Sean

I waited in the dark, my back pressed against the bark of the willow tree.

For a week, I’d planned this surprise, and since I was leaving for Los Angeles in the morning, this was my last chance.

The front door creaked open, and then Anna’s bare feet pattered on the flagstone pavement. The moon cast just enough light to glimpse the sheen of her peach nightgown. I licked my lips. I fucking loved that nightgown. The feel of it, whisper soft against my skin when she slept spooned in my arms.

Anna slipped inside the gate. “Sean, are you out here?” She knew I was. I’d left her a note. But when I didn’t answer, she hissed, “Great, I’m probably going to get eaten wandering around out here in the dark.”

That was an invitation I couldn’t pass up, so I moved toward her voice, my feet sinking into the dew-covered grass.

“You’re going to get eaten, all right.” I banded my arms around her waist. “That’s a promise.”

Anna yelped, but I captured her mouth, stifling the little cry as I lifted her off her feet. She responded with her usual fervor, wrapping her legs around my hips.

We were still working through our issues, but this we always had. Her body spoke the words she wouldn’t say out loud.

Sucking her bottom lip between my teeth, a hint of the wine we had for dinner lingered on her soft flesh. “Fuck, you taste good.”

Carrying her to the base of the tree, I dropped to my knees when I felt the wool blanket under my feet.

As I laid Anna down on her back, her eyes widened. “Oh, God. Look at the stars.”

“Uh, huh.”

At the moment, the stars were the last thing on my mind. Anna’s silk nightgown slid under my palms as I explored her body. Growling when I reached the curve of her ass, I said, “You’re not wearing anything underneath this.” Her nipples strained the sheer lace bodice as I cupped her breast. “Damn. You’re killing me.”

I thought about taking her right here. Right now. Quick and dirty the way she liked it sometimes. But I spent half the day keeping her in the house to bring this plan to fruition.

“I have a surprise for you. And I really want to blindfold you so I can reveal it.” Kissing my way to her nipple, I flicked my tongue against the sheer fabric. “But if I do that, chances are the surprise would have to wait.”

Anna arched, offering her perfect tits. “I can wait,” she panted. “I’m good with waiting.”

Scoring my teeth across the taut peak, I bit down, and she jerked.

“Patience.” Rising to my knees, I pulled her upright. She pouted at me, so I kissed her nose. “Close your eyes.”

Anna’s hand found its way under my shirt. “It’s already dark,” she huffed when I caught her wrist.

“It won’t be.” I kissed her palm. “Trust me.”

Trust me. Please trust me.

It was a mantra I practiced daily, hoping Anna would hear me. Tonight, I got my wish. Her fingers locked with mine, and when I stood up, she followed suit.

“Don’t move,” I ordered as I reached behind us to locate the two flutes of champagne and the bucket with the bottle.

Anna snickered, and I had to laugh too. We were more of a Pale Ale couple. Maybe I should have brought a six-pack and called it good instead of the expensive as fuck Cristal.

Too late now.

Pressing the glass into her hand, I whispered, “Are you ready?”

“I guess.” A nervous bubble of laughter tripped from her lips. “But—”

Anna’s thought ended with a sharp inhalation of breath when I flicked the switch on the remote, illumining the two spotlights pointed at the tree.

I kissed her softly. “Open your eyes, baby.”

Smiling against my lips, Anna slid her hand into my hair, seeking my tongue. I allowed her to explore my mouth for a moment before breaking away. The pout was back as I turned her toward her surprise.

Anna blinked several times, staring at the rustic swing. It wasn’t much, I guess, just a few ropes hanging from a willow tree in a meadow. But the carpenter used teak wood for the seat, and even from our short distance, the words carved into the beveled edge were visible: Anna-baby.

The white ribbon twining the rope and the large bows on the sides of the seat wouldn’t survive the first storm, but right now the scene looked like something out of a picture book. A fairy tale. Our fairy tale, the one I’d promised her.

Anna spilled champagne as she shuffled to the swing. The twin spotlights outlined every curve of her body as she ran her fingers down the coarse rope to the bows. She knelt in the worn grass, trampled from the five sets of work boots it took to hang the swing with little notice.

A quiet sob pierced the night air as Anna traced the inscription on the seat.

Sinking on the ground behind her, I wrapped her in a tight hug. “You don’t like it?”

She nodded, sniffing. “I love it.”

This would’ve been the perfect time to give Anna the two-karat solitaire in my safe that I’d purchased with my first royalty check. But I wanted to show her in a thousand ways how much I wanted her here, in this house. And later, when she got used to the idea, I’d give her the rock.

“I love you, Anna-baby.”

We stayed like that for a long time, sipping champagne that I wished was beer, but, oh well.

Then she settled in the crook of my arm and looked up at me. I tensed when her finger ran the length of the fading bruise on my neck. “When were you going to tell me about your fight with Logan?”

Something akin to anger, or maybe jealousy rolled through me.

“How do you know about that?” I tilted Anna’s chin to look into her eyes. “Your pen pal send you a little note?”

She shook her head, cupping my cheek. “Of course not. I talked to Lily. Everyone’s wondering what happened, and you didn’t even tell me about it.”

“You talked to Lily?”

Shifting, she created a small distance. “Yes. Is that a problem? She dropped by when you were at practice to see Willow. I guess I forgot to tell you.”

“It’s not a problem.” I blew out a breath, still unwilling to give her any details about Logan. “It was just a disagreement like I said. No big deal.”

Anna’s sigh told me she knew differently. “It seems like a big deal.”

A gentle breeze brought the swing to life. “You can ask him yourself if you want. I’m flying out tomorrow, and you can come with me. I’ll even let you sit next to him on the plane.” Shadows crept across her face, and I sighed. “I’ve got to work, baby. But I want you and Willow with me.”

Anna bit her lip. “What’s going on with the tour? When do you leave?”

“We,” I corrected. “And I don’t have any details yet.”

Given our history, my ultimatum, I should’ve held back. But the thought of spending a year on the road without Anna and Willow caused a pit to form in my stomach. And it grew every day.

Anna’s lips brushed the hollow of my neck. “I thought you wanted to show me your rhythm?”

She was distracting me. And worse, it was working.

Fisting her hair, I looked down into her hooded eyes. “It’s not my rhythm . . . it’s yours.”

Lithe fingers traced the stubble on my jaw. “I told you. I don’t have any rhythm.”

I hauled to my feet, and then took Anna’s hand to pull her up. “Come on. I’ll teach you about your rhythm.”

Easing onto the blanket, I motioned for her to join me. She did, stretching on her side to face me with a smug smile that I planned to kiss right off.

Propping my head on my palm, I looked into her eyes as I fingered the hem of her gown. Sliding my hand underneath the silky fabric, I skimmed her smooth skin as I moved north to cup her ass. She curled into me, her hips rocking slightly as I caressed the firm globe.

When I slipped my leg between hers, she increased the movement, craving the friction. Through the denim, I could feel her warmth beckoning me. Before I forgot all about the lesson, or anything but her sweet pussy, I thrummed my fingers against her thigh, matching her rhythm as she flexed against me.

Anna was all breathy moans and soft whispers. Needy, just the way I liked her.

Pressing a kiss to her mouth, I pulled her flush against me, so our rocking was in sync. “There’s your beat.”

“I don’t hear anything,” she breathed, adding depth to her tune.

Sliding my hand between her legs, I parted her slick folds, and this time I didn’t stop. “Don’t listen, baby. Feel.”