Pam collapsed face-down on the bed and groaned out of exhaustion. She and Jim had just spent the entire day hauling boxes and furniture out of their apartments and into their new house, and although there was still a lot of unpacking and rearranging left to do, at least everything was in the house.

            Pam was experiencing soreness in muscles she didn’t know existed. Her arms were heavy, her shoulders were tight, and as much as she had smiled and rolled her eyes at Jim’s constant reminder to “lift with her legs,” she felt a tiny twinge in her lower back every time she turned.

            Jim gently nudged her leg with his foot. “Hey. We did it. We got everything in the house.” She grunted in reply. He smirked and nudged her again. “How ya doing?”

            “I’m exhausted,” she mumbled into the pillow. “I lifted so much stuff today.”

            “Mmmhmm,” Jim said. “Like that box of towels.”

            She giggled and propped herself up on her forearms. “Come on, I’m not talking about that. I’m talking about that crate of books that I decided I was capable of carrying myself, and those big, clunky shelves that no matter how you hold them, you feel like you’re going to drop them.”

            “Is this a bad time to tell you that I actually wanted those downstairs?”

            “Ha. I’m not moving those again. They’re staying up here.”

Pam had agreed to move into the master bedroom after seeing how nice the bathroom was. It had two sinks and a separate tub and shower. Plus there was space in the bedroom for a vanity, something that Pam had always wanted. She had painted the walls last weekend and it had begun to feel more like her own space, although both she and Jim conceded that it was still a little weird to sleep in his parents’ old bedroom.

But the more time she spent in the house, the more she grew to like it. She had been to his parents’ house plenty of times before for Christmas parties and summer barbecues and other family gatherings, and she didn’t think too much about the place. It was just Jim’s parents’ house. The home of her future in-laws. But when the living room had been stripped of the shag carpet and the kitchen cabinets had been replaced and her loveseat had found its home in the den, all she could think about was how excited she was to begin her life with Jim.

Furthermore, all the bedrooms were upstairs, which was a feature Pam really appreciated. She liked the idea of having kids’ bedrooms on the same floor as the master. Not that they were ready for a baby just yet, but moving in made her feel more excited about the prospects of a family than ever.

She adjusted her stiff body on the bed, trying to find a comfortable position. Then she felt Jim’s big, warm hands on her shoulders, his thumbs massaging the sore muscles through her T-shirt.

“Mmmm,” she sighed, feeling the tension evaporate from her body. “That feels really good.”

After a few minutes at her shoulders, he slid his hands down her upper arms, maintaining the same gentle pressure. Pam purred softly into her pillow as Jim worked his magic on her.

“You’re really good at this,” she squeaked as he reached the small of her back, the warmth from his palm and fingers immediately soothing the stiffness. “I should lift with my back all the time.”

“It’s really not good for you,” Jim said, a smile tugging at his lips.

Pam turned her head to meet his eyes. “Isn’t that a shame,” she murmured, straightening up to a sitting position. She put her hand on his chest and brought her mouth to his. She brushed her tongue against his lip, and he invited her in, his hands settling around her hips.

After a few minutes, he coaxed off her T-shirt and kissed the tops of her breasts, making his way down her abdomen and gently pushing her into the pillows. He paused to kiss just under her ribs, and she smiled as she remembered why he stopped there. Early that morning, they had moved Jim’s king size bed from his apartment, and they needed to fold the mattress using a bungee cord. They had underestimated the length they would need, and the cord snapped, the metal end hitting Pam in the stomach as it broke.

“Oh my God, I’m so sorry!” Jim had exclaimed, rushing over to her and quickly pulling her into his arms, his face overtaken with a look of pure guilt.

“Sweetie, I’m fine,” she assured him, slightly amused. “It hurt for like, two seconds.”

“Are you sure?” He lifted the hem of her shirt. “I hope it doesn’t leave a bruise. God, I’m so sorry.”

“Jim, I promise I’m okay. And it was not your fault, at all.” She smiled up at him and stroked the back of his neck. “You can kiss me anyway, though.”

And now, some fourteen hours later, they were lying together on that same mattress, Jim kissing the small pink mark on her stomach. Jim briefly allowed himself to imagine how gorgeous Pam would be while pregnant, and his protective instincts suddenly rivaled his desire to bury himself inside her and hear her moan in pleasure. He settled for possessively covering her body with his. She felt her heart swell as he sprinkled kisses on her nose and lips and cheeks, feeling blissfully enclosed in his arms.

“I love you so much,” he whispered softly. He gently kissed her neck, just below the ear. “My sweet, darling girl, you’re so gorgeous. I love you.”

Pam wrapped her arms around him, holding him close to her. She knew she didn’t need to say much back. When they first started dating, she would feel somewhat guilty when Jim would say all these amazing things to her, making her feel so precious and beautiful, and she could only come up with an “I love you, too.” But as their relationship grew stronger, she came to realize that she didn’t need to feel bad. He knew just how much she loved him, how safe and warm and wonderful she felt when he held her, how much he made her life better.

She felt a gentle ache in her core, and she moaned quietly when she felt his hardness against her thigh. It was still amazing to her how he could be so sweet and caring one minute, and then make her want to swallow him whole the next minute.

She smirked against his lips. “Take off your clothes,” she murmured darkly. Not needing to be told twice, Jim quickly obliged, pausing occasionally to move his lips over her hot skin and make her melt into him. With his arms tightly around her waist, he kissed his way down her neck, then taking her bare breast into his mouth as he spread his hands on her back. He felt her nipple harden in between his lips, and he grew impossibly harder when he heard her shallow, breathy sighs. He lavished the same attention on her other breast, and her sighs turned into soft moans. Clad only in her panties, she moved her hips against him, keenly aware of the increasing wetness between her legs that was surely noticeable through the thin layer of silk.

Jim moved further down her body, leading the way with his mouth. Pam raised her hips so Jim could slip off her panties, and then he followed suit, quickly pulling off his boxers before fusing his mouth with hers and resting his hand on her inner thigh. Her legs opened at his touch, and he moved his hand up, placing it over her center. “God, Pam, you’re so amazing,” he groaned, feeling her damp heat. He slowly inserted two long fingers inside her, using his thumb to massage her clit. He took her breast in his mouth again, gently suckling as he pumped.

“Ohhhh,” Pam sighed. “Oh my God, Jim, that--ohhhh…” She felt a surge of warm pleasure overtake her, covering every square inch of her body. The feeling of his hot tongue and rough stubble on her breast was intoxicating, and his fingers worked skillfully between her folds, turning her into pure liquid. He lightly bit her nipple, and she gasped and bucked her hips involuntarily. “Jim,” she panted, “I want you. Now. Please.” She whimpered the last word under her breath, begging him to join her.

He planted a final kiss on her breast before positioning himself between her legs. They sighed in unison as he slid inside her, filling her so, so completely. She felt so damn good around him, and he came to a full stop inside her until he heard her quiet whimpers in the back of her throat. He began to slowly thrust in and out of her, and within seconds, he was hitting right where she wanted him, deep and full and absolutely perfect.

Pam laced her hands on the back of Jim’s neck, urging him down to her. He rested on top of her, bringing their bodies completely flush, their lips melded together, their chests pressed against each other in the most perfect way, her legs tightly intertwined with his. Their hips rolled together in slow, steady waves. On and on they went, kissing and touching and murmuring their love for one another.

He broke from her lips to nuzzle her neck, moving his lips along the slope of her shoulder before settling just behind her ear. He flicked his tongue on her earlobe, and she groaned quietly. “Oh, God, I’m right there,” she whined. She dug her toes into his calves, and he could feel her walls constricting around him.

“I’m right behind you,” he growled softly. “Come for me.”

That was all Pam needed to send her over the edge, and she came apart, quietly moaning his name. The feeling of her around him and the gorgeous sight of her climax brought his own undoing, and he followed her into oblivion, exploding inside her as she milked every drop.

Their moans gradually subsided into heavy breathing, and they held each other closely, still connected. Jim affectionately swept stray curls off her face, and they laughed breathlessly together, giving each other gentle kisses as they recovered.

He carefully eased out of her and lay on his side, pulling her to face him. His arm settled in the gentle dip of her waist, his hand spread on her back, pressing her close to his chest.

Pam brought her hand to his face, running her thumb along his stubble. “I love you so much,” she breathed. “I can’t wait to spend the rest of my life with you.”

Jim smiled sweetly at her. “I know. Me too,” he whispered back. He nestled against her cheek, softly kissing it. She sighed contentedly and relaxed into him, soothed by his heartbeat.

“This is our house,” she said after a few minutes, her face breaking into a huge smile.

He laughed softly. “Yeah!” he said, lightly squeezing her waist. “This is our house.”

“Our house,” she sang, “In the middle of--”

“Oh my God, no, you did not just sing that,” groaned Jim. “I’m never going to get that out of my head now.”

She giggled and ran her fingers across his chest, then sighed and looked him in his eyes. “Thank you,” she said, more seriously.

“Yeah. Of course.” He tucked a strand of hair behind her ear. “I love you.”

“I love you,” Pam murmured back. She kissed him soundly before pulling the covers around them and curling up against his side.

Jim reached over and turned out the light, then took her in his arms again. They peacefully fell asleep, hopeful and excited about their lives unfolding together.