: explicit. 18+, minors do not interact.

word count: 9.7k

warnings: fluff, mentions of therapy and anxiousness, (again) incorrect insurance payout mentioned, mentions of labor and a hospital visit (reader's sister), a teensy bit of drama, mentions of fight or flight regarding a person of the past, reader gets into a brief uncomfortable situation, slight violence (not against reader), a generous amount of smut (including unprotected piv, breeding kink if you squint, some dirty talk, f!oral receiving), possessive!joel, no use of y/n.

a/n: thank you for your patience. hope you enjoy. <3

“Marry me.” 

Marry me. 

Marry me, marry me, marry me. 

His words ring in your head, bouncing around wildly as you try to process what was just said to you. 

Your jaw is popped open, body completely frozen. Your eyes scan his face again, and his hands move to your hips to give them a small squeeze. 

A playful glint reaches his beautiful brown eyes, and while you’re so glad his charm is exuding his body right now, you’re at a loss for words. 

Of course you want to marry Joel, but you didn’t expect him to ask so soon—especially being just a month shy of your one year anniversary. 

Then your sister’s words ring in your head from nearly a year ago: if you know, you know. 

And you know. 

Before your scrambled brain can make up something to say, he leans forward and pecks your lips. 

“You don’t need to give me an answer right now, baby. I know it’s sort of sudden. But one thing’s for sure and two things for certain, I love you and I want to spend the rest of my life with you.” 

“Joel.” His name is a whisper on your lips, and you feel the sting of tears at the back of your eyes. 

You sniffle, glossy eyes shifting to the house that’s a clear shot across the land. The house that’ll someday be your home. 

“I have something to confess,” you say, and Joel’s body goes rigid. The look of worry crosses over his features, and your hands move up to his shoulders. You give him a small squeeze of reassurance, but you can tell it doesn’t necessarily ease him. ”I’m buying your uncle’s ranch.”

He leans back, confusion dancing in his eyes as he assesses you. He probably thinks you’re joking, but your serious face and tender touch has him furrowing his brows. 

“I know I should’ve asked you first, but I wanted it to be a surprise. I know how much this ranch means to you and Tommy, and I wanted to keep it in the family for you both. I just,” you sigh, “I’m sorry if I overstepped by doing this, I just—”

Joel doesn’t let you finish because something of a groan or a whimper, you’re not sure which, evades his chest before he grabs your face and kisses you. 

Like really, really kisses you. 

Kisses you in a way you haven’t had with him in what feels like forever. 

All of your senses come back alive that have been dormant for the past couple of months, and your body is suddenly buzzing with a surreal amount of need.

You softly whimper against his lips as his hands slide down to your ass, gripping it with such force that sends a shiver down your spine. 

He pulls apart from you, breathing labored as his hands travel up and rest at your tailbone. 

“You’re buyin’ the ranch,” he restates, and you nod. “How—why—fuck, when? What?” 

“I hope I didn’t overstep by doing this, but you said how much this place means to you and your brother and I honestly thought it would be the perfect place to create new memories, too.” 

“Baby, you didn’t overstep. Believe me. I can’t even wrap my head around this. How did this happen?” 

You brush his curls back behind his ear, sporting a small smile. 

“You know that accident I got into the day we met?” 

He nods, worrying his bottom lip between his teeth. 

“Well, turns out the kid who hit me has some VIP parents or some shit, because they cut me an insanely large check for, well, everything.” 

Joel releases his lip from his teeth and frowns, brows furrowing once again. You reach up to smooth out the worry line on his glabella, leaning forward to kiss the tip of his nose. 

You can tell he wants to ask how much the check was, but he’s not one to meddle in your finances. He probably doesn’t think it’s his place to know. 

“It was half a million dollars,” you murmur. 

Joel’s eyes nearly bug out of his head at that. His jaw pops open, and he shakes his head like he’s trying to comprehend what you just told him. 

“What?” 

“Mhm.” 

“Well fuck, that’s a generous amount,” he says. You huff a laugh at his disbelief. “Does anyone else know you have this money?” 

“Just you and Maria. She took a drive with me here to talk to your uncle about buying the land while you and Tommy were in San Angelo.” 

“I reckon you keep that money in a safe place,” he chuckles. 

You smile at the sound. 

“I will. Your uncle only asked for seventy five, but when I tried to offer more, he shut me down.” 

“He’s a stubborn ol’ man.” 

“A Miller trait, I presume,” you tease. Joel cocks an eyebrow up at you and grabs your waist, suddenly flipping you onto the plush grass beneath you both. 

You let out a yelp at the surprise, laughing as he straddles your thighs while burying his hands underneath his old t-shirt you’re adorning. 

Your laughter dies down as you look up at him in wonder, grateful that he’s hopefully feeling a bit more like himself now. You silently vow to him at that very moment that you’ll do whatever it takes to take the burden of worry off of his shoulders, whether that be letting him talk to you, supporting him to see a therapist, or simply just holding him—even if there’s no talking involved. 

“I love you so much,” Joel whispers. You grin at him and pull him down so his weight is on top of you. 

“I love you too,” you murmur against his lips, kissing him again. You both stay like that for a while, kissing each other effortlessly. Every part of your body screams I missed you! and his body reacts just the same. 

You feel his growing bulge against your leg, and you break the kiss to softly laugh. 

“Missed me, huh?” You love teasing him, because he’s so receptive to it. 

“I really did, baby. I’d love to show you, if you’ll have me.” 

The sincerity in his voice makes your heart melt, but you know he’s in a vulnerable state with his emotions right now. As much as you want him, you don’t want to do anything that might take advantage of his vulnerability—though you know you’d never do that intentionally, anyway. 

“Are you sure, Joel? You’re fresh off the heels of admitting something extremely traumatic—”

“I absolutely love that you care so much, honeybee. I’m okay—well, in a sense enough to want to do this with you. Shuttin’ you out for the past couple of months has absolutely killed me,” he says. “Wanna make it up to you.” 

“You don’t need to—”

He shakes his head and brings a finger up to your lips, shushing you. He grins down at you and kisses your temple. 

“Let me.” 

You stare at him for a few seconds, finally giving in. You nod and his lips are on yours again, and the kiss is heated, but in a steady way. He takes his time with you. 

For a minute, you worry that someone will see you, but everything is far away from this huge tree that hides your bodies so well. 

His hands move to your hips, giving them a squeeze. You gasp against his lips, and he takes the opportunity to slip his tongue into your mouth. You moan softly as he rubs circles into your hot skin, hands moving up to slide through his soft curls at the base of his skull. 

“Missed you so much,” he breathes against your lips. 

“Missed you too, baby.” 

He moves his hands up from your hips, taking his shirt you’re wearing with them. He brings it over your head and tosses it aside, pleased to find out you’re not wearing a bra. 

“Forgot you wore this to bed last night,” he chuckles. 

You shoot him a small smile. “Woke up late today and didn’t think about changing before coming to find you.” 

He hums and leans down, kissing down your neck, nipping at your shoulder, moving down to your sternum before his plush lips make their way to one of your breasts. 

You suck in a breath as Joel envelopes a nipple into his mouth, licking and sucking like his life depends on it. A wave of arousal hits you and you can feel your wrecked panties in your sleep shorts. You squirm beneath him, trying to keep your mewling to a low volume. It’s nearly impossible though, because this kind of attention from him always makes you a wreck—but you absolutely love it. 

You blindly reach for the waistband of his joggers, tugging them down desperately along with his boxers. He groans at the release, biting down on your nipple before switching to the next one. You suck in another breath as you lift your hips to shimmy your shorts down, and in the urgency of the moment, he starts to buck his hips. 

His length slides between your folds, completely drenching himself in your arousal. You’re both a panting, moaning mess as you take hold of his length every time he slides through your slick pussy. 

You toss your head back onto the grass, mouth agape as the feeling of his head catching on your clit every time nearly sends you over the edge. 

“Joel,” you whine, one hand gripping onto the back of his neck in desperation. 

“I know baby, I know,” he coos, sitting up for a split second to rid himself of his shirt before coming back down to you. He slides his length through your folds twice more before lining himself up with your entrance. You look up at him and bite your lip in anticipation, and when he pushes in, you both close your eyes at the pure bliss you’re consumed with. 

Both of your bodies are slicked with sweat, Texas summer heat nearly unbearable, but neither one of you seems to mind at the moment. He’s slowing it down again, taking his time to thrust in and out of you at a slower pace. He’s got both of his forearms on either side of your head now, looking at you with such adoration. 

You look right back, butterflies rumbling in your tummy at the mere thought of how this is who you’re going to spend the rest of your life with. Without a doubt, you know Joel will be the best husband. 

Fuck, just referring to him as your husband has you all giddy and prideful. 

Your thoughts whoosh away as he starts to thrust his body upward, heavy cock hitting the perfect spot that has you seeing stars. You gasp as your eyes roll back, jaw slack as you unintentionally claw at his back and biceps. 

“Yeah? Right there, sweet girl?” 

You nod frantically, pussy fluttering around him as he repeats the movement. 

“Feel so fuckin’ good, baby. Missed this pretty pussy. So fuckin’ tight. All mine,” he babbles. 

“Yours,” you breathe. He hums in satisfaction and kisses you again, swallowing your gasps and moans as he picks up the pace a fraction. 

“Fuck that feels so good,” you cry. “You take such good care of me.” 

“N’ I plan on it for the rest of our lives.” 

You cry out once more at that, chanting his name as your orgasm rips through you. He follows suit right after, pumping you full of his cum. 

You’re a heaving, sweaty mess as he slowly pulls out. You sport a lazy grin, eyes hooded as you stare up at him. He smiles down at you and kisses you before reaching down between your bodies to swipe some of your spend mixed with his. He circles your sensitive clit once, making your body buck up toward him. 

“Always so receptive to my touch,” he teases with a glint in his eye.  

“Can’t help it. You’re the only one who gets me feeling like this.” 

“Good,” he says with a firm tone, bringing his fingers up to your mouth. You open obediently, and he smirks as you suck on his digits. His fingers come out of your mouth with a small pop when they’re all clean. 

He kisses you once more before sliding his joggers and boxers back onto his hips, sitting up to help you with your panties and shorts. You slip your—his— shirt back on before standing up. You feel his spend leaking out of you as you stretch, legs a little shaky from your escapades. 

He wraps an arm around one of your legs and nuzzles his face into your stomach, kissing your clothed skin repeatedly. He’s kneeling in front of you, and it almost feels like he’s worshipping you like this. 

And then he looks up at you as he’s doting on you. It nearly knocks the air out of your lungs.

“You’re so handsome,” you whisper, cupping his face as you run a hand over his scruff. He turns to kiss the palm of your hand, and he softly smiles at you before standing up to his full height. 

“And you’re beautiful,” he says with finality. 

“C’mon, cowboy. Let’s go wash up at home.” 

You hold your hand out to him, and he takes it with no hesitation this time. He gives your hand a squeeze as you walk toward your vehicles. 

You squeeze right back. 

-

You spent the rest of the night discussing with Joel how you can help him and who he can go to, and he ultimately agreed he’d talk to his captain before his next shift. He says the fire department has resources across the entirety of Travis County, so finding him someone to talk to shouldn’t be too arduous. 

The next day, you drive with him to the station for moral support as he talks to his captain. You leave them to it, as you don’t want to eavesdrop on a private conversation, so you sit in the lounge area and you read a magazine left on the coffee table. 

You’re deep into an article about how to make fluffy chocolate croissants when Joel walks up the steps and nudges you gently to get your attention. You look up at him from where you’re comfortably sitting, eyes shifting to his captain behind him. 

“Hey, baby. You ready to go?” His voice is tender and soft. 

You nod, setting down the magazine on the coffee table before standing up. 

“Take care of yourself, Miller. No matter what that looks like—as long as it’s healthy and legal,” he chuckles. Joel laughs with him and nods before they briefly hug, and he shakes your hand. You smile at him and curtly nod before Joel takes your hand, leaving the firehouse. 

“Everything all good?” You ask, buckling yourself into his truck after he opens your door for you. 

He nods. “Mhm. Gave me the name of a guy who’s helped many firefighters struggling with trauma and PTSD.” 

“That’s good…” 

He smiles at the concern in your voice. 

“I’m gonna give him a call today to see when he can pencil me in for an appointment.” 

You feel like you can breathe a little easier at his words. You simply offer Joel a nod and a small smile, and he reaches over the console to grip your thigh. You rest your left hand on top of his, and he briefly glances down at the contact before he peels out of the firehouse parking lot. 

“So, I know you haven’t given me an answer yet,” he starts. The words make you sit up straighter in your seat, eyes darting over to the handsome man. “But what kind of engagement ring have you always dreamed of having?” 

You roll your lips into your mouth as you face forward again, really putting some thought into your answer. 

Then you go on to describe your absolute dream ring—something that you know will be timeless and fit you perfectly. 

Joel’s fingers dig into your bare flesh slightly as reassurance, letting you know he’s listening to every minute detail you’re giving him. 

You sit in a comfortable silence for a few more minutes as you look out onto the road before turning to him again. 

“What are we doing for Sarah’s birthday? It’s coming up pretty soon,” you say. 

He nods and smiles, chuckling to himself. 

“She actually told me that she wanted to rent a bouncy house water slide for her and her friends from the soccer team and school.” 

You can’t help but crack a smile. Most soon-to-be fifteen year olds wouldn’t ever dream of doing anything like that, but then again, Sarah isn’t like most soon-to-be fifteen year olds. You love that she’s unafraid to still have fun and make the best memories she can for herself. 

You’ve met a few of said friends over the past few months, as some of them would come over after school to do homework together or go up to her room to talk about boys they have crushes on or music they’d listen to. 

Girlhood is such a special thing, and you’d do anything to make sure it lives on throughout her life. 

“That’s actually really cool. What are we thinking for food? Dessert? Appetizers?” 

Joel chuckles again as he squeezes your thigh once more, pulling into your neighborhood. He parks in the driveway and fully turns to face you. 

“Honestly, I haven’t thought about it much,” he says. The look of guilt is clear as day on his face, and you feel bad that he clearly feels awful about it, so you give him a beaming smile as you lean across the console. 

“Don’t worry about it, cowboy. I’ve got it covered.” You peck his lips and he pulls you back into him before you get too far. You giggle against his lips as they mould to yours effortlessly. 

You pat his chest twice before separating from him. 

“Let me talk to Sarah to see what she’d like food-wise and we can go from there.” 

He sighs, head tilting back to hit his headrest. “What would I do without you?” His voice is soft as he turns his head to look at you, hand reaching out to cup your cheek. 

You shrug, giving him a playful grin. “I dunno. Probably be fianceé-less and have to make your own chocolate chip cookies.” 

You wink at him as he sits straight up in his seat at your words, eyes blazing. Before he can say anything, you hop out of his truck and trudge to the front door. 

He scrambles to get out of the driver’s side, breathless when he asks you, “Does that mean it’s a yes?” 

-

You’re reading a book in bed when you get the call. 

It’s a Saturday morning, and Joel is sleeping like a bear after his twenty-four hour shift. 

Your phone buzzes on your nightstand, and you see Josh’s name light up across the screen. Your heart drops to your ass because you know it’s probably time. 

“Hello?” You whisper, dog-earing the page you left off on in your book. You slide out of bed slowly, tiptoeing across the carpet to the door of the room so you can slip out without waking Joel. 

“Hey you. Just letting you know Emi’s contractions have gotten much stronger and closer together, so we’re heading to the hospital now.” 

You can’t help but smile and get teary-eyed. “Cool, thank you for letting me know. You going to Saint David’s?” 

“Mhm. She’s gonna text the family right now, but she wanted me to call you first. We’re loading our stuff in the car right now.” 

“Sounds good. I’ll meet you guys over there in an hour or so.” 

“See you soon, soon-to-be auntie.” 

You laugh. “See you soon, soon-to-be dad.” 

You hang up with him and come back into the room as quietly as possible, shifting through your side of the closet for some lounge clothes. You hop into the shower quickly and get ready as fast as possible before walking over to Joel’s side of the bed. He’s still sleeping soundly, and you feel bad for having to wake him, but you don’t want him to worry about your whereabouts. 

“Joel, baby,” you whisper, stroking the side of his face with your hand gently. 

He furrows his brows, and you bend down to kiss his forehead. His eyes flutter open slowly, taking you in. His eyes move down your body that’s wrapped in a towel, and he quirks a tired brow. 

You stifle a giggle. “I’m going to Saint David’s. Emi is in labor.” 

“Oh shit,” he murmurs. He presses the heels of his palms into his eyes, rubbing the sleep out of them before sitting up slightly. 

“Let me get ready and I can go with you.” 

You shake your head. “I want you to get some sleep, baby. I know you came home only a few hours ago.” 

He hesitates for a moment. “Are you sure?” 

You nod this time, cupping his cheek. “Yeah my love. You can just meet me there later if you’d like.” 

He grabs your hand and tugs you to him, causing you to topple onto him. He lets out a grunt before flipping you over, and it all happens so fast that you barely have time to catch your breath. Your towel falls open in the process, and you laugh as Joel attacks your neck and chest with kisses. 

“Joel,” you breathe, failing to push him off of you. 

His head pops up. “What?” 

You can’t help but admire him like this: all messy bedhead and sparkling, playful eyes. His voice is rough and raspy from having just woken up, which sends a fresh wave of arousal to your core. 

“I gotta go.” 

“I’ll be real quick. Swear.” He smirks at you, and you’re so easily turned on that you don’t have the will to say no. 

“Fuck, fine. But you’re not getting the returned favor until later.” 

“I don’t even need the favor returned, baby. I could eat this pretty pussy for breakfast lunch and dinner for the rest of my god-given life.” 

You hum at that, raking a hand through his mussed curls. He grins in satisfaction and doesn’t waste any time. He spreads your legs open, whistling at the amount of slick he sees before throwing your legs over his shoulders. 

He dives down and eats you desperately. Sloppily. Yet, somehow, meticulous. 

The slurping and sucking sounds he makes are obscene. You’re honestly both lucky that the doors are thick enough to block out a majority of sound, because with the way he’s groaning into your pussy, the whole neighborhood would probably wake. Not to mention, your desperate whimpers that escape your throat as you grind your hips against his mouth. 

He has you unraveling in five minutes, tops. You have no idea how the hell he does it, because before him, you had a hard time coming quickly. 

He comes up from between your thighs, stubble and mustache shiny with your slick. He licks his lips and groans appreciatively, giving you a wet kiss. You taste yourself on him briefly before he separates from you, flopping back down on his back. 

“We’ll be by the hospital in a few hours, darlin’. I really am fuckin’ exhausted,” Joel sighs. You turn toward him and peck his lips before climbing out of bed over him. He gives your ass a playful slap before you trudge over to your underwear drawer, picking out a bra and panties to wear. Joel’s eyes burn holes through your body as you slide the matching pale pink garments on. 

“God, you have no idea how hard you make my dick. It’s kinda ridiculous,” he says. 

You bark out a laugh, tossing your head back before looking back at him. 

“You’re nuts, you know that?” 

He grins proudly. “I know. But you still love me.” 

You slip on your clothes and slide on some sandals before rounding the bed again, leaning down to kiss him one more time. 

“That I do, Mr. Miller.” 

You shoot him a wink, and you’re out of the door and on your way to the hospital. 

-

Emily has her baby after fifteen hours of labor. They name him Mateo Alejandro, and you cry when you first set your eyes on him. 

“I can’t believe you’re a mom. Holy sh—” you pause, looking down at your nephew. “Shoot,” you finish. 

Emily tiredly laughs and Josh bends down to kiss her forehead. 

“I know. Isn’t he perfect?” She asks, and you trace his soft hair with a feather-light touch before looking back at her. 

“He really is.” 

You coo at him and bounce him gently. The rest of the family comes into the room moments later, hearts all full and eyes glossy. 

Sarah beams as she stares at the newborn. “I can’t wait for you two to give me a sibling or two one day,” she whispers, elbowing her dad in the ribs as she wiggles her eyebrows at you. You bite your lip, peeking at Joel. He looks so smitten with you holding a baby in your arms. 

Everyone softly laughs, and you hand Mateo off to your mom to hold before you stand by Joel’s side. 

“One day,” you say, winking at Sarah. She grins from ear-to-ear. 

You wrap your arm around Joel’s back, and he kisses your temple before pulling you into him. 

“Sarah, honey, real quick,” Emily starts. Sarah’s attention turns to her, and she shoots her a smile. “I know your birthday is in a couple of weeks, but depending on how the baby is and how I’m feeling, we may or may not be able to make it.” 

Emily reaches out for Sarah’s hand. Sarah takes it and gives Emily’s a gentle squeeze. 

“No worries at all. I totally understand.” 

“Promise we’ll make it up to you if we don’t, though. We can take you out for food. Any place. Your choice.” 

“Thank you guys for even thinking of me like that. It means a lot.” 

Emily chuckles. “You’re practically our niece anyway. We’re family. That’s what we do.” 

Everyone laughs, and you take a look around the room to admire everyone gathered here. Joel gives your shoulder a squeeze, and he looks at your mom. 

“Thank you all for bein’ so invitin’ to us Millers. Getting to be an addition to the family means a great deal to us, especially since our family isn’t so big to begin with.” 

“Oh honey,” your mom starts. “You were always meant to be a part of our family. All four of you. And thank you, Joel, for taking care of our little girl. She’s the happiest I’ve ever seen her. Glows differently ever since she met you.” 

“Damn, who’s cutting the onions?” Andy jokes, wiping away a tear. Again, laughter fills the room and sniffles follow suit. You’re all an emotional bunch today. 

“I appreciate those kind words, Alexandria. But it’s her who’s made me a better man. An honest one. Has helped and continues to help me through some really rough times. She’s my rock.” 

He says all of this while looking at you, and you can’t help but let the tears cascade down your cheeks. You’d adore this man in every single lifetime, and you’re so damn lucky to have found him in this one. 

He leans to peck your lips, and you can’t help but smile against him. 

Your mom wipes a tear from her face, hands Mateo off to your dad, and points at Cole. 

“When will we be meeting your girl?” 

“Mom,” Cole says, scrubbing away at his face. “Soon, okay? I promise.” 

“Good. That’s all I wanna know.” 

You smile at your mom’s tendency to be a bit too nosey in her children’s relationships, but you know it comes from a good place in her heart. All she wanted for her children was to grow up with a good head on their shoulders, succeed at what they want to do most in their life, and find the type of love they write in the fairytale storybooks. 

You get the hopeless romantic side of yourself from your mom. It was destroyed for a while, but Joel has wholeheartedly restored that trait within you, brick by brick. 

And you don’t think there’s anything you can ever say to him to voice how truly grateful you are for that. For him. 

So, you’ll have to show him through one thing: saying yes to being his wife. 

-

A couple of weeks pass by, and it’s a day before Sarah’s party. Joel manages to get an appointment with the guy his captain recommended he talk to, and he asked you last night to go with him. You agreed right away. 

You can tell Joel is nervous as he white-knuckles the steering wheel. His hands twist anxiously over the leather, and you reach a hand over to the back of his head, running your fingers through his thick curls before scratching at the nape of his neck. 

He visibly relaxes at your touch and shoots you a tight-lipped smile. 

You arrive at the office, and when you walk inside, it’s quiet. Calm, even. You and Joel walk up to the front desk hand-in-hand, and the woman sitting there looks up at you both and smiles brightly. 

“Good morning, how can I help you?” 

You look at Joel, and the column of his throat works as he swallows nervously. You squeeze his hand for silent reassurance.  

“I have an appointment with Dr. Elias at ten.” 

She types something into her computer, moving her glasses up the bridge of her nose. 

“For Joel Miller?” She asks, looking back up at him. 

He nods slightly. “Yes ma’am.”

”Perfect, go ahead and take a seat in the waiting room and he’ll call you back when he’s all set to go.” 

“Thank you,” he nods at her appreciatively, and she shoots you both a kind smile. You make your way to the waiting area, sitting down on the black leather seats. 

Joel’s leg starts to bounce, and you place your hand on his knee to try to stop him. 

“Hey, everything’s gonna be okay, alright?” You whisper, nuzzling into him. 

He kisses your cheek and sighs. 

“I know… I just, I dunno. ‘M not the best at talkin’ about this stuff and somethin’ about opening up to a stranger makes me uneasy.” 

“That’s completely understandable, baby. Dr. Elias is here to help you, though, and I don’t think your captain would recommend him if he wasn’t a good person to go to.” 

He sighs. “You’re right.” 

You grin at him mischievously to lighten the mood. “Always am.” 

He chuckles and wraps you in his arms, giving your body a light squeeze before pressing his lips to your temple. 

“I love you, sweet girl.” 

“I love you too, cowboy.”

A door down the short hallway adjacent from the waiting room opens, and a tall man with gray hair, thick mustache and kind brown eyes steps out. 

“For Joel Miller?” He calls, and you squeeze his knee one more time before giving him a soft smile. He walks back with the man, who you assume is Dr. Elias, and you settle back into your seat. 

You take your phone out of your purse and type everything that you need at the store for Sarah’s party down on the list in your notes app. You managed to get the decorations the previous weekend to put less stress on yourself, and you’re honestly thankful you did. Scrambling around at the last second for a party is never a fun time. 

Joel insisted that he go to the grocery store with you after his appointment, and you honestly don’t mind the company. Joel seems to be much clingier to you now, which you also don’t mind…like, at all. 

It’s sweet that he wants to spend so much time with you, but you did tell him a couple of weeks ago that he doesn’t need to make up for ‘lost time’, as he had put it. You know Joel is the type of man to want to right his ‘wrongs’, so you let him without questioning it. 

Having someone want to be around you as much as Joel does absolutely fills your heart, because years ago, you settled for so much less. For someone who didn’t want to spend quality time with you. Didn’t show PDA anywhere near the amount that Joel does. 

It’s not like you want to compare your relationship with Christian to your relationship with Joel, because Joel is beyond ten times the man Christian ever was. It’s just an insanely stark contrast that has your mind reeling from time-to-time, because for so long, you put up with less than the bare minimum. You felt so unloved, so unhappy, so fucking drained not only mentally, but physically too. 

Your ex is the epitome of a manipulative disaster. 

Joel is the man of your fucking dreams. 

-

An hour later, the door to Dr. Elias’ office opens, and they both step out. You shove your kindle back in your purse before standing up as they shake hands, and Joel makes his way back to you. Dr. Elias gives you a kind smile and a wave before retreating back into his space. 

You look at Joel with a tilt of your head. “So… how’d it go?” 

He chuckles and kisses your temple, wrapping his arm around your shoulder as you walk out of the office. You say goodbye to the receptionist, making your way back into the summer sun and into Joel’s truck. 

“It went surprisingly well,” he starts. He cranks up the air conditioning before turning to you. “Wasn’t as uncomfortable as I thought it would be. Some things were a little difficult to talk about, but he said it takes time to get to the root of PTSD.” 

You nod, taking in his words before reaching over the console to grab his hand. “I’m proud of you for going today, Joel.” 

His eyes soften as he stares at you. 

“I love you, my honeybee.” 

You beam at him. “I love you too. Now, chop chop,” you say, grinning mischievously. “We have some groceries to get and some food to make.” 

A deep chuckle evades his chest, and he pecks your lips before smiling against them. “Yes ma’am.” 

It only takes a few minutes to get there, and you start crossing everything off your list you had made an hour prior. 

You’re down to the last few items, sending Joel to get a variety of chips while you scan the beer aisle for a variety pack. You’re so focused on finding the right kind that a familiar voice calling your name startles you. 

You immediately freeze in your tracks, though. You recognize that grating voice right away. 

You turn to meet the familiar, unsettling icy gaze. You take in his appearance. He looks to be in pretty rough shape for someone who cared so much about his image. 

“Christian.” Your tone is clipped, and you immediately cross your arms over your chest. 

“What are you doing on this side of town? Thought I’d never see your pretty face again.” He reaches out to try and touch you, but you step back immediately. 

“Don’t even fucking think about it,” you snap, and he chuckles while stepping closer.

“My my, you sure have gotten feisty.” 

You roll your eyes at him before turning back to the fridges, pretending to look for the beer. 

“She left me, you know,” he continues. 

“Gee, I wonder why,” you scoff. You roll your eyes once more and try to create more distance between the two of you, but he just keeps stepping closer. It makes your pulse rise up, and your fight or flight kicks in as he stands only a few inches from you. 

“I’m real fucking lonely now, and I’ve been thinking about you a lot.” 

You whip around to face him, pushing him away. “And how the fuck is that my problem? You are none of my concern anymore. You haven’t been for six years. Leave me the fuck alone and go be miserable somewhere else.” 

“Don’t be a bitch, sweetheart. You’d be lucky to have me back.” 

Your molars grind against each other in annoyance, but you don’t give Christian the satisfaction of seeing how angry he makes you. He doesn’t deserve any more of your energy. He’s already taken enough from you. 

Joel steps into the aisle seconds later, tossing the bags of chips in the cart before stepping behind you. 

“Is there a problem here?” He asks, and you can see Joel straightening his posture while he has to literally look down at Christian. 

“And who the fuck are you? This conversation doesn’t concern you,” Christian says, taking in Joel’s appearance. His eyes stop at his chest, and Christian barks out a laugh. 

“A firefighter? Really?” His head swivels back to you. “Never took you as the type to be a fucking badge bunny.” 

“That’s rich, Christian. And I never took you as the type to be a manipulative cheating asshole, but guess we’re both wrong here.” 

He scoffs and puts a dramatic hand over his heart, mock-wounded. 

Joel stiffens at the mention of his name, and he instinctively wraps a protective arm around you. 

Joel nearly growls at Christian. “You just included me in the conversation, dickhead. The way you’re talkin’ to her does concern me. Keep talkin’ to my wife like that and it’ll be your ass hitting the floor, boy.” 

Wife. Oh, fuck. You should not be feeling this aroused hearing him saying that aloud. Nor should you be aroused at the fact that Joel looks angry as hell while defending you. If looks could kill, Christian would be six feet under right now. 

Christian laughs darkly as he steps up to Joel. 

“Wife?” Christian laughs.

Joel steps even closer to Christian, boots nearly toe-to-toe. “Somethin’ funny, asshole?” 

Christian falters, and for a brief second, all you can picture right now is a small shaking dog with its tail between its legs. 

You have to stifle a laugh. 

“Hit me. I fucking dare you. I’ll have you arrested, you son of a bitch. You and that pathetic whore you call your wife.” 

Joel doesn’t blink twice before he swings at Christian, decking him straight across the nose. Christian stumbles backwards and into the freezers, clutching his nose that’s now dripping blood as he cries out in agony. 

Your jaw drops as you stare at Joel, breath ragged as you try to contain your composure. 

Joel looks at him with the nastiest glare you’ve ever seen. “Try me. I know every single Chief Officer and Sheriff in Austin. Can fuckin’ guarantee it won’t work out in your favor, asshole.” 

Joel turns to you. “You alright, baby?” He asks, pulling you into him. 

You nod. “More than okay.” 

Christian looks furious as Joel holds you against his body. 

“Have fun with my leftovers,” he snarks, and you genuinely laugh before placing a hand on Joel’s chest. 

“Oh, trust me. He is.” 

Joel’s anger seems to roll off of his shoulders at your comment, but he’s still tense. 

You and Joel watch Christian walk—more like stomp—away like a child. 

“Holy fucking shit,” you’re breathless, clinging onto Joel’s torso. “You held back on him though. How thoughtful.” 

His jaw pops as he shakes his head, flexing the hand he hit Christian with. “Broke the fucker’s nose, for sure. He definitely deserves way worse in my opinion.” 

His eyes scan over you again. “You sure you’re okay?” He asks, bringing your body into his as he holds you tightly. 

You nod. “Seeing his face shook me up a little bit, but I’m okay. Thank you for defending your wife.” You quirk a brow and grin at him, and his face reddens in a blush. 

“You caught that, huh? Sorry, it kinda just slipped out in the heat of the moment.” 

You shake your head. “Don’t be sorry. It was hot.” 

“Yeah? How about we get outta here so I can fuck my wife proper when we get home.” 

Your whole body heats up at his words. You swallow hard, eyes darting around you to make sure nobody heard this man and his filthy fucking mouth that you love so much. 

“Let’s get out of here.” 

You grab the last couple of items on your list in a hurry before checking out your things, loading everything up in Joel’s truck before he starts it up to head back home. 

Halfway there, he starts to dig through a bag at a red light before pulling out something in a crinkly wrapper. Joel tears open the small wrapper with his teeth, before presenting you a bright red ring pop. 

“For my wife.” 

He picks up your left hand and brings your knuckles to his lips, kissing them before slipping the plastic ring around your ring finger. 

You toss your head back in a laugh as he gives your hand a squeeze, and you steal a kiss before the light turns green. 

Only Joel can make you feel this good inside after a run-in with your ex. 

God, this man is everything to you. 

“Looks real good, dontcha think?” You lift your eyebrows at him as you wiggle your fingers, showcasing the huge strawberry flavored diamond on your hand. 

“Looks beautiful, baby,” he chuckles, bringing your hand back up to his mouth before he sticks his tongue out to take a lick. 

“Hey! That’s my ring. Get your own,” you tease. 

“Nah. I’d rather share with you.” 

He pulls his truck in the driveway, and you peek over at him to see that he’s still stewing in some anger. His shoulders are tense, and the muscle in his jaw is popping every two seconds. 

“Joel,” you deadpan. 

He looks at you. “Yeah baby?” 

“Why are you still so tense?” 

His shoulders slump. “Fuck,” He tosses his head back against the headrest, gripping the steering wheel tightly. He’s silent for several beats, and you’re about to speak again before he sits straight up. “Fuckin’ can’t stand it when people look at you like that. Let alone speak to you or about you in a fuckin’ vile way. Nobody disrespects my woman like that. Ever.” 

Your eyebrows shoot up at his words. “Joel are you…?”

He barely meets your eyes. “No.” 

You roll your lips into your mouth and weigh your next words. 

“Baby, look at me,” you tell him, and he slowly looks up at you. His brow is harsh and he’s frowning, but you still smile at him and cup his cheek in your hand. You lean in close to him, looking him straight in the eyes. 

“Joel Miller, I promise you there is nobody in this world that compares to you. You’re my one and only. The only person who has my attention is you. And what you did for me today,” you pause, leaning your forehead against his. “Nobody has ever stood up for me like that in any relationship I’ve been in. So thank you, baby. So much. I love you.” 

He shakes his head. “Standing up for you should be a given. I swear t’god I’ll beat the shit out of any motherfucker that disrespects you ever again.”  

“Easy there, cowboy,” you start with a grin, trying to get his mind off of that. “C’mon, help me with the groceries and I can run you a bath or something to help relax your muscles.” 

He’s quiet for a beat, but nods in agreement before you both get out of the truck and bring in all of the groceries. You’re almost done putting away the last bag in the fridge when Joel’s broad body crowds yours from behind. 

He yanks your hips back, pressing his front against your backside. You gasp as the fridge snaps closed, and his lips are at your neck as he’s kissing, biting and licking. Your head lolls back, and Joel’s hand moves down your torso and travels down down down until it’s underneath the hem of your dress. 

“Joel,” you whisper, nearly melting in his arms as he starts to rub your pussy through your underwear. 

He clicks his tongue against the roof of his mouth in mockery, shaking his head. “So fuckin’ wet. How long you been walkin’ around like this?” 

He continues his ministrations, circling your clit with his middle finger. A shiver runs down your spine as his touch becomes feather-light, and you bite your lip to hold back a whine. 

“Tell me,” he growls. 

“Fuck, since you called me your wife.” 

“Yeah? You liked that, huh?” 

You nod. 

“Mm. Now just imagine if it was the real thing,” he murmurs, voice dangerously low. He continues to circle your clit, and it has you squirming at this point. 

“Can just imagine us in our house at the ranch, christening every goddamn surface that place has to offer. You moanin’ my name, weddin’ ring catchin’ in the sunlight. Perfect pussy takin’ my cock like she’s made for it. No one around for miles so we can be as loud as we want.” 

He moves your underwear to the side now, middle finger moving through your slick slit with ease. He brings his finger to his mouth, sucking on it diligently. 

“Yeah, I don’t think the Adlers would approve of such heinous noises and activities ensuing in the Miller household,” you say with a laugh. Joel softly chuckles and kisses your neck again. 

“Hop up on the counter for me.” 

You freeze. “Wh-what?” 

“You heard me. Get. On. The counter.” 

His voice is dangerously low once again, and you know better than to have him repeat himself again. You do as you’re told, hopping up onto the counter behind Joel. 

His large hands cup your knees and he spreads your legs to slot his body between them. You look up at him, breath ragged as you wait for his next move. He grabs the back of your neck gently, tilting your head up to him. His other hand travels between your legs again, resuming rubbing your clit. 

You suck in a sharp breath as your eyes flutter closed, and Joel moves your underwear to the side once again to coat his fingers in your slick. Your eyebrows furrow as you lean back, both arms behind you to support yourself. 

Before you can even process what’s happening, Joel yanks the skimpy fabric away from your body before stuffing it in his back pocket. He lands on his knees, fingers digging into your flesh as he grips your thighs and yanks them apart. He tosses your legs over his shoulder after moving your ass close to the edge of the counter, and his mouth is on you with no hesitation or remorse. 

He eats you like a man starved, licking and sucking with such fervor. You gasp and cry his name, pants blending into moans as you reach down and thread your fingers through his thick head of curls. It really doesn’t take much for him to get you to finish. He knows exactly what makes you tick, what you like and don’t like, and how to get you to orgasm in record fucking time. 

You toss your head back, his writhing against his mouth. He hums against you, chuckling at your reaction to his skillful tongue. You’re hurtling over the edge, legs shaking as you cum. 

“Joel, Jesus fucking Christ,” you cry, and he separates his mouth from your pussy for a brief moment as he looks into your eyes—a look so wild an untamable. 

“This pussy is mine, you hear me? You’re mine. Ain’t nobody gonna ever fuckin’ get in between us,” he growls, kissing the apex of your inner thigh. 

“Tell me,” he says. 

Dazed and confused, you look down at him with a furrowed brow. 

“Tell me you’re mine. I need t’fuckin’ hear it, baby. Tell me.” 

He stands up to full height now, easily unbuckling his belt before undoing the button and zipper of his jeans. You reach down to yank his pants from his waist until they’re beneath his ass, and you wrap your legs around him to pull him closer. His clothed erection rubs deliciously against your sensitive core, and you both moan at the feeling. 

You cup the back of his neck, bringing him down to you for a passionate kiss. You’re panting when you pull apart, but you keep him close. 

“I’m all yours, Joel. Forever. Nobody will ever love me the way you do.” 

“You have no fuckin’ idea what you do to me, darlin’.” He leans his forehead against yours as he slips his boxers down, erection springing free. You reach down to pump him a couple of times, and he inhales sharply before he presses a kiss to your forehead. He leans back, taking his cock in his hand before swiping his head through your slick folds. You bite your lip and peek up at him, looking him in the eye as he pushes into you. 

“Fucking love your cock,” you murmur, satiated in pure want and desire. 

“Fuck, yeah, you do,” he grunts, reaching the hilt. 

Your jaw goes slack and your eyes flutter shut for a moment, but Joel gently grabs your throat. 

“Uh uh, keep those pretty eyes on me baby. Wanna see you when I fuck you like you deserve.” 

Your pussy flutters at his words, and he looks at you with a glint in his eye and a smug fucking smirk. 

You nudge his shoulder gently. “Wipe that look off your face, Miller.” 

“Nah. I don’t think I will,” he says, sliding out of you before slamming back in. You cry out in pleasure, wrapping your legs around his waist as he repeats this motion a few more times before finally fucking you at a pace that makes you breathless. He rocks his body up so his cock hits your g-spot perfectly every time, and you know you’re absolutely done for. 

Your resolve crumbled the moment his lips met your neck not even twenty minutes ago, and your mind is nowhere near Earth right now. You’re in a pure state of bliss as this devastatingly beautiful man fucks you like nobody else ever has. 

Your legs are shaking once again as you try your hardest to keep your eyes on him, nothing but panting and skin slapping against skin being heard through the house. 

You really can’t think of any words right now to spew out like you usually do, to tell him how good he feels inside you or whispering praises you know he secretly loves to hear. 

You thank the fucking universe you’re alone right now, because the way that burning heat rips through your body once again is otherworldly. You clamp your eyes shut and toss your head back, screaming Joel’s name as he makes you cum again. 

“There you go, that’s it,” he praises. “Atta girl. Feel so fuckin’ good squeezin’ me like that, baby, fuck.” 

You whimper at his words before reaching down to circle your already overstimulated clit, determined to prolong your orgasm while hoping to trigger his. 

“Oh fuck,” you moan, feeling Joel pulse inside you. 

“God—fuck—I’m gonna fuckin’—”

You clamp down on him one last time. “Give it to me, Joel.” 

“Jesus fuck, woman,” he moans, hips faltering at your words as he spills everything he has in you. 

You breathlessly laugh as you bury your face into his neck, kissing his sweaty skin. You give his neck a small nibble before kissing the spot again, raking your hands through his hair in the comforting way he likes. 

“You’re incredible, you know that?” He whispers, and you smile into his skin. 

“I’m only reciprocating what I receive, Mr. Miller,” you say. 

He chuckles and slowly pulls out of you, both of you groaning at the loss of contact. He pulls up his boxers and pants, fastening everything correctly before looking at you with that glint of mischief again. He takes his thumb and swipes it through your overly-sensitive folds, collecting some of his spend. Your body jerks at the feeling.

He brings his thumb up to your lips and pops it into your mouth, and you suck on it while you bat your lashes up at him. 

“Christ. The woman that you are,” he murmurs, bringing you in for a sweet kiss before he helps you off the counter. 

You stand on slightly shaky legs, walking over to the cupboard nearest to you to pull out Clorox wipes. 

Joel eyes you as you pull a couple out of the container. 

“What are you doin’?” He asks, leaning against the wall. 

“Wiping down the counter. People eat in this kitchen, Joel.” You quirk a brow at him, and he cracks a smile as he takes a wipe from your hand and helps you sanitize the counter. 

“And did I not just eat in this kitchen?” He asks, and your face heats as you look at him nearly horrified. 

“Joel!” 

He tosses his head back with a hearty laugh, and you groan as you shoulder past him after throwing away the wipes. He makes his way behind you and gives your ass a love tap. 

“Now c’mon baby, let’s freshen up. I wanna take you to the ranch real quick.” 

“What about Sarah’s party food?” 

“I promise we’ll get it done later. We can recruit Maria and Tommy to help, too.” 

You nod, following him upstairs to freshen up before changing into another pretty dress Joel had picked out for you. You don’t think much of it; though the sun is about to set, it’s still hot outside. 

You sit in a comfortable silence as Joel drives you both to the ranch, soft tunes playing throughout the cab of the air conditioned truck. His truck eventually comes to a slow stop over the gravel. 

He opens the door for you and takes your hand, intertwining your hands together as he leads you toward the creek. You see string lights strewn across the tree where you sat with him not too long ago as he fully opened up to you and gave you his whole heart. 

As you near the tree, you can see the lights twinkling softly on the creek that reflects the pink, purple, and orange hues of the sky. It’s picturesque, and the sight nearly takes your breath away. 

You’re almost in a daze as you stand under the tree admiring the calm water, until you hear a soft thump behind you. You turn to peek back at Joel, gasping when you realize he’s on one knee. 

You whip your body around to face him, and you start to tear up at the sight of the love of your life with a small velvet box in his hand, inhaling on a shaky breath. 

He clears his throat before he starts. “Darlin’,” he says, rolling his shoulders back as he looks you in the eyes. 

“To say I’m a lucky man to have found love when I was practically hopeless is an understatement. You’ve shown me what true, unconditional love looks like, and I thank the lucky stars every damn day that it’s you who was in the coffee shop that day. That slightly shy, yet bold, beautiful woman that took one look at me and decided that she’d give me a chance. And then you changed my whole world. Stuck by my side when things got ugly, and never gave up on me. Continued to show me that unconditional love and support. Love me for me; scars, trauma and all without even a second doubt. I truly, simply cannot live the rest of my life without you, baby. You’re my one and only, and I’ll spend every second of the rest of our lives provin’ myself to you and showin’ you the love you deserve ten times over.” 

You sink to your knees in front of him, gripping his face as you rub your nose gently against his. 

“Joel,” is all you can say. He’s rendered you speechless, and tears slip from your eyes as you pull him close to you. 

“You’re the love of my life, baby. I wanna spend forever with you. Will you do me the honor of becomin’ my wife?” 

You squeeze your eyes shut as you let out a sob, pulling him against you as you both stand on your knees. You slot your lips with his and kiss him with such fervor and passion as the whole world seems to melt around you. 

“I’d love to become your wife, Joel. Spend the rest of my life with you. Of course I’ll marry you.” 

He smiles against your lips as he shakily slides the ring onto your finger, and you kiss him one more time before you pull apart from him to look down at the ring. 

Shining right back at you was your dream ring that you’d described to him; each detail more intricate than the last, down to the setting of the stone. Your mouth pops open in awe as you stare at it before your eyes flick back up to the man before you. 

The look of certainty in his eyes solidifies that he’s so willing and ready to share his future with you. That you both get this version of each other for the rest of your lives.

Because that’s just the thing: you can’t imagine your future without him in it. You never want to. 

Life without Joel is simply impossible.  

In that moment, it’s just you and him as you sob happily against him, knowing how much patience and strength it took you both to get to this moment. 

Two lost souls who weren’t really expecting anything from the world had fatefully tied together on that warm summer day; where the scent of coffee wafted through the air, a number was scribbled down on a napkin, and a chance encounter had changed both of their lives forever.

taglist: @raspberrybesitos ; @nostalxgic ; @punkshort ; @clawdee

@pascalpvnk ; @bensonispunk ; @merz-8 ; @darkblue-tennesseee ; @typewriter83

@lizzie-cakes ; @sawymredfox ; @keylimebeag ; @nandan11 ; @pedropascalsbbg

@pimosworld ; @yxtkiwiyxt ; @anoverwhelmingdin ; @kikaaauu ; @buckyispunk

@untamedheart81 ; @picketniffler ; @paleidiot ; @survivingandenduring

@party-hearses ; @harriedandharassed ; @brittmb115 ; @sunnytuliptime

@frodofreakingbaggins ; @aceaubrianna ; @tangled-tumbler-blog-blog ; @bunniboo0015 ; @aerihina

@pedritospunk ; @ro-nahime-things ; @ananonymousaffair ; @just-mj-or-not ; @melsunshine

@wayward-dreamer

If you would like to be added or removed from the tag list, please let me know.

-

divider by @saradika-graphics

[honeyedmiller]

A Burning Desire part ten

firefighter!joel miller x f!reader

series masterlist

synopsis: Joel is determined to make up for lost time, all while starting his journey of healing.

rating: explicit. 18+, minors do not interact.

word count: 9.7k

warnings: fluff, mentions of therapy and anxiousness, (again) incorrect insurance payout mentioned, mentions of labor and a hospital visit (reader's sister), a teensy bit of drama, mentions of fight or flight regarding a person of the past, reader gets into a brief uncomfortable situation, slight violence (not against reader), a generous amount of smut (including unprotected piv, breeding kink if you squint, some dirty talk, f!oral receiving), possessive!joel, no use of y/n.

a/n: thank you for your patience. hope you enjoy. <3

“Marry me.” 

Marry me. 

Marry me, marry me, marry me. 

His words ring in your head, bouncing around wildly as you try to process what was just said to you. 

Your jaw is popped open, body completely frozen. Your eyes scan his face again, and his hands move to your hips to give them a small squeeze. 

A playful glint reaches his beautiful brown eyes, and while you’re so glad his charm is exuding his body right now, you’re at a loss for words. 

Of course you want to marry Joel, but you didn’t expect him to ask so soon—especially being just a month shy of your one year anniversary. 

Then your sister’s words ring in your head from nearly a year ago: if you know, you know. 

And you know. 

Before your scrambled brain can make up something to say, he leans forward and pecks your lips. 

“You don’t need to give me an answer right now, baby. I know it’s sort of sudden. But one thing’s for sure and two things for certain, I love you and I want to spend the rest of my life with you.” 

“Joel.” His name is a whisper on your lips, and you feel the sting of tears at the back of your eyes. 

You sniffle, glossy eyes shifting to the house that’s a clear shot across the land. The house that’ll someday be your home. 

“I have something to confess,” you say, and Joel’s body goes rigid. The look of worry crosses over his features, and your hands move up to his shoulders. You give him a small squeeze of reassurance, but you can tell it doesn’t necessarily ease him. ”I’m buying your uncle’s ranch.”

He leans back, confusion dancing in his eyes as he assesses you. He probably thinks you’re joking, but your serious face and tender touch has him furrowing his brows. 

“I know I should’ve asked you first, but I wanted it to be a surprise. I know how much this ranch means to you and Tommy, and I wanted to keep it in the family for you both. I just,” you sigh, “I’m sorry if I overstepped by doing this, I just—”

Joel doesn’t let you finish because something of a groan or a whimper, you’re not sure which, evades his chest before he grabs your face and kisses you. 

Like really, really kisses you. 

Kisses you in a way you haven’t had with him in what feels like forever. 

All of your senses come back alive that have been dormant for the past couple of months, and your body is suddenly buzzing with a surreal amount of need.

You softly whimper against his lips as his hands slide down to your ass, gripping it with such force that sends a shiver down your spine. 

He pulls apart from you, breathing labored as his hands travel up and rest at your tailbone. 

“You’re buyin’ the ranch,” he restates, and you nod. “How—why—fuck, when? What?” 

“I hope I didn’t overstep by doing this, but you said how much this place means to you and your brother and I honestly thought it would be the perfect place to create new memories, too.” 

“Baby, you didn’t overstep. Believe me. I can’t even wrap my head around this. How did this happen?” 

You brush his curls back behind his ear, sporting a small smile. 

“You know that accident I got into the day we met?” 

He nods, worrying his bottom lip between his teeth. 

“Well, turns out the kid who hit me has some VIP parents or some shit, because they cut me an insanely large check for, well, everything.” 

Joel releases his lip from his teeth and frowns, brows furrowing once again. You reach up to smooth out the worry line on his glabella, leaning forward to kiss the tip of his nose. 

You can tell he wants to ask how much the check was, but he’s not one to meddle in your finances. He probably doesn’t think it’s his place to know. 

“It was half a million dollars,” you murmur. 

Joel’s eyes nearly bug out of his head at that. His jaw pops open, and he shakes his head like he’s trying to comprehend what you just told him. 

“What?” 

“Mhm.” 

“Well fuck, that’s a generous amount,” he says. You huff a laugh at his disbelief. “Does anyone else know you have this money?” 

“Just you and Maria. She took a drive with me here to talk to your uncle about buying the land while you and Tommy were in San Angelo.” 

“I reckon you keep that money in a safe place,” he chuckles. 

You smile at the sound. 

“I will. Your uncle only asked for seventy five, but when I tried to offer more, he shut me down.” 

“He’s a stubborn ol’ man.” 

“A Miller trait, I presume,” you tease. Joel cocks an eyebrow up at you and grabs your waist, suddenly flipping you onto the plush grass beneath you both. 

You let out a yelp at the surprise, laughing as he straddles your thighs while burying his hands underneath his old t-shirt you’re adorning. 

Your laughter dies down as you look up at him in wonder, grateful that he’s hopefully feeling a bit more like himself now. You silently vow to him at that very moment that you’ll do whatever it takes to take the burden of worry off of his shoulders, whether that be letting him talk to you, supporting him to see a therapist, or simply just holding him—even if there’s no talking involved. 

“I love you so much,” Joel whispers. You grin at him and pull him down so his weight is on top of you. 

“I love you too,” you murmur against his lips, kissing him again. You both stay like that for a while, kissing each other effortlessly. Every part of your body screams I missed you! and his body reacts just the same. 

You feel his growing bulge against your leg, and you break the kiss to softly laugh. 

“Missed me, huh?” You love teasing him, because he’s so receptive to it. 

“I really did, baby. I’d love to show you, if you’ll have me.” 

The sincerity in his voice makes your heart melt, but you know he’s in a vulnerable state with his emotions right now. As much as you want him, you don’t want to do anything that might take advantage of his vulnerability—though you know you’d never do that intentionally, anyway. 

“Are you sure, Joel? You’re fresh off the heels of admitting something extremely traumatic—”

“I absolutely love that you care so much, honeybee. I’m okay—well, in a sense enough to want to do this with you. Shuttin’ you out for the past couple of months has absolutely killed me,” he says. “Wanna make it up to you.” 

“You don’t need to—”

He shakes his head and brings a finger up to your lips, shushing you. He grins down at you and kisses your temple. 

“Let me.” 

You stare at him for a few seconds, finally giving in. You nod and his lips are on yours again, and the kiss is heated, but in a steady way. He takes his time with you. 

For a minute, you worry that someone will see you, but everything is far away from this huge tree that hides your bodies so well. 

His hands move to your hips, giving them a squeeze. You gasp against his lips, and he takes the opportunity to slip his tongue into your mouth. You moan softly as he rubs circles into your hot skin, hands moving up to slide through his soft curls at the base of his skull. 

“Missed you so much,” he breathes against your lips. 

“Missed you too, baby.” 

He moves his hands up from your hips, taking his shirt you’re wearing with them. He brings it over your head and tosses it aside, pleased to find out you’re not wearing a bra. 

“Forgot you wore this to bed last night,” he chuckles. 

You shoot him a small smile. “Woke up late today and didn’t think about changing before coming to find you.” 

He hums and leans down, kissing down your neck, nipping at your shoulder, moving down to your sternum before his plush lips make their way to one of your breasts. 

You suck in a breath as Joel envelopes a nipple into his mouth, licking and sucking like his life depends on it. A wave of arousal hits you and you can feel your wrecked panties in your sleep shorts. You squirm beneath him, trying to keep your mewling to a low volume. It’s nearly impossible though, because this kind of attention from him always makes you a wreck—but you absolutely love it. 

You blindly reach for the waistband of his joggers, tugging them down desperately along with his boxers. He groans at the release, biting down on your nipple before switching to the next one. You suck in another breath as you lift your hips to shimmy your shorts down, and in the urgency of the moment, he starts to buck his hips. 

His length slides between your folds, completely drenching himself in your arousal. You’re both a panting, moaning mess as you take hold of his length every time he slides through your slick pussy. 

You toss your head back onto the grass, mouth agape as the feeling of his head catching on your clit every time nearly sends you over the edge. 

“Joel,” you whine, one hand gripping onto the back of his neck in desperation. 

“I know baby, I know,” he coos, sitting up for a split second to rid himself of his shirt before coming back down to you. He slides his length through your folds twice more before lining himself up with your entrance. You look up at him and bite your lip in anticipation, and when he pushes in, you both close your eyes at the pure bliss you’re consumed with. 

Both of your bodies are slicked with sweat, Texas summer heat nearly unbearable, but neither one of you seems to mind at the moment. He’s slowing it down again, taking his time to thrust in and out of you at a slower pace. He’s got both of his forearms on either side of your head now, looking at you with such adoration. 

You look right back, butterflies rumbling in your tummy at the mere thought of how this is who you’re going to spend the rest of your life with. Without a doubt, you know Joel will be the best husband. 

Fuck, just referring to him as your husband has you all giddy and prideful. 

Your thoughts whoosh away as he starts to thrust his body upward, heavy cock hitting the perfect spot that has you seeing stars. You gasp as your eyes roll back, jaw slack as you unintentionally claw at his back and biceps. 

“Yeah? Right there, sweet girl?” 

You nod frantically, pussy fluttering around him as he repeats the movement. 

“Feel so fuckin’ good, baby. Missed this pretty pussy. So fuckin’ tight. All mine,” he babbles. 

“Yours,” you breathe. He hums in satisfaction and kisses you again, swallowing your gasps and moans as he picks up the pace a fraction. 

“Fuck that feels so good,” you cry. “You take such good care of me.” 

“N’ I plan on it for the rest of our lives.” 

You cry out once more at that, chanting his name as your orgasm rips through you. He follows suit right after, pumping you full of his cum. 

You’re a heaving, sweaty mess as he slowly pulls out. You sport a lazy grin, eyes hooded as you stare up at him. He smiles down at you and kisses you before reaching down between your bodies to swipe some of your spend mixed with his. He circles your sensitive clit once, making your body buck up toward him. 

“Always so receptive to my touch,” he teases with a glint in his eye.  

“Can’t help it. You’re the only one who gets me feeling like this.” 

“Good,” he says with a firm tone, bringing his fingers up to your mouth. You open obediently, and he smirks as you suck on his digits. His fingers come out of your mouth with a small pop when they’re all clean. 

He kisses you once more before sliding his joggers and boxers back onto his hips, sitting up to help you with your panties and shorts. You slip your—his— shirt back on before standing up. You feel his spend leaking out of you as you stretch, legs a little shaky from your escapades. 

He wraps an arm around one of your legs and nuzzles his face into your stomach, kissing your clothed skin repeatedly. He’s kneeling in front of you, and it almost feels like he’s worshipping you like this. 

And then he looks up at you as he’s doting on you. It nearly knocks the air out of your lungs.

“You’re so handsome,” you whisper, cupping his face as you run a hand over his scruff. He turns to kiss the palm of your hand, and he softly smiles at you before standing up to his full height. 

“And you’re beautiful,” he says with finality. 

“C’mon, cowboy. Let’s go wash up at home.” 

You hold your hand out to him, and he takes it with no hesitation this time. He gives your hand a squeeze as you walk toward your vehicles. 

You squeeze right back. 

-

You spent the rest of the night discussing with Joel how you can help him and who he can go to, and he ultimately agreed he’d talk to his captain before his next shift. He says the fire department has resources across the entirety of Travis County, so finding him someone to talk to shouldn’t be too arduous. 

The next day, you drive with him to the station for moral support as he talks to his captain. You leave them to it, as you don’t want to eavesdrop on a private conversation, so you sit in the lounge area and you read a magazine left on the coffee table. 

You’re deep into an article about how to make fluffy chocolate croissants when Joel walks up the steps and nudges you gently to get your attention. You look up at him from where you’re comfortably sitting, eyes shifting to his captain behind him. 

“Hey, baby. You ready to go?” His voice is tender and soft. 

You nod, setting down the magazine on the coffee table before standing up. 

“Take care of yourself, Miller. No matter what that looks like—as long as it’s healthy and legal,” he chuckles. Joel laughs with him and nods before they briefly hug, and he shakes your hand. You smile at him and curtly nod before Joel takes your hand, leaving the firehouse. 

“Everything all good?” You ask, buckling yourself into his truck after he opens your door for you. 

He nods. “Mhm. Gave me the name of a guy who’s helped many firefighters struggling with trauma and PTSD.” 

“That’s good…” 

He smiles at the concern in your voice. 

“I’m gonna give him a call today to see when he can pencil me in for an appointment.” 

You feel like you can breathe a little easier at his words. You simply offer Joel a nod and a small smile, and he reaches over the console to grip your thigh. You rest your left hand on top of his, and he briefly glances down at the contact before he peels out of the firehouse parking lot. 

“So, I know you haven’t given me an answer yet,” he starts. The words make you sit up straighter in your seat, eyes darting over to the handsome man. “But what kind of engagement ring have you always dreamed of having?” 

You roll your lips into your mouth as you face forward again, really putting some thought into your answer. 

Then you go on to describe your absolute dream ring—something that you know will be timeless and fit you perfectly. 

Joel’s fingers dig into your bare flesh slightly as reassurance, letting you know he’s listening to every minute detail you’re giving him. 

You sit in a comfortable silence for a few more minutes as you look out onto the road before turning to him again. 

“What are we doing for Sarah’s birthday? It’s coming up pretty soon,” you say. 

He nods and smiles, chuckling to himself. 

“She actually told me that she wanted to rent a bouncy house water slide for her and her friends from the soccer team and school.” 

You can’t help but crack a smile. Most soon-to-be fifteen year olds wouldn’t ever dream of doing anything like that, but then again, Sarah isn’t like most soon-to-be fifteen year olds. You love that she’s unafraid to still have fun and make the best memories she can for herself. 

You’ve met a few of said friends over the past few months, as some of them would come over after school to do homework together or go up to her room to talk about boys they have crushes on or music they’d listen to. 

Girlhood is such a special thing, and you’d do anything to make sure it lives on throughout her life. 

“That’s actually really cool. What are we thinking for food? Dessert? Appetizers?” 

Joel chuckles again as he squeezes your thigh once more, pulling into your neighborhood. He parks in the driveway and fully turns to face you. 

“Honestly, I haven’t thought about it much,” he says. The look of guilt is clear as day on his face, and you feel bad that he clearly feels awful about it, so you give him a beaming smile as you lean across the console. 

“Don’t worry about it, cowboy. I’ve got it covered.” You peck his lips and he pulls you back into him before you get too far. You giggle against his lips as they mould to yours effortlessly. 

You pat his chest twice before separating from him. 

“Let me talk to Sarah to see what she’d like food-wise and we can go from there.” 

He sighs, head tilting back to hit his headrest. “What would I do without you?” His voice is soft as he turns his head to look at you, hand reaching out to cup your cheek. 

You shrug, giving him a playful grin. “I dunno. Probably be fianceé-less and have to make your own chocolate chip cookies.” 

You wink at him as he sits straight up in his seat at your words, eyes blazing. Before he can say anything, you hop out of his truck and trudge to the front door. 

He scrambles to get out of the driver’s side, breathless when he asks you, “Does that mean it’s a yes?” 

-

You’re reading a book in bed when you get the call. 

It’s a Saturday morning, and Joel is sleeping like a bear after his twenty-four hour shift. 

Your phone buzzes on your nightstand, and you see Josh’s name light up across the screen. Your heart drops to your ass because you know it’s probably time. 

“Hello?” You whisper, dog-earing the page you left off on in your book. You slide out of bed slowly, tiptoeing across the carpet to the door of the room so you can slip out without waking Joel. 

“Hey you. Just letting you know Emi’s contractions have gotten much stronger and closer together, so we’re heading to the hospital now.” 

You can’t help but smile and get teary-eyed. “Cool, thank you for letting me know. You going to Saint David’s?” 

“Mhm. She’s gonna text the family right now, but she wanted me to call you first. We’re loading our stuff in the car right now.” 

“Sounds good. I’ll meet you guys over there in an hour or so.” 

“See you soon, soon-to-be auntie.” 

You laugh. “See you soon, soon-to-be dad.” 

You hang up with him and come back into the room as quietly as possible, shifting through your side of the closet for some lounge clothes. You hop into the shower quickly and get ready as fast as possible before walking over to Joel’s side of the bed. He’s still sleeping soundly, and you feel bad for having to wake him, but you don’t want him to worry about your whereabouts. 

“Joel, baby,” you whisper, stroking the side of his face with your hand gently. 

He furrows his brows, and you bend down to kiss his forehead. His eyes flutter open slowly, taking you in. His eyes move down your body that’s wrapped in a towel, and he quirks a tired brow. 

You stifle a giggle. “I’m going to Saint David’s. Emi is in labor.” 

“Oh shit,” he murmurs. He presses the heels of his palms into his eyes, rubbing the sleep out of them before sitting up slightly. 

“Let me get ready and I can go with you.” 

You shake your head. “I want you to get some sleep, baby. I know you came home only a few hours ago.” 

He hesitates for a moment. “Are you sure?” 

You nod this time, cupping his cheek. “Yeah my love. You can just meet me there later if you’d like.” 

He grabs your hand and tugs you to him, causing you to topple onto him. He lets out a grunt before flipping you over, and it all happens so fast that you barely have time to catch your breath. Your towel falls open in the process, and you laugh as Joel attacks your neck and chest with kisses. 

“Joel,” you breathe, failing to push him off of you. 

His head pops up. “What?” 

You can’t help but admire him like this: all messy bedhead and sparkling, playful eyes. His voice is rough and raspy from having just woken up, which sends a fresh wave of arousal to your core. 

“I gotta go.” 

“I’ll be real quick. Swear.” He smirks at you, and you’re so easily turned on that you don’t have the will to say no. 

“Fuck, fine. But you’re not getting the returned favor until later.” 

“I don’t even need the favor returned, baby. I could eat this pretty pussy for breakfast lunch and dinner for the rest of my god-given life.” 

You hum at that, raking a hand through his mussed curls. He grins in satisfaction and doesn’t waste any time. He spreads your legs open, whistling at the amount of slick he sees before throwing your legs over his shoulders. 

He dives down and eats you desperately. Sloppily. Yet, somehow, meticulous. 

The slurping and sucking sounds he makes are obscene. You’re honestly both lucky that the doors are thick enough to block out a majority of sound, because with the way he’s groaning into your pussy, the whole neighborhood would probably wake. Not to mention, your desperate whimpers that escape your throat as you grind your hips against his mouth. 

He has you unraveling in five minutes, tops. You have no idea how the hell he does it, because before him, you had a hard time coming quickly. 

He comes up from between your thighs, stubble and mustache shiny with your slick. He licks his lips and groans appreciatively, giving you a wet kiss. You taste yourself on him briefly before he separates from you, flopping back down on his back. 

“We’ll be by the hospital in a few hours, darlin’. I really am fuckin’ exhausted,” Joel sighs. You turn toward him and peck his lips before climbing out of bed over him. He gives your ass a playful slap before you trudge over to your underwear drawer, picking out a bra and panties to wear. Joel’s eyes burn holes through your body as you slide the matching pale pink garments on. 

“God, you have no idea how hard you make my dick. It’s kinda ridiculous,” he says. 

You bark out a laugh, tossing your head back before looking back at him. 

“You’re nuts, you know that?” 

He grins proudly. “I know. But you still love me.” 

You slip on your clothes and slide on some sandals before rounding the bed again, leaning down to kiss him one more time. 

“That I do, Mr. Miller.” 

You shoot him a wink, and you’re out of the door and on your way to the hospital. 

-

Emily has her baby after fifteen hours of labor. They name him Mateo Alejandro, and you cry when you first set your eyes on him. 

“I can’t believe you’re a mom. Holy sh—” you pause, looking down at your nephew. “Shoot,” you finish. 

Emily tiredly laughs and Josh bends down to kiss her forehead. 

“I know. Isn’t he perfect?” She asks, and you trace his soft hair with a feather-light touch before looking back at her. 

“He really is.” 

You coo at him and bounce him gently. The rest of the family comes into the room moments later, hearts all full and eyes glossy. 

Sarah beams as she stares at the newborn. “I can’t wait for you two to give me a sibling or two one day,” she whispers, elbowing her dad in the ribs as she wiggles her eyebrows at you. You bite your lip, peeking at Joel. He looks so smitten with you holding a baby in your arms. 

Everyone softly laughs, and you hand Mateo off to your mom to hold before you stand by Joel’s side. 

“One day,” you say, winking at Sarah. She grins from ear-to-ear. 

You wrap your arm around Joel’s back, and he kisses your temple before pulling you into him. 

“Sarah, honey, real quick,” Emily starts. Sarah’s attention turns to her, and she shoots her a smile. “I know your birthday is in a couple of weeks, but depending on how the baby is and how I’m feeling, we may or may not be able to make it.” 

Emily reaches out for Sarah’s hand. Sarah takes it and gives Emily’s a gentle squeeze. 

“No worries at all. I totally understand.” 

“Promise we’ll make it up to you if we don’t, though. We can take you out for food. Any place. Your choice.” 

“Thank you guys for even thinking of me like that. It means a lot.” 

Emily chuckles. “You’re practically our niece anyway. We’re family. That’s what we do.” 

Everyone laughs, and you take a look around the room to admire everyone gathered here. Joel gives your shoulder a squeeze, and he looks at your mom. 

“Thank you all for bein’ so invitin’ to us Millers. Getting to be an addition to the family means a great deal to us, especially since our family isn’t so big to begin with.” 

“Oh honey,” your mom starts. “You were always meant to be a part of our family. All four of you. And thank you, Joel, for taking care of our little girl. She’s the happiest I’ve ever seen her. Glows differently ever since she met you.” 

“Damn, who’s cutting the onions?” Andy jokes, wiping away a tear. Again, laughter fills the room and sniffles follow suit. You’re all an emotional bunch today. 

“I appreciate those kind words, Alexandria. But it’s her who’s made me a better man. An honest one. Has helped and continues to help me through some really rough times. She’s my rock.” 

He says all of this while looking at you, and you can’t help but let the tears cascade down your cheeks. You’d adore this man in every single lifetime, and you’re so damn lucky to have found him in this one. 

He leans to peck your lips, and you can’t help but smile against him. 

Your mom wipes a tear from her face, hands Mateo off to your dad, and points at Cole. 

“When will we be meeting your girl?” 

“Mom,” Cole says, scrubbing away at his face. “Soon, okay? I promise.” 

“Good. That’s all I wanna know.” 

You smile at your mom’s tendency to be a bit too nosey in her children’s relationships, but you know it comes from a good place in her heart. All she wanted for her children was to grow up with a good head on their shoulders, succeed at what they want to do most in their life, and find the type of love they write in the fairytale storybooks. 

You get the hopeless romantic side of yourself from your mom. It was destroyed for a while, but Joel has wholeheartedly restored that trait within you, brick by brick. 

And you don’t think there’s anything you can ever say to him to voice how truly grateful you are for that. For him. 

So, you’ll have to show him through one thing: saying yes to being his wife. 

-

A couple of weeks pass by, and it’s a day before Sarah’s party. Joel manages to get an appointment with the guy his captain recommended he talk to, and he asked you last night to go with him. You agreed right away. 

You can tell Joel is nervous as he white-knuckles the steering wheel. His hands twist anxiously over the leather, and you reach a hand over to the back of his head, running your fingers through his thick curls before scratching at the nape of his neck. 

He visibly relaxes at your touch and shoots you a tight-lipped smile. 

You arrive at the office, and when you walk inside, it’s quiet. Calm, even. You and Joel walk up to the front desk hand-in-hand, and the woman sitting there looks up at you both and smiles brightly. 

“Good morning, how can I help you?” 

You look at Joel, and the column of his throat works as he swallows nervously. You squeeze his hand for silent reassurance.  

“I have an appointment with Dr. Elias at ten.” 

She types something into her computer, moving her glasses up the bridge of her nose. 

“For Joel Miller?” She asks, looking back up at him. 

He nods slightly. “Yes ma’am.”

”Perfect, go ahead and take a seat in the waiting room and he’ll call you back when he’s all set to go.” 

“Thank you,” he nods at her appreciatively, and she shoots you both a kind smile. You make your way to the waiting area, sitting down on the black leather seats. 

Joel’s leg starts to bounce, and you place your hand on his knee to try to stop him. 

“Hey, everything’s gonna be okay, alright?” You whisper, nuzzling into him. 

He kisses your cheek and sighs. 

“I know… I just, I dunno. ‘M not the best at talkin’ about this stuff and somethin’ about opening up to a stranger makes me uneasy.” 

“That’s completely understandable, baby. Dr. Elias is here to help you, though, and I don’t think your captain would recommend him if he wasn’t a good person to go to.” 

He sighs. “You’re right.” 

You grin at him mischievously to lighten the mood. “Always am.” 

He chuckles and wraps you in his arms, giving your body a light squeeze before pressing his lips to your temple. 

“I love you, sweet girl.” 

“I love you too, cowboy.”

A door down the short hallway adjacent from the waiting room opens, and a tall man with gray hair, thick mustache and kind brown eyes steps out. 

“For Joel Miller?” He calls, and you squeeze his knee one more time before giving him a soft smile. He walks back with the man, who you assume is Dr. Elias, and you settle back into your seat. 

You take your phone out of your purse and type everything that you need at the store for Sarah’s party down on the list in your notes app. You managed to get the decorations the previous weekend to put less stress on yourself, and you’re honestly thankful you did. Scrambling around at the last second for a party is never a fun time. 

Joel insisted that he go to the grocery store with you after his appointment, and you honestly don’t mind the company. Joel seems to be much clingier to you now, which you also don’t mind…like, at all. 

It’s sweet that he wants to spend so much time with you, but you did tell him a couple of weeks ago that he doesn’t need to make up for ‘lost time’, as he had put it. You know Joel is the type of man to want to right his ‘wrongs’, so you let him without questioning it. 

Having someone want to be around you as much as Joel does absolutely fills your heart, because years ago, you settled for so much less. For someone who didn’t want to spend quality time with you. Didn’t show PDA anywhere near the amount that Joel does. 

It’s not like you want to compare your relationship with Christian to your relationship with Joel, because Joel is beyond ten times the man Christian ever was. It’s just an insanely stark contrast that has your mind reeling from time-to-time, because for so long, you put up with less than the bare minimum. You felt so unloved, so unhappy, so fucking drained not only mentally, but physically too. 

Your ex is the epitome of a manipulative disaster. 

Joel is the man of your fucking dreams. 

-

An hour later, the door to Dr. Elias’ office opens, and they both step out. You shove your kindle back in your purse before standing up as they shake hands, and Joel makes his way back to you. Dr. Elias gives you a kind smile and a wave before retreating back into his space. 

You look at Joel with a tilt of your head. “So… how’d it go?” 

He chuckles and kisses your temple, wrapping his arm around your shoulder as you walk out of the office. You say goodbye to the receptionist, making your way back into the summer sun and into Joel’s truck. 

“It went surprisingly well,” he starts. He cranks up the air conditioning before turning to you. “Wasn’t as uncomfortable as I thought it would be. Some things were a little difficult to talk about, but he said it takes time to get to the root of PTSD.” 

You nod, taking in his words before reaching over the console to grab his hand. “I’m proud of you for going today, Joel.” 

His eyes soften as he stares at you. 

“I love you, my honeybee.” 

You beam at him. “I love you too. Now, chop chop,” you say, grinning mischievously. “We have some groceries to get and some food to make.” 

A deep chuckle evades his chest, and he pecks your lips before smiling against them. “Yes ma’am.” 

It only takes a few minutes to get there, and you start crossing everything off your list you had made an hour prior. 

You’re down to the last few items, sending Joel to get a variety of chips while you scan the beer aisle for a variety pack. You’re so focused on finding the right kind that a familiar voice calling your name startles you. 

You immediately freeze in your tracks, though. You recognize that grating voice right away. 

You turn to meet the familiar, unsettling icy gaze. You take in his appearance. He looks to be in pretty rough shape for someone who cared so much about his image. 

“Christian.” Your tone is clipped, and you immediately cross your arms over your chest. 

“What are you doing on this side of town? Thought I’d never see your pretty face again.” He reaches out to try and touch you, but you step back immediately. 

“Don’t even fucking think about it,” you snap, and he chuckles while stepping closer.

“My my, you sure have gotten feisty.” 

You roll your eyes at him before turning back to the fridges, pretending to look for the beer. 

“She left me, you know,” he continues. 

“Gee, I wonder why,” you scoff. You roll your eyes once more and try to create more distance between the two of you, but he just keeps stepping closer. It makes your pulse rise up, and your fight or flight kicks in as he stands only a few inches from you. 

“I’m real fucking lonely now, and I’ve been thinking about you a lot.” 

You whip around to face him, pushing him away. “And how the fuck is that my problem? You are none of my concern anymore. You haven’t been for six years. Leave me the fuck alone and go be miserable somewhere else.” 

“Don’t be a bitch, sweetheart. You’d be lucky to have me back.” 

Your molars grind against each other in annoyance, but you don’t give Christian the satisfaction of seeing how angry he makes you. He doesn’t deserve any more of your energy. He’s already taken enough from you. 

Joel steps into the aisle seconds later, tossing the bags of chips in the cart before stepping behind you. 

“Is there a problem here?” He asks, and you can see Joel straightening his posture while he has to literally look down at Christian. 

“And who the fuck are you? This conversation doesn’t concern you,” Christian says, taking in Joel’s appearance. His eyes stop at his chest, and Christian barks out a laugh. 

“A firefighter? Really?” His head swivels back to you. “Never took you as the type to be a fucking badge bunny.” 

“That’s rich, Christian. And I never took you as the type to be a manipulative cheating asshole, but guess we’re both wrong here.” 

He scoffs and puts a dramatic hand over his heart, mock-wounded. 

Joel stiffens at the mention of his name, and he instinctively wraps a protective arm around you. 

Joel nearly growls at Christian. “You just included me in the conversation, dickhead. The way you’re talkin’ to her does concern me. Keep talkin’ to my wife like that and it’ll be your ass hitting the floor, boy.” 

Wife. Oh, fuck. You should not be feeling this aroused hearing him saying that aloud. Nor should you be aroused at the fact that Joel looks angry as hell while defending you. If looks could kill, Christian would be six feet under right now. 

Christian laughs darkly as he steps up to Joel. 

“Wife?” Christian laughs.

Joel steps even closer to Christian, boots nearly toe-to-toe. “Somethin’ funny, asshole?” 

Christian falters, and for a brief second, all you can picture right now is a small shaking dog with its tail between its legs. 

You have to stifle a laugh. 

“Hit me. I fucking dare you. I’ll have you arrested, you son of a bitch. You and that pathetic whore you call your wife.” 

Joel doesn’t blink twice before he swings at Christian, decking him straight across the nose. Christian stumbles backwards and into the freezers, clutching his nose that’s now dripping blood as he cries out in agony. 

Your jaw drops as you stare at Joel, breath ragged as you try to contain your composure. 

Joel looks at him with the nastiest glare you’ve ever seen. “Try me. I know every single Chief Officer and Sheriff in Austin. Can fuckin’ guarantee it won’t work out in your favor, asshole.” 

Joel turns to you. “You alright, baby?” He asks, pulling you into him. 

You nod. “More than okay.” 

Christian looks furious as Joel holds you against his body. 

“Have fun with my leftovers,” he snarks, and you genuinely laugh before placing a hand on Joel’s chest. 

“Oh, trust me. He is.” 

Joel’s anger seems to roll off of his shoulders at your comment, but he’s still tense. 

You and Joel watch Christian walk—more like stomp—away like a child. 

“Holy fucking shit,” you’re breathless, clinging onto Joel’s torso. “You held back on him though. How thoughtful.” 

His jaw pops as he shakes his head, flexing the hand he hit Christian with. “Broke the fucker’s nose, for sure. He definitely deserves way worse in my opinion.” 

His eyes scan over you again. “You sure you’re okay?” He asks, bringing your body into his as he holds you tightly. 

You nod. “Seeing his face shook me up a little bit, but I’m okay. Thank you for defending your wife.” You quirk a brow and grin at him, and his face reddens in a blush. 

“You caught that, huh? Sorry, it kinda just slipped out in the heat of the moment.” 

You shake your head. “Don’t be sorry. It was hot.” 

“Yeah? How about we get outta here so I can fuck my wife proper when we get home.” 

Your whole body heats up at his words. You swallow hard, eyes darting around you to make sure nobody heard this man and his filthy fucking mouth that you love so much. 

“Let’s get out of here.” 

You grab the last couple of items on your list in a hurry before checking out your things, loading everything up in Joel’s truck before he starts it up to head back home. 

Halfway there, he starts to dig through a bag at a red light before pulling out something in a crinkly wrapper. Joel tears open the small wrapper with his teeth, before presenting you a bright red ring pop. 

“For my wife.” 

He picks up your left hand and brings your knuckles to his lips, kissing them before slipping the plastic ring around your ring finger. 

You toss your head back in a laugh as he gives your hand a squeeze, and you steal a kiss before the light turns green. 

Only Joel can make you feel this good inside after a run-in with your ex. 

God, this man is everything to you. 

“Looks real good, dontcha think?” You lift your eyebrows at him as you wiggle your fingers, showcasing the huge strawberry flavored diamond on your hand. 

“Looks beautiful, baby,” he chuckles, bringing your hand back up to his mouth before he sticks his tongue out to take a lick. 

“Hey! That’s my ring. Get your own,” you tease. 

“Nah. I’d rather share with you.” 

He pulls his truck in the driveway, and you peek over at him to see that he’s still stewing in some anger. His shoulders are tense, and the muscle in his jaw is popping every two seconds. 

“Joel,” you deadpan. 

He looks at you. “Yeah baby?” 

“Why are you still so tense?” 

His shoulders slump. “Fuck,” He tosses his head back against the headrest, gripping the steering wheel tightly. He’s silent for several beats, and you’re about to speak again before he sits straight up. “Fuckin’ can’t stand it when people look at you like that. Let alone speak to you or about you in a fuckin’ vile way. Nobody disrespects my woman like that. Ever.” 

Your eyebrows shoot up at his words. “Joel are you…?”

He barely meets your eyes. “No.” 

You roll your lips into your mouth and weigh your next words. 

“Baby, look at me,” you tell him, and he slowly looks up at you. His brow is harsh and he’s frowning, but you still smile at him and cup his cheek in your hand. You lean in close to him, looking him straight in the eyes. 

“Joel Miller, I promise you there is nobody in this world that compares to you. You’re my one and only. The only person who has my attention is you. And what you did for me today,” you pause, leaning your forehead against his. “Nobody has ever stood up for me like that in any relationship I’ve been in. So thank you, baby. So much. I love you.” 

He shakes his head. “Standing up for you should be a given. I swear t’god I’ll beat the shit out of any motherfucker that disrespects you ever again.”  

“Easy there, cowboy,” you start with a grin, trying to get his mind off of that. “C’mon, help me with the groceries and I can run you a bath or something to help relax your muscles.” 

He’s quiet for a beat, but nods in agreement before you both get out of the truck and bring in all of the groceries. You’re almost done putting away the last bag in the fridge when Joel’s broad body crowds yours from behind. 

He yanks your hips back, pressing his front against your backside. You gasp as the fridge snaps closed, and his lips are at your neck as he’s kissing, biting and licking. Your head lolls back, and Joel’s hand moves down your torso and travels down down down until it’s underneath the hem of your dress. 

“Joel,” you whisper, nearly melting in his arms as he starts to rub your pussy through your underwear. 

He clicks his tongue against the roof of his mouth in mockery, shaking his head. “So fuckin’ wet. How long you been walkin’ around like this?” 

He continues his ministrations, circling your clit with his middle finger. A shiver runs down your spine as his touch becomes feather-light, and you bite your lip to hold back a whine. 

“Tell me,” he growls. 

“Fuck, since you called me your wife.” 

“Yeah? You liked that, huh?” 

You nod. 

“Mm. Now just imagine if it was the real thing,” he murmurs, voice dangerously low. He continues to circle your clit, and it has you squirming at this point. 

“Can just imagine us in our house at the ranch, christening every goddamn surface that place has to offer. You moanin’ my name, weddin’ ring catchin’ in the sunlight. Perfect pussy takin’ my cock like she’s made for it. No one around for miles so we can be as loud as we want.” 

He moves your underwear to the side now, middle finger moving through your slick slit with ease. He brings his finger to his mouth, sucking on it diligently. 

“Yeah, I don’t think the Adlers would approve of such heinous noises and activities ensuing in the Miller household,” you say with a laugh. Joel softly chuckles and kisses your neck again. 

“Hop up on the counter for me.” 

You freeze. “Wh-what?” 

“You heard me. Get. On. The counter.” 

His voice is dangerously low once again, and you know better than to have him repeat himself again. You do as you’re told, hopping up onto the counter behind Joel. 

His large hands cup your knees and he spreads your legs to slot his body between them. You look up at him, breath ragged as you wait for his next move. He grabs the back of your neck gently, tilting your head up to him. His other hand travels between your legs again, resuming rubbing your clit. 

You suck in a sharp breath as your eyes flutter closed, and Joel moves your underwear to the side once again to coat his fingers in your slick. Your eyebrows furrow as you lean back, both arms behind you to support yourself. 

Before you can even process what’s happening, Joel yanks the skimpy fabric away from your body before stuffing it in his back pocket. He lands on his knees, fingers digging into your flesh as he grips your thighs and yanks them apart. He tosses your legs over his shoulder after moving your ass close to the edge of the counter, and his mouth is on you with no hesitation or remorse. 

He eats you like a man starved, licking and sucking with such fervor. You gasp and cry his name, pants blending into moans as you reach down and thread your fingers through his thick head of curls. It really doesn’t take much for him to get you to finish. He knows exactly what makes you tick, what you like and don’t like, and how to get you to orgasm in record fucking time. 

You toss your head back, his writhing against his mouth. He hums against you, chuckling at your reaction to his skillful tongue. You’re hurtling over the edge, legs shaking as you cum. 

“Joel, Jesus fucking Christ,” you cry, and he separates his mouth from your pussy for a brief moment as he looks into your eyes—a look so wild an untamable. 

“This pussy is mine, you hear me? You’re mine. Ain’t nobody gonna ever fuckin’ get in between us,” he growls, kissing the apex of your inner thigh. 

“Tell me,” he says. 

Dazed and confused, you look down at him with a furrowed brow. 

“Tell me you’re mine. I need t’fuckin’ hear it, baby. Tell me.” 

He stands up to full height now, easily unbuckling his belt before undoing the button and zipper of his jeans. You reach down to yank his pants from his waist until they’re beneath his ass, and you wrap your legs around him to pull him closer. His clothed erection rubs deliciously against your sensitive core, and you both moan at the feeling. 

You cup the back of his neck, bringing him down to you for a passionate kiss. You’re panting when you pull apart, but you keep him close. 

“I’m all yours, Joel. Forever. Nobody will ever love me the way you do.” 

“You have no fuckin’ idea what you do to me, darlin’.” He leans his forehead against yours as he slips his boxers down, erection springing free. You reach down to pump him a couple of times, and he inhales sharply before he presses a kiss to your forehead. He leans back, taking his cock in his hand before swiping his head through your slick folds. You bite your lip and peek up at him, looking him in the eye as he pushes into you. 

“Fucking love your cock,” you murmur, satiated in pure want and desire. 

“Fuck, yeah, you do,” he grunts, reaching the hilt. 

Your jaw goes slack and your eyes flutter shut for a moment, but Joel gently grabs your throat. 

“Uh uh, keep those pretty eyes on me baby. Wanna see you when I fuck you like you deserve.” 

Your pussy flutters at his words, and he looks at you with a glint in his eye and a smug fucking smirk. 

You nudge his shoulder gently. “Wipe that look off your face, Miller.” 

“Nah. I don’t think I will,” he says, sliding out of you before slamming back in. You cry out in pleasure, wrapping your legs around his waist as he repeats this motion a few more times before finally fucking you at a pace that makes you breathless. He rocks his body up so his cock hits your g-spot perfectly every time, and you know you’re absolutely done for. 

Your resolve crumbled the moment his lips met your neck not even twenty minutes ago, and your mind is nowhere near Earth right now. You’re in a pure state of bliss as this devastatingly beautiful man fucks you like nobody else ever has. 

Your legs are shaking once again as you try your hardest to keep your eyes on him, nothing but panting and skin slapping against skin being heard through the house. 

You really can’t think of any words right now to spew out like you usually do, to tell him how good he feels inside you or whispering praises you know he secretly loves to hear. 

You thank the fucking universe you’re alone right now, because the way that burning heat rips through your body once again is otherworldly. You clamp your eyes shut and toss your head back, screaming Joel’s name as he makes you cum again. 

“There you go, that’s it,” he praises. “Atta girl. Feel so fuckin’ good squeezin’ me like that, baby, fuck.” 

You whimper at his words before reaching down to circle your already overstimulated clit, determined to prolong your orgasm while hoping to trigger his. 

“Oh fuck,” you moan, feeling Joel pulse inside you. 

“God—fuck—I’m gonna fuckin’—”

You clamp down on him one last time. “Give it to me, Joel.” 

“Jesus fuck, woman,” he moans, hips faltering at your words as he spills everything he has in you. 

You breathlessly laugh as you bury your face into his neck, kissing his sweaty skin. You give his neck a small nibble before kissing the spot again, raking your hands through his hair in the comforting way he likes. 

“You’re incredible, you know that?” He whispers, and you smile into his skin. 

“I’m only reciprocating what I receive, Mr. Miller,” you say. 

He chuckles and slowly pulls out of you, both of you groaning at the loss of contact. He pulls up his boxers and pants, fastening everything correctly before looking at you with that glint of mischief again. He takes his thumb and swipes it through your overly-sensitive folds, collecting some of his spend. Your body jerks at the feeling.

He brings his thumb up to your lips and pops it into your mouth, and you suck on it while you bat your lashes up at him. 

“Christ. The woman that you are,” he murmurs, bringing you in for a sweet kiss before he helps you off the counter. 

You stand on slightly shaky legs, walking over to the cupboard nearest to you to pull out Clorox wipes. 

Joel eyes you as you pull a couple out of the container. 

“What are you doin’?” He asks, leaning against the wall. 

“Wiping down the counter. People eat in this kitchen, Joel.” You quirk a brow at him, and he cracks a smile as he takes a wipe from your hand and helps you sanitize the counter. 

“And did I not just eat in this kitchen?” He asks, and your face heats as you look at him nearly horrified. 

“Joel!” 

He tosses his head back with a hearty laugh, and you groan as you shoulder past him after throwing away the wipes. He makes his way behind you and gives your ass a love tap. 

“Now c’mon baby, let’s freshen up. I wanna take you to the ranch real quick.” 

“What about Sarah’s party food?” 

“I promise we’ll get it done later. We can recruit Maria and Tommy to help, too.” 

You nod, following him upstairs to freshen up before changing into another pretty dress Joel had picked out for you. You don’t think much of it; though the sun is about to set, it’s still hot outside. 

You sit in a comfortable silence as Joel drives you both to the ranch, soft tunes playing throughout the cab of the air conditioned truck. His truck eventually comes to a slow stop over the gravel. 

He opens the door for you and takes your hand, intertwining your hands together as he leads you toward the creek. You see string lights strewn across the tree where you sat with him not too long ago as he fully opened up to you and gave you his whole heart. 

As you near the tree, you can see the lights twinkling softly on the creek that reflects the pink, purple, and orange hues of the sky. It’s picturesque, and the sight nearly takes your breath away. 

You’re almost in a daze as you stand under the tree admiring the calm water, until you hear a soft thump behind you. You turn to peek back at Joel, gasping when you realize he’s on one knee. 

You whip your body around to face him, and you start to tear up at the sight of the love of your life with a small velvet box in his hand, inhaling on a shaky breath. 

He clears his throat before he starts. “Darlin’,” he says, rolling his shoulders back as he looks you in the eyes. 

“To say I’m a lucky man to have found love when I was practically hopeless is an understatement. You’ve shown me what true, unconditional love looks like, and I thank the lucky stars every damn day that it’s you who was in the coffee shop that day. That slightly shy, yet bold, beautiful woman that took one look at me and decided that she’d give me a chance. And then you changed my whole world. Stuck by my side when things got ugly, and never gave up on me. Continued to show me that unconditional love and support. Love me for me; scars, trauma and all without even a second doubt. I truly, simply cannot live the rest of my life without you, baby. You’re my one and only, and I’ll spend every second of the rest of our lives provin’ myself to you and showin’ you the love you deserve ten times over.” 

You sink to your knees in front of him, gripping his face as you rub your nose gently against his. 

“Joel,” is all you can say. He’s rendered you speechless, and tears slip from your eyes as you pull him close to you. 

“You’re the love of my life, baby. I wanna spend forever with you. Will you do me the honor of becomin’ my wife?” 

You squeeze your eyes shut as you let out a sob, pulling him against you as you both stand on your knees. You slot your lips with his and kiss him with such fervor and passion as the whole world seems to melt around you. 

“I’d love to become your wife, Joel. Spend the rest of my life with you. Of course I’ll marry you.” 

He smiles against your lips as he shakily slides the ring onto your finger, and you kiss him one more time before you pull apart from him to look down at the ring. 

Shining right back at you was your dream ring that you’d described to him; each detail more intricate than the last, down to the setting of the stone. Your mouth pops open in awe as you stare at it before your eyes flick back up to the man before you. 

The look of certainty in his eyes solidifies that he’s so willing and ready to share his future with you. That you both get this version of each other for the rest of your lives.

Because that’s just the thing: you can’t imagine your future without him in it. You never want to. 

Life without Joel is simply impossible.  

In that moment, it’s just you and him as you sob happily against him, knowing how much patience and strength it took you both to get to this moment. 

Two lost souls who weren’t really expecting anything from the world had fatefully tied together on that warm summer day; where the scent of coffee wafted through the air, a number was scribbled down on a napkin, and a chance encounter had changed both of their lives forever.

taglist: @raspberrybesitos ; @nostalxgic ; @punkshort ; @clawdee

@pascalpvnk ; @bensonispunk ; @merz-8 ; @darkblue-tennesseee ; @typewriter83

@lizzie-cakes ; @sawymredfox ; @keylimebeag ; @nandan11 ; @pedropascalsbbg

@pimosworld ; @yxtkiwiyxt ; @anoverwhelmingdin ; @kikaaauu ; @buckyispunk

@untamedheart81 ; @picketniffler ; @paleidiot ; @survivingandenduring

@party-hearses ; @harriedandharassed ; @brittmb115 ; @sunnytuliptime

@frodofreakingbaggins ; @aceaubrianna ; @tangled-tumbler-blog-blog ; @bunniboo0015 ; @aerihina

@pedritospunk ; @ro-nahime-things ; @ananonymousaffair ; @just-mj-or-not ; @melsunshine

@wayward-dreamer

If you would like to be added or removed from the tag list, please let me know.

-

divider by @saradika-graphics

[honeyedmiller]

work is stressing me tf out rn dude. i need a fkn edible or something before i crash out 😭

[honeyedmiller]

GUYSSSSS 😭