With my truck in park, I sit idling in front of his house, wondering how the hell I let things get this far, if we can ever go back, and even worse, if I’m too late. If she’s realized who else has been in front of her all this time.

“Fuck!” I hit the steering wheel, dropping my forehead to rest on the grip.

“You’re not my type.”

I jerk upright at the intrusive voice, finding a smirking Parker poking his blond ass head in my passenger window, scowling when I realize what his comment was.

He laughs goodheartedly, holding his palms up for a moment before leaning into the truck window. “Too soon?”

I scoff, facing forward. “Yeah, man. Too fucking soon.”

I look back at Parker, and see the duffle bag around his shoulders. Glancing at his truck, I notice the few garbage bags and boxes in the back.

He follows my line of sight, and bobs his head, looking back at me.

“California?”

“Oceanside, to be exact.” He studies me for a few moments, looking me over, before landing on mine. Waiting for the only question he knows I’m dying to ask. So I do.

“How is she?” My chest tightens, anticipating his response.

Aggression, judgment, confusion, and years of friendship pass through his eyes, but ever the golden boy, he settles on relief, and understanding.

“Damn, man.” Parker drops his bag, pulls the door open, and jumps into my passenger seat, throwing his head back against the headrest. “She’s fucked up. Pretending she ain’t ’cause I’m-” he winces. “’Cause no one’s around. These last few weeks though, something’s shifted in her tone. Still sad, but…something else, too, that I can’t quite put my finger on.” He looks over at me. “She won’t say it. She won’t lie, so I haven’t flat out asked her. Don’t want to force her to talk about it when I know she’s not ready.” His eyes don’t narrow. They stay focused, clear.

Message received: She doesn’t lie if you give her the chance to tell the truth.

I’m a fucking idiot.

“I can hear it in her voice, Nate. She’s miserable.” He looks away, not willing to show me the pain the thought causes him.

“Why didn’t you say something to me, man?”

He gives me a sharp look. “She’s better than that. Deserves someone who realizes it on their own. Not someone who has to be reminded or convinced.”

I know he’s right.

He laughs lightly, like a weight’s been lifted. “I’m glad you’re sitting here right now, though.” He looks at me and an understanding passes between us.

He cares about Kalani. He’d protect her from anything he could. Even me.

“You didn’t sleep with Liv that night, did you?”

“Nah, man.” I drop my head against the seat. “I never touched her. Never even considered it. I didn’t even know she was still in my room, let alone fucking naked, until I walked out of the bathroom to answer the door. Then, when I saw her lying on the bed, I…used it to hurt Kalani. To try and make her feel a fraction of what I was feeling. It was so fucked up, dude.” I groan.

“Real fucked up,” he agrees.

I explain that night in Mexico, and the mind games from Liv that led to it. I tell him about Ashley and Jarrod, and the recordings.

I pour my fucking heart out to the guy in love with my girl.

“Damn.”

“Yeah.”

The silence stretches longer than it should. Blowing out a breath, I turn to my friend. “I need to go to her, Parker. Talk to her, if only to say I’m sorry.”

He stares at me for a few seconds, then steps out of the truck. “You’re right. You do.” He grabs his bag off the ground, turning back to me. His eyes give nothing away, but I know this isn’t easy on him. If he helps me, he knows what that means for him. But again, he’d never do wrong by her, especially for personal gain. “She’s perfect, you know that, right? You know she deserves so much more than the shit she’s been dished?”

I nod. “I know. Trust me, Parker. Please.”

He casts his eyes to the side for a moment, before bringing them back to me. “Can you be ready in an hour?”

My body tenses. “Don’t fuck with me, dude,” I plead.

He grins, but his eyes are sad. “Nate. I’ve been waiting for you to get out of your own head for weeks.” He looks me in the eye, all joking aside. “I’m about to lock up. I’ll meet you at your house. Then, we’re headed west.” He smacks the roof and walks off, as a thought pops in my head.

“Hey!” I lean forward, shouting out the open window. “Can you help me with something?”

He nods, not needing to know what before agreeing, and disappears into his house.

Calling my dad, I tell him my plan and ask him a favor, then toss my phone in the middle console.

Within an hour, Parker and I are on the road.

“Get your speech ready now, Monroe.” He turns up the radio and leans back. “It’s a long ass drive, but that shit might take some rehearsal time.” He cuts me a grin, quickly focusing back on the highway.

This is it, my Hail Mary.

I’m going to California.

“Shit.”

Checking my phone for the hundredth time in the past hour, I sigh when I see a blank screen. Still no text from Parker. He was supposed to let me know when he hit I-5, so I could plan ahead and be home by the time he got there, since the distance between the stadium and the beach house I purchased is a good forty minutes.

Now I’m not cookin’ him shit.

“Whatcha huffin’ and puffin’ about over there, young one?”

Pausing the submission video, I turn to my CEO, aka my grandpa’s oldest friend. “Just ready to see Parker today. I need someone to compare stats with, since you’re goin’ senile and all,” I tease, offering him an overly exaggerated smile.

Last year, when I sat down with Mr. Marshall, he let me know he was too old, and too tired, to keep going any longer. Running the headlining sports photography company will do that to a man. Not to mention his standing in for me as the co-owner of a professional football team.

He nearly had a stroke when I told him I named my best friend, an eighteen-year-old high school senior – graduate, as of three days ago - his successor. But like he said; he’s old, tired, and his wife wants him home.

He’s never complained though, and the omission weighed heavy on his heart.

Mr. Marshall’s round belly bounces, his laugh lines on full display. “You’re a spittin’ image of your mama.”

I shrug, sinking behind my coffee cup, and press play on another highlight reel.

“You planning on watching all of those?” He motions to the box of sealed yellow envelopes sitting on the ground by my feet.

“It’s only fair.”

He nods proudly. “You’re all heart. Just like your grandpa was.”

I bite the inside of my cheek to keep in an irritated sigh in.

This sort of thing happens a lot. He never did it before, and while he means no harm, just the sentiment of an aged man, I’m not sure I like it. But the very day I decided to get to work, to get myself acquainted with what will be the rest of my life, he started making some sort of connection between me and my family on a regular basis.

I asked him about it once, in a moment of panic, and he said the second I walked through the door, he knew I was much lighter. He said my eyes no longer carried the weight of the ocean, but the breeze in the sky.

I’m not quite sure that’s true.

I feel heavy.

Being here, at home, at the company, and on the field; it’s a lot to take in. A lot to process when you’ve denied yourself the thoughts for so long.

Truth is, it fucking sucks.

I’m trying my hardest to push back the memories, but this entire place is full of nostalgia, and I can’t shut it down. It won’t work. The feelings, they won’t go away, won’t lessen, or give my mind a break. I run and run, and I still can’t escape myself.

He opened me up to the good, the bad, the ugly. Gave me no choice in learning the great, all-consuming, soul-binding warmth I never knew existed. Never wanted.

Nate opened up every piece of me, forcing me to feel every single nerve in my body. Every beat in my heart.

And now I can’t forget it. Can’t turn it off.

I’ve got blisters on my feet and a hole in my heart. The only thing that helps in the slightest is pouring myself into other young and hopefuls while I wait. Dare I say, hope.

I shove some envelopes in my bag and shuffle toward the door. “I’ll call you later, Al. Have fun with those.”

I hear a deep laugh and a mumbled “Brat” on my way out.

Once in my car, I pull my phone from my pocket, and see a text from Parker, saying he’s in town.

Smiling, I let him know I’ll meet him at home.

It takes me forty-seven minutes to get to the beach house from the facility, so by the time I’m rounding the corner, Parker’s truck is already sitting in the driveway.

I park hastily behind it, squealing as I rush out, nearly getting strangled by the seatbelt in the process. Running around the front, I find my blue-eyed best friend smiling at me. He holds his arms out and I jump into them.

He swings me around, squeezing me tight, and a chuckled sob breaks from my chest, causing him to squeeze me tighter.

“Ugh.” I laugh lightly, pulling back to wipe at my stupid eyes. “It’s like, once the floodgates are opened, there’s no stopping ‘em.” I smile through my slight discomfort.

Parker’s chest inflates with a deep breath, and he nods, reaching up to run his knuckles over my cheek. His sky-blue eyes roam my features, too many emotions to name flashing across his face. “That’s a good thing, Lolli Bear.” He smiles. “I missed you.”

I grin, going in for another hug. “I’ve missed you, too, Hero. So much.”

“You look even tinier, if that’s possible.”

I shrug, pulling back. “Yeah, I’ve been runnin’ a bit more than normal, I guess.” When his brows pinch, I continue, “That’s one of the reasons I got this place. There are always people running up and down the shore line, no matter what time of day it is.”

He nods.

I smile and shove his shoulder. “Stop it. I’m good, and now you’re here, so I’ll be better.”

His eyes cut to the left then back quickly, a nervous air crowding him. “You will be better, Lolli.” When my brows knit, he smiles, but it doesn’t quite meet his eyes. He laughs, shaking his head. “Hey, what did you want to show me?”

A huge smile takes over my face. “Oh man, Parker, it’s amazing.” I walk past him into the house to set my keys down and he follows.

Walking backward, my eyes grow big. “The back patio is small, but a hundred yards each way is ours! It’s the best view this side of the ocean. So open and free.” I sigh, picturing it.

His steps are too slow to follow, so I walk to him, tuck my arm in his, and pull him along.

“It’s so gorgeous,” I push the sliding door open, not bothering to close it behind us. “Right off the porch, there’s a small hillside that dips down into flat, white ocean sand, and get this -lavender! I think the previous owners must have planted it. I’ve been using it on my calves.” We step off the first step and I lose some of my focus. “Um, there’s this huge pergola covered in solar lights that turn on as soon as the sun starts to set over the ocean. I want to put some-” I stop short, halting our footsteps, and look around me.

Parker tenses slightly, but nudges me forward.

My heart rate spikes.

When Parker winces, I look down to see my nails are digging in into his arm.

I stop.

I know this feeling. I recognize it in an instant.

The hairs on the back of my neck stand up, my pulse quickens, and I feel like I just got off a roller coaster. I force my breathing steady and mentally slap myself, commanding my feet to move forward.

Inhaling as much air as my deprived lungs will allow, I hold my breath, take the last step to the edge of the hillside, and my feet give way, my body dropping into the sand.

“Shit, Lolli!”

Right there, under my pergola, is a beautiful, aged white wood, held up by triangular posts on each side, two metal chains hanging from the small beam above it.

Nate’s swing sways in slow, gentle motions, with the help of the soft ocean breeze.

I stand, holding a hand out to stop Parker when he tries to help.

Moisture fills my eyes for the thousandth time since I left, but this time for a very different reason.

I knew he’d come.

Both hope and fear swim through me.

I take hesitant steps closer, eventually making it to the novelty that feels like it holds all the answers.

Biting the inside of my cheek, I reach out and run my fingers over the wood, my throat burning.

“Lolli…”

The soft whisper from behind me has me squeezing my eyes shut, my fingers clutching at the seat.

Warm arms wrap around my stomach, and a soft kiss lands on my temple. “Don’t be scared, Lolli Bear,” he whispers, squeezing me gently.

My body shakes slightly.

Parker sighs, softly spinning me in his arms to look in my eyes.

He’s right; I’m scared, but not quite for the reason he assumes.

“Do you trust me?” He tilts his head, his blue eyes clear and understanding.

I nod.

He smiles, pulling me in for a hug. “I love you, Lolli. Trust me, okay?”

“I do.” The pressure on my chest builds.

“I’m going to take a shower and then take a nap.”

I nod, but grip his shirt tighter. He lets me hold onto to him for a few more moments, then gently pries my fingers off the cotton material and steps back. He gives me a small nod, hesitates for a second, then walks back to the house. I watch him till he’s gone, then turn back to the swing.

I wrap my fingers around the cold medal, closing my eyes as I lower myself into a sitting position.

Tears roll down my cheeks before I can stop them, and I don’t bother to wipe them away.

For the first time in years, I feel like I’m home. Like right here, in this spot, is where I belong.

But now comes the part where I’m forced to face reality, face the scary parts of life head-on, completely unprepared and unaware of how things will go, or what will happen next. All the things I make it a point to avoid.

My problem is, I don’t know where the line of deception and deceit meets loyalty and faithfulness, but I never pretended to know how a relationship worked. With Nate, I learned daily how to be with someone I cared about, but that doesn’t mean I knew how to act in a moment of panic and tested trust. I didn’t know that meant that staying and fighting, demanding to understand, was what I was supposed to do. I was so used to the fallout, I didn’t know reconciliation was even an option. All I knew was bad shit happened and you dealt with it. My newfound emotions got the best of me, so I shut that shit down, made a bad move, and walked away without a fight, without showing him he was worth it. Worth more.

But once the fog cleared, it was so obvious. It didn’t take long for me to put the pieces together. All the stolen glances, the deliberate touches and grins. The faux friendliness and playful banter.

Those fuckers set me up. Set us up.

Sure, we fell for it, but who wouldn’t?

As soon as I stepped foot in the stadium, looked down from the owner’s box at the empty grass, I knew I was caught in a twilight zone of fuckery. I knew none of the things running through my mind were true. There was no way.

Nate would never. The bitch obviously ambushed him in his room, made it seem like the unimaginable to me, and I fell for her illusion.

He may have not given me a chance that night, but I failed him in that moment, just as much as he failed me.

We got caught in the trap they set.

Clever fuckers, they were.

At that point, my only option was to figure out how to fix it. I thought about turning around and going back, but I couldn’t. Not then. Not when it would have been a battle of doubt and betrayal.

First, I had to find out what had actually happened.

That took some serious digging, but after replaying some scenes in my head, I knew who to go to.

I never intended to ruin someone else’s relationship just to save mine, but like I’ve always said, honesty is key. If you’re a lying prick, then you should have to deal with the fallout from it.

Ashley cried when she figured it out. I hated to have to ask her, but I needed to know what they did to Nate. First, she got mad, called me a liar, and stuck up for her man, unlike me. Then she called me crying, apologizing for things she had no control over.

I needed her help. And she came through for me, ready to help me fix it.

I made her promise not to tell a soul. Even if he didn’t come to her, she couldn’t go to him. She didn’t understand; not many people would, I guess. But I needed Nate to be the one to seek answers. I needed him to need me, as senseless as it may seem. Reluctantly, she agreed.

Deep down, I knew he’d make me proud.

The last few months, I’ve survived on the faith I put in a man who thinks I’ve fucked him over in the worst way. Hoping and praying to the football gods that he’d come to me, that he’d find himself so desperate for the truth, that he’d find it. Find me.

Will he hate me when he finds out I knew and didn’t come to him? Will he understand why I waited for him to come to me? Will he even believe that I was waiting for him? Does he know how much my body aches for him to be near?

I can’t begin to imagine what Nate’s been thinking. What he’s been feeling.

Am I as sick as Liv and Jarrod for knowing the truth and doing nothing about it?

The shuffle in the sand may as well be silent. I know he’s standing in front of me. I felt him the moment he approached.

After a deep inhale, I force my lids open, my blue eyes crashing into a pair of dark, roasted espresso ones.

A broken cry escapes before I can stop it.

The face I’ve dreamed about for months is standing right in front of me, looking just as nervous and as unsure as I feel.

Nate takes a small step forward, but when I tense, he freezes, his face tightening around the edges.

In a wrinkled shirt and shorts, with dark circles lining his eyes, he wears a worn-out expression.

“You look like shit,” I whisper.

He chuckles lightly, and like a California wave, the sound rolls through my body and I settle against the seat.

“I haven’t been doing so hot,” he admits, tucking his hands into his pockets, shifting his gaze over my shoulder.

“Oh.”

His eyes lock on mine and I can’t breathe.

“Kalani…” he whispers, and my eyes close. His voice is so low, so gentle and loving.

I feel him moving closer, the warmth of his large body approaching mine. I’m torn between running away or handcuffing myself to him.

His shaky hand closes over mine holding the chain. “Can you please open your eyes?” His breath fans across my face; he must be kneeling. “I need to see those blues, baby.”

Baby.

I don’t know if I’m supposed to correct him on that, but I don’t. I love the way it sounds on his lips, love the way it feels against my skin. Raspy and warm. I think I’m supposed to have anger coursing through me, be mad at him, something, but all my heart is transmitting to my brain is relief.

My body makes the decision, and leans forward. I don’t wrap my arms around him, but I lay my head on his chest, needing to feel his heartbeat against my skin.

He, however, wraps his strong arms around me instantly, enveloping me, squeezing me tight. He takes a staggering breath, dropping his head into my neck as much as the position allows.

A deep gust of air leaves him and his body sags against mine.

“I’m so fucking sorry, Kalani. I…”

Pushing off his chest, I give myself some distance.

His head is tilted, with no energy to hold it up, and his brows are pinched, unsure and scared.

“I, uh, wasn’t expecting this. Today.” I look up to meet his sad eyes. “Like, at all.”

“Neither was I, to be honest.” When my brows knit, he continues, “I thought for sure Parker would tell me to take a hike.” He laughs nervously, glancing back toward my house, then returning his somber eyes to me.

“But you’re here.”

He nods, his gaze roaming my face.

“I know Parker.” His shoulders sag slightly and he drops his gaze to the concrete floor. “He’d never bring you here if it wasn’t the right thing to do.” He nods, as if trying to convince himself, his chin still against his chest.

“He’d never hurt you.” His sad eyes lift to mine, but his head stays down. “Parker would never hurt you.”

“I know.” I nod.

I expect him to grimace, maybe look away, but he doesn’t. He gazes at me, his soft eyes searching my face, and then, shocking the hell out of me, he smirks. And it’s the all out, stop a married woman in her tracks, Nathaniel Monroe smirk.

What the…

I smirk, determination burning through me.

I fuckin’ knew it.

I saw it on her face the moment I stepped in front of her; the nerves. She hadn’t even opened her eyes yet and I could feel it. She was scared shitless.

There was pain coming from her, but not the kind a broken-hearted girl would radiate.

I drop onto the sand, watching her wide eyes fly across my face as I lift her by her hips, bringing her down to straddle me.

Her hands come out to rest on my chest, her blues narrowing.

I sprawl one hand across her tailbone, the other gliding torturously slow up her spine, and she shudders against me, her eyes growing heavier.

“Tell me something, Kalani…” I murmur against her skin. “What is it you’re afraid of?”

“What did I tell you about playing games?” she whispers in a false bravado. “Ask me what you really wanna know.”

Pulling back, I offer a soft smile, and I run my fingertips across her lips. “Baby, I don’t have to ask. I already know.” Her eyes roam my face and I dip my chin slightly. “I suspected it as soon as I allowed myself to hope. Once I stopped running from the pain, I realized what I knew meant what I thought wasn’t possible.”

“And what did you know?” she whispers.

I cup her cheeks and she gasps. “You love me. I knew it before you did, and felt it grow stronger every day. I knew you wanted my happiness as much as I wanted yours, and you’d never throw away what we had. I knew you craved me, like I you.” When her lips start to tremble, I lean my forehead against hers. “Once I realized all that, I knew you’d have fought for me. There was no way you wouldn’t figure out what really happened, once you allowed yourself to think about it. And I knew you’d think about it because you can’t shut me out. You’ve never been able to shut me out.” I wipe away the tears that run down her cheeks. “Do you know why that is, Kalani?” I whisper and she shakes her head no.

“Because my heart beats in your chest, and yours in mine. We’re blended in each other in deeper ways than even we understand.” She’s full on sobbing now.

I pull back more, needing her to hear me. “I need you to know I understand. I get it. I also need you to know how sorry I am for not coming sooner.” She tries to interrupt, but I don’t let her.

“I never should have allowed my mind to get clouded. I should have marched straight to your room and demanded answers.”

“I should have come to you when I found out. Should have fought for you.”

My brows crinkle. “You did fight for me.” When her brows pull in, I explain, “Baby, you made my being here right now possible. You put it all together and found the answers I was too afraid to look for. I know you reached out to Ashley long before I did, or she never would have had what I needed ready at the waiting when I approached her the other night. You made this moment happen. You think Parker would have brought me to you had I not known the truth ahead of time?” I tease to help relieve some of the tension. It works, and she chuckles slightly, her body dropping further into mine.

“I’m glad you didn’t come to me, Kalani. I needed to be the one to open my eyes and see. I failed you that night. Not the other way around.” I squeeze her cheeks tighter. “I will never fail you again.”

A sob breaks through and she wraps her arms around my neck, holding me as tight as her little body allows, and I wrap my arms around her.

We sit there, holding each other in the sand, for a long while, before she pulls back. “How long do we have before you have to leave?”

“I’m not leaving.”

She scowls at me, as she jumps to her feet and starts pacing in the sand.

And now, I’m nervous.

When I stand, she stops, turning to pin me with a glare.

“Bullshit, you’re not!”

“I don’t understand.” I frown.

“You’re not staying here!”

What? “The fuck I’m not!”

She scoffs, crossing her arms over her chest. “I won’t let you.”

I’m about to lose my shit…

I rush her, stepping right in front of her so she has to tip her head all the way back to look at me. She’s not intimidated.

“I’m not fucking leaving,” I growl through gritted teeth, my heart hammering against my chest.

What the hell is she doing?

Her hands fly up in the air, coming down to slap against her bare thighs. “Well you’re not staying!”

“I-”

“No! You have to go to college, Nate!”

Oh. I get it now.

“You’re going to do amazing things.” She reaches up, placing her tiny hands on my face and I tilt my head, leaning into her touch. “I would love for you to stay, but being here will ruin everything you’ve worked toward.” Her voice drops to a whisper, nearly inaudible. “And I won’t allow that. I’ll be here, waiting for you, but you can’t just stay.”

“This is where I belong, baby. Right here, with you.”

“No.”

“Yes.”

“Nate, please,” she pleads.

“I signed with UCLA.” My heart stops beating while I wait for her response.

She pulls her hands away from my face, slowly lowering them to her sides. “What?”

“In February.”

“February.” She frowns at my chest.

I nod.

“You didn’t tell me.”

“I didn’t want you to try and talk me out of it. I had to wait until it was too late to back out before I said anything.”

“February.” She looks up at me

“Uh-huh.” I dare her to argue.

“Why California?”

“You really asking me that?”

She goes to speak, but nothing comes out. Her lips purse, her brows furrowing. I see it all over her face; she’s doing her best to tell herself I’d never choose my path based on hers.

She’s so fucking wrong.

“Yeah, baby.” I lift my hand and her breath hitches. Then I do what I’ve been thinking about for months.

My calloused fingers graze her jaw, sliding up and over her ear, where I tuck her hair behind it. I let my hand sink further into her dark locks, and bring my forehead down to hers.

“You’re staying?” she asks quietly.

“You couldn’t force me to leave if you tried.”

A small chuckle escapes and Kalani shakes her head. She pulls back and turns to look at the swing. “Do you feel like I lied to you, about…me?”

I shuffle my feet. “I’d be lying if I said it didn’t hurt to hear you kept those things from me. Then, to find out you told Parker; that was a whole other kind of feeling.”

“I didn’t tell you because I thought we were just fooling around. I didn’t think it was going to become more. You were…you, Nate Monroe, the proud manwhore, and I was having fun. Then things shifted and I convinced myself it didn’t matter. As far as telling Parker; I didn’t tell him until way later, when I offered him a job. Not that that makes it any better, but still.”

“I know, and I don’t care anymore. None of that matters.” I reach for her hand and she looks up at me.

Her gaze is tender. “We fumbled pretty good, didn’t we?”

I laugh lightly. “Yeah, I guess we did.”

I pull her to me and together we drop onto the swing. I help sway us, since her feet still don’t touch the ground, and we watch the waves grow stronger as the sun begins to disappear.

“Why did you bring the swing here?” she asks, not lifting her head from my shoulder.

“For you, so when I’m in class or on the field, you can sit here and feel close to me.”

Her body tenses slightly, so I glide my palm up and down her thighs. “Don’t. This is it. Us. You and me?” I nod. “We’re gonna make it.”

She pulls back to look at me. We shift our bodies so we’re facing each other.

“I’m going to be busy, Kalani. Real busy, but so are you. There will be times when we don’t see each other as much as we want, but hear me when I say I will be here, with you, every chance I have. And when I’m not, when I can’t be…you have our swing.”

“Our swing?” Her eyes glaze over.

I cup her cheek, gently tilting her head, forcing her to look directly into my eyes. “Never gonna be alone, remember?”

She nods, her eyes locked on mine.

“So, what do you say?” I whisper, my fingers brushing her neck, creating goosebumps all across her flesh.

“You do know the Tomahawks work closely with their local athletes, right? And that Embers Elite Exposures covers all home games for the University?”

A slow grin spreads across my face and she smiles back.

She shifts, leaning in, and my breathing grows labored when her lips are but a breath away from mine. “Chances are, I’ll be there all the time.”

My hand slowly sinks into her hair, the other coming to rest on her hip. When her eyes close, I don’t wait patiently, but crush my lips into her full, soft ones, and we each let out a sigh-filled groan on contact.

As I scoot back, she slides one leg over, straddling me.

My hands slide down her back, cupping her ass with a gentle squeeze.

It’s too damn easy to get lost in her so I pull back quickly.

My arms wrap around her, pulling her close, holding her tight against my chest.

“I’m not going anywhere. Ever. I’m gonna stay with you, love you, forever.”

She smiles and slides her hands up my neck. “I know.” She tilts her head and raises a brow. “Ready to show me what forever feels like?”

I nod.

She nods.

We’re on the same page.