After the most delicious night and morning of my life, I watch Sawyer as he bends over my bed while putting on fresh bedding. The denim of his blue jeans stretches over his butt in such a perfect way that I lick my lips. When he straightens up the ripples of his taut muscle over his back draws me close and reaching out, I lay my palm in the middle of his spine.

He gasps and shudders. “You have magic fingers.”

“I think from now on you can change all the bedding.”

He laughs, turning in my arms. “Is that right?”

“Hmm.” I trace my fingers from his navel to his collarbone. “You have a sexy butt.”

His eyes widen as a blush slowly coats his cheekbones, but then his eyes drop and become drowsy. “If you keep looking at me like that, then it’s going to be a very long time before you get your coffee.” His hands slide to my hips, holding me close.

My hands go to the nape of his neck and reaching up, I mumble against his lips, “I think I want to see where you live while I drink my coffee.” I kiss him. “Later, I want to sleep wrapped around you.”

He lets out a loud sigh, wrapping his arms around me, he brings me in close to his body. “I’m sorry for hurting you. I was trying not too.”

I smile against his chest. “I know that now, and I accept your apology on the condition that you don’t push me away again. You’ll talk to me, okay?”

He meets my gaze. “I can do that.”

“Let’s forget about before and concentrate on the here and now.” I grin and twirl out of his arms.

“Hey.” He reaches out and tugs me back against his chest. “Here and now, babe.” He kisses my nose. “And right here in front of me is where I want you.” He kisses my eyes. “I want to take you on a date. So,” he grins, “I think bagels and coffee can be the first of many more.” He backs away and grabs his shirt, hiding all the deliciously defined muscles of his torso. He smirks. “Missing the view, huh?”

“It should be illegal for boyfriends to walk around in shirts,” I comment.

“Boyfriends, huh?” He tickles my sides, making me let out a full belly laugh as I wiggle around the room, trying to get him to stop.

When we fall to the bed, Sawyer follows me down and gives me such a tender kiss that my heart hurts. I reach up and caress his lightly bearded face, and ask, “Are we really going to do this?”

The delight I see in his gaze, as he holds mine, is filled with so much affection for me that my heart flutters wildly in my chest.

“We really are...but,” his eyes darken with anguish, “we have to be careful especially around the college.” He brings me fully against his body while he holds me close. “It’s going to annoy me, having to keep you at a distance but it’s the only way. You know this right?”

He tips my chin and searches my gaze. “I hate that we have to hide our relationship but I do understand the reasoning. So please don’t worry about me.”

“We can make up for it during the evenings and weekends.” He kisses me on the top of my head before jumping from the bed. “I promise.” He tugs me with him. “And right now it’s a Saturday morning, so I get you for two whole days.”

“I really, really like the idea of that.” I reach up and wrap my arms around his neck. “I like it very much.” After a quick kiss to his lips, I take his hand. “We fit well together.”

“I think last night proved that.”

“Yes it did.” I grin as we step outside into the warm sun. “I feel invigorated.” I see the mischief on his face and quickly add, “Like nothing and no one can dampen my mood.”

“Good.” He pulls me into him and with his arm secured around my neck and mine around his waist we set off walking toward the local coffee shop. “I feel as though a huge weight has been lifted from my shoulders now that I have you in my arms.” He pauses. “It feels...invigorating.” He smirks. “And you Miss. Foster, look as fresh as a daisy in your sundress.”

I nuzzle into his neck and whisper, “You wouldn’t be saying that if you saw my panties.”

He stumbles before giving me a narrowed eyed stare. “Panties?” he croaks and clears his throat. “You do realize that Pattie is at my house, right? No privacy.”

“The wait will be worth it.”

He kisses my cheek. “I know it will be.”

I smile feeling so happy that we’re going to get coffee together and then eat breakfast at his place and the sun shining helps too.

“Tell me something about home?” he quietly asks.

“Hmm, home, huh? Well, you probably know that home is Great Falls, Wyoming, right?”

He nods.

“My mom married her best friends brother, Diego, who by the way is younger than you, and they are now due to have a baby together in a couple of months.” I sigh with a soft smile on my face when I think about them. “They’re really cute together and he loves my mom so much that it brings tears to my eyes. She’d been alone for such a long time when they met. It was a bit of a shock to her, and me, I guess. But because of them, I have an amazing best friend that I’ve never really had before.”

“Diego’s sister?”

“What?” I look up at him.

“Your best friend. Is it Diego’s sister?”

“Ah, no. It’s Kasey, Diego’s brother,” I admit and when Sawyer frowns, I add, “Kasey is married to Felicity, who is also expecting.” I giggle. “It’s a bit of a baby boom back home. Their brother and sister had a baby girl a few months ago now.” I bite my lip wondering if he registered what I’d said about the brother and sister part, but I don’t think he did, which is a relief because it can be tricky to explain.

“Sounds like you’re part of a fairly large family,” he says, a wistful note to his voice. “Pattie and me always wanted a large family.” He shrugs. “It’s just the two of us and Dad, who according to Pattie is about to get married to someone my age.”

“Oh.” I place my hand on his stomach and feel it quiver, so I rub circles until he captures my wrist. “You don’t like that?”

“I liked it too much,” he mumbles and as we pass the park, he tugs me behind a large tree, hiding us from sight. He completely brings me against his body and that’s when I feel his reaction to my touch. “That’s how much I like having you touch me.”

“Hmm,” I sigh against him because it’s such a comfortable position to be in, even with his erection poking me in the stomach. “You were saying about Pattie and you.”

“I was hoping to distract you.”

“Don’t think I hadn’t realized that.” I lift my face and when he meets my gaze, I admit, “I want to really know you, Sawyer.”

“I’ve given more to you than I’ve given anyone.” His arms tighten around me. “Our Mom left when we were kids, and although that was difficult, our dad made sure that we had everything we needed. It just makes me feel uneasy that he’s marrying someone so young.”

“I understand that and from my own experience with my mom and Diego were there is a fifteen year age difference, sometimes it works out.”

“Is your mom really happy, Andie?”

Reaching up, I press a kiss to his lips. “I’ve never seen her happier than she’s been with Diego, and he’s so in love with her that his brother’s make fun of him. Well, Kasey mainly. They’re all married now so he kinda gives as good as he gets...I never need to watch the TV when I’m home because they’re far more entertaining.”

After a few minutes of silence, Sawyer says, “I could stay here all day, under this tree with you in my arms, but,” he grins as my stomach grumbles, “I think I need to get my woman her coffee and bagel.”

“I agree, to being your woman, and the food, but it is nice being here together.”

“I’m a lucky guy...C’mon, let’s go so we can get back to my house and eat.”

We walk slowly toward the next block where the coffee shop is situated and it feels good to be doing it with Sawyer. I’m trying not to worry about what’s going to happen after the weekend and how I’ll feel during the week when we can’t be like this around the college. We shouldn’t really be risking it now because anyone could see us, but for our first day together I don’t want to stop. I only wish it could be like this on a daily basis.

Opening the door to the store there luckily isn’t anyone inside who I recognize and from Sawyer’s relaxed appearance I’m guessing he’s good as well. We order drinks and heading back outside is where our worlds collide with Sawyer’s hissed, “Fuck!”

My eyes immediately lift to his, but he’s looking at the woman walking toward us.

“You know her?” I ask, wondering where I’ve seen her before.

“Janice Long, English Professor.” He quickly pulls me back into the store and sighs. “She overheard me inviting some students to the house last night, and invited herself along. She came on to me and I ran...to you.”

Wait a second . . .

“You ran to me because of her?” I step away.

“Dammit.” He follows me and grabs my arms. “She placed her hands on my chest, and I craved you. I’d had enough of pretending that you didn’t mean anything to me when you mean the whole fucking world.” He runs his hands through his hair. “What are we going to do?”

“I’ll meet you at your house.” I smile. “I know where it is.”

He blinks and smirks. “You do, huh?”

“Not that I’m a stalker or anything.” I grin and after I’ve quickly pressed a kiss to his lips, I move away. Just in time as well as the woman in question walks into the store.

The woman’s face lights up when she spots Sawyer and my heart hurts as the reality of the situation has just hit me in the face. He can be with her in public, but with me, we’re going to have to be more careful. It hurts though.

Moving further away, I hear his whispered, “Andie,” but I don’t turnaround, and I carry on going out of the store. At least I can breathe again although my chest still feels tight.

Sawyer’s house is pretty with a white picket fence around the front lawn. The house is a two story with a garage built in. From what I’ve heard he has a pool outback, and obviously a patio area.

It takes me a few minutes of looking at his home before it registers that Pattie is stood in the front doorway. I stare at her for a few moments while she does the same, before I inhale softly and move toward her.

“I thought Sawyer would be with you.” She frowns. “I mean he isn’t here.” Placing her hands on her hips, she adds, “Okay, what’s going on?”

Unexpectedly, I laugh. “We were on our way back here and called for food and coffee when another professor appeared so we had to part.” I shrug. “It hurts that’s all.”

Pattie offers me a sympathetic smile and steps toward me, and wrapping her arm around my shoulders, she ushers me into the house.

I don’t take much notice of the house with Pattie being a whirlwind. Before I know it, she has me out the back and sitting around a large patio table. She makes me smile when she takes the bag with our bagels inside and shoves them onto plates. “He’s back.” She squeezes my shoulder before disappearing with the one we bought for her.

I watch her go and smile as I watch Sawyer move toward me. He looks harassed and kissing the top of my head, he drops into the chair beside mine. “God! I’m glad we’re in different departments. Different buildings too.”

“That bad, huh?” I take pity on him and squeeze his thigh.

He covers my hand to keep it on him and smiles. “She wanted me to stay and have coffee with her.” Jealousy eats at me at hearing his words, but when he continues, butterflies take flight, “I told her that I had a girlfriend who would be upset if she discovered I’d had coffee with another woman.”

“I like that, I bet she didn’t.”

“Hmm, thought you might.” He takes a chunk out of his bagel and grins around the food. “She replied,” he mumbles and swallows the food, “that surely my, and I quote, ‘little friend’, wouldn’t mind me having coffee with a colleague.”

“I’m the jealous type, and that woman wants to be more than a colleague.”

“That’s what I pointed out. She paused so I got the hell out of there.” He grins. “Left her gaping after me. You should have seen her. She probably thinks I’m a dork.”

“One can hope.” I eat my bagel and watch him from the corner of my eye, the smile on his face stays.

Chasing my bagel with sips of coffee, I watch Pattie as she joins us, her face bright with a smile. “So,” she rests her chin on her hands on the table, “you’re both together, huh?”

We grin at her.

“Okay, don’t tell me then.” She sulks but her smile doesn’t slip. “So, you guys had a hot night, huh? It’s been so long since I had one of those.” She winces. “If your night hadn’t been with my brother I’d be begging for details, but although I’m happy he’s stopped being a typical asshole, I don’t want to know anything about him.” She clears her throat. “So, I thought I’d go and do some shopping for a couple of hours.” She smirks, and moving away, she shouts over her shoulder, “Don’t do anything I wouldn’t do.” Her laugh trails behind her.

“I’ll give her two seconds and then I’m showing you my bedroom,” Sawyer says, drawing my eyes to him.

I smile sweetly and hearing a car moving away from the house, I get to my feet and slowly start unbuttoning my dress while Sawyer watches, his mouth hanging open.

Letting it drop to the floor, I stretch and watch through my hooded eyes as Sawyer gulps when his eyes land on my panties. They’re deep purple hipsters made of smooth lace. “I bought these thinking about you,” I admit, slipping them down my thighs, following them with my bra.

“Fuck,” he gasps at my nude self. “You’re so fucking gorgeous that my jeans are about to burst.”

I glance at the erection straining against his zipper, and with a sultry smile, I turn my back and dive into the pool.

I’ve never had sex in a pool before.