Music began wafting softly from Balen’s cell as he slipped it back into his pocket. Before she realized what he was doing, he pulled her into his arms and they began dancing—right there on the beach. Emotion lodged in her throat; building in her eyes, but she fought back the tears, refusing to cry. This was, without a doubt, the most romantic thing anyone had ever done with her. And the song… Sea of Love. He couldn’t have known it was one of her favorites.

Autumn slid her arms around his back and rested her cheek against his chest as they slowly swayed to the music. She closed her eyes and let him lead, moving her body in rhythm with his. He was a good dancer and they fit together like they were made for each other. She hadn’t experienced many, but some moments in life were too perfect to feel real, and this was one of them. If she wasn’t careful, she was going to get swept up in a fairy tale she didn’t believe in any more than Balen did. But it was hard not to fall under this romantic spell when his arms were holding her like he never wanted to let her go. This was dangerous thinking, and as the song played on, she kept reminding herself that this wasn’t real life. She was on vacation. It wasn’t going to last.

But, Lord…it felt real. The warm sand between her toes, Balen’s arms holding her close, his masculine scent blending perfectly with the briny air coming off the water. She took a deep breath, holding it in her lungs and wishing, like with Balen, she’d never have to let it go. She could feel his strong, steady heartbeat against her breast, his cheek resting on top of her head. She felt protected and cherished in his arms as they danced together in the moonlight.

The words, I love you, two-stepped in her mind to the same soulful melody as their feet. When the song eventually faded, and Balen’s steps slowed, regret pinched sharply in her chest. This was the moment she wanted to last forever, and all too soon, it was over. Autumn bit her bottom lip to hold back the protest, to stop herself from begging him to play it again and never let her go.

When he took a step back, she couldn’t meet his eyes. The emotion gripping her heart left her raw and exposed. Balen nudged her chin up with his knuckle until she finally lifted her gaze. “That’s it. That’s the look that makes me feel like the luckiest man in the world.” His lips brushed over hers with a light caress—soft and slow, as if savoring the feeling of her mouth against his, her breath in his lungs. His throaty groan was a sensual rumble she felt like a shockwave rolling through her. Autumn parted her lips, inviting him to enter, and was quickly greeted by his tongue.

He deepened the kiss, devouring her like a starving man and she was his feast. The urgency with which he touched her became contagious and soon they were in the sand, hastily pulling each other’s clothes off. “Balen, wait.” She grabbed his forearm, stopping him from unclasping her bra as she was hit with déjà vu. “Your brother… What if he sees us out here again?”

He twisted his fingers and her bra came loose, slipping down her arms and exposing her breasts to the cool sea air and his hungry gaze. Before she could utter another protest, he whispered against her lips, “He won’t be back until tomorrow. The house is all ours.”

That was all the encouragement she needed. Autumn yanked his shirt off as Balen finished stripping her.

“Since that first night I met you, I’ve wanted to make love to you on the beach.”

His confession sent her already racing heart kicking into a new tempo. Although it had only been a week, hearing him speak of that night felt like a lifetime ago. So much had happened since then. So much had changed between them. Balen had managed to do something she swore no man ever would. He’d given her hope, and he was teaching her to trust again—to love again.

Serenaded by the waves caressing the shore, a light breeze cooled her flushed skin, teasing her nipples to sensitive peaks as Balen worshiped her with his mouth. By the time he crawled between her legs and slipped his shaft along her sensitive folds, Autumn was begging him for release. But Balen took his time, entering her with slow, gentle thrusts, not stopping until he was seated deep inside her.

She loved the feeling of him filling her, loved the surrender she felt every time she gave herself over to him. He slipped his hands beneath her back, fingers curling over her shoulders and anchoring her in place as his pace began to quicken, soon matching the urgency consuming her.

“Autumn…”

Hearing her name uttered in that husky groan was all it took to send her over the edge. She shattered, the force of her climax ripping through her.

“Aw…fuck,” he growled, thrusting harder, deeper. The explosion of heat blasting against her sensitive core intensified Autumn’s orgasm and she cried out, clinging to Balen as she gave herself over to the blissful waves carrying her out to sea—a sea of love…

* * *

So this is what love feels like…

Balen marveled at the emotion swelling inside his chest as Autumn lay snuggled in his arms. The sound of the water lapping the shore filled the contemplative silence stretching between them as he thought back to his father’s advice given one afternoon while they were repairing one of his surfboards.

Don’t settle, son. Wait until you find a woman who makes your heart beat in time with hers. She’ll be the first thing you think about in the morning, the last thing you think about at night, and all you think about in between. You’ll experience a sense of peace when you’re with her that passes understanding. That’s when you’ll know you’ve found the woman you want to spend the rest of your life with...

His father’s words of wisdom resonated somewhere deep inside him. His arms involuntarily flexed, hugging her closer until her breasts were crushed against his side, and through his ribs he could feel her heart beating in rhythm with his. But the peace he wanted to revel in was overshadowed by the uncertainty of their future. He couldn’t keep putting this off. He needed to tell the truth. Working up the courage to speak, his heart sped, racing out of tempo with hers. He stared up at the starlit sky and studied the sparkling lights, wishing to God the words he was searching for could have been found there in the heavens. He had one shot at getting this right and he was so scared of messing it up.

“I’ve never danced in the moonlight before.”

Her voice cut into his thoughts—a welcome reprieve he couldn’t help but think was a stay of execution. Placing a kiss on top of her head, he whispered, “You deserve a man who will dance with you every day for the rest of your life.” As he said those words, a subtle ache bloomed in his chest, because he wondered if he’d ever get the chance to be that man for her. He didn’t want to let her down, didn’t want to hurt her. Which posed the question, was he as good for Autumn as she was for him? Shit, he needed to tell her the truth.

“That’s one of my favorite songs, you know—Sea of Love. I’m surprised you had it on your playlist. You don’t strike me as the kind of guy who listens to love songs.”

He chuckled, reaching up and running his fingers through her hair. “I’m not. It’s the only one I have. It was my parents’ song. I downloaded it after they died. My mom was a big Phil Phillips fan. She played his music all the time, and whenever that song would come on, my dad would dance with her. I haven’t listened to it in years.”

The significance of what he’d done didn’t fully hit him until that moment, and when it did, emotion clogged his throat. He’d danced with her to his parents’ song…

Balen was silent for the longest time, struggling to work up the courage to tell her the truth, to tell her how he felt about her. She must have felt the tension building inside him, because Autumn lifted her head and studied him a moment before asking, “Balen, is everything all right?”

His heart hammered inside his chest, his throat dry as ash as he prepared to put his heart on the line. Anxiety sank its claws into him. Suddenly restless, he sat up and exhaled a breath, scrubbing his hand over the back of his neck. “Autumn, we need to talk.”

His tone must have warned her she wasn’t going to like whatever it was he had to say. Apprehension filled her eyes, subtle tension stiffening her body as he watched her guard come up, those walls she hid behind slamming back into place. Awesome. He hadn’t even started to speak and already she was defensive. This wasn’t going to go well. Before he could work up his nerve to say anything more, she cut him off.

“Balen, can we… Can we please do this tomorrow? Tonight has been perfect and I just want it to stay that way. I don’t want anything to ruin it.”

Fuck. How could he say no? He’d waited this long to tell her, one more night wouldn’t make any difference the coward in him rationalized when the guilt was quick to rise up and call him a selfish bastard.

But she wanted perfection—a night she would never forget. He would gladly give her that.

Tomorrow. He would tell her tomorrow.