“I remember that . . . you talking about how excited everyone was that Gabe was gonna be a dad,” I say as we lay in bed, still spent after three massive orgasms in one night. Another rumble of thunder rolls, but they’re fading. I guess the storm’s over for now.

I’m already anxious to know what happened next. The state championship game was in December, and everything was fine after that for a while. Hell, it was better than fine. We’d made plans for months, talking about college, getting married, having kids.

But then, he just disappeared that spring. He didn’t even show up to graduation, and his whole family just sort of vanished off the face of the earth at the same time. It was the talk of the town, kids at school looking at me with pity and everyone gossiping about why the whole family would disappear overnight. Admittedly, those theories fed my imagination for a long time, sometimes helping lessen the sting by thinking that he had to stay away for his own safety or for mine. Other times, I’d be sure that he’d just ditched me and was off living some different, happier life without me, and I was so angry.

Aubrey nods, and I can see he’s still deep in his own head. “Yeah. It was a big moment for him. It was a ray of light in all that darkness he was in.”

“That’s awesome. I’m sure there’s a reason . . . but what does this have to do with what happened with us?”

Aubrey is slow in responding, and I can tell whatever he’s going to say next isn’t something he likes to talk about. He looks tired, drained from telling just that much of the story.

I place my hand over his heart, patting his chest softly. “Please? I want to understand, Aubrey. I want . . . this is hard, but I want to understand you. Us. This. And to do that, I have to know what you were going through, what happened.”

I’m shocked at my words. Us? Do I mean the ‘us’ of the past or now? I’m honestly not sure. Can there an ‘us’ again? Aubrey notices my words too and smiles softly.

“Do you remember that winter? The formal? God, you were so gorgeous. That was the happiest night of my life, baby.”

He might be stalling a little bit, but a chill goes down my spine at the word. Baby. I was Sweet Ana from the beginning, but Baby only after we said our I Love Yous. We share a smile, both in on the secret code of the nickname, the memories flooding back in a wash of warm fuzzies.

“Well, I remember thinking you looked so handsome in your tux. And that your jaw dropped open when you saw that my dress was strapless because I’d kept that a surprise. I loved the way your arm felt wrapped around my bare shoulders all night. The school gym actually looked nice, all sparkly twinkle lights and tulle draped from the rafters.”

I ramble on about that night as if it happened yesterday, the past fresh once again. “Oh, and hey, remember . . .”

I hear a soft snore above me.

“Aubrey?” I ask, looking up to see his eyes closed and his head cocked back.

He looks so pale and exhausted, and I realize I’m not going to get the rest of the story out of him. At least not tonight. That’s okay. I’ve waited this long. I can wait a bit longer, and we have time . . . but I know it’s not too much time before I have to leave.

The thought of going home, back to work and the city, hits me awkwardly. I would usually be excited about that prospect, but something about leaving Aubrey up here in the woods alone feels wrong.

Bright light pierces the veil of sleep I’m happily hiding behind, rousing me from a rather erotic dream. I grin, stretching long with a groan before peeking through hooded eyes at the still-snoring behemoth beneath me. His chest rumbles with every breath, rattling my cheek where it’s pressed to his muscles. I sigh happily, snuggling in for a moment before realizing that nature is calling. Urgently.

Trying to be quiet, I gently get out of bed and tiptoe to the bathroom to take care of business before sneaking back into the tempting warmth of the big bed with Aubrey. The movement rouses him and one brown eye pops open to glare at me. “What are you doing, woman? Get over here,” he says, grabbing at me.

I squawk, feigning to get away, but let him pull me back to his side. “Mmm, that’s better,” he says, tracing his fingertips along my arm and leaving a smattering of goosebumps in his wake. I return the favor, running my hand along his chest, down to his abs, exposed as the sheet has worked its way down and is barely covering his hips. Beneath the fine dusting of hair, I can feel the ridges of muscles, but also the occasional scar, just a few little lines here and there. But rather than mar the perfect sculpture of his abdomen, they add interest, and I want to hear the story that accompanies each one.

“I like this, waking up with you,” Aubrey says, his voice soft and sleepy. “You should just move your gear over here, stay with me every night, fall asleep after I fuck you senseless, cuddle all night, and wake up in my arms.”

I’ll admit I like the sound of that, but I goad him anyway. “Did you know you snore?” I ask quietly, a smile in my voice.

His chuckle vibrates as he confesses, “Yeah, not too bad though, hopefully. You sleep okay? Have sweet dreams about me, Sweet Ana?”

“Maybe I did, maybe I didn’t,” I tease back.

“Well, I definitely had some sweet dreams about you.” He shifts, and I can feel the hard line of his cock against my thigh.

The soft pillow talk feels good, comfortable. I think I’ll always be up for sex with Aubrey, but we should get back to where we were last night before sleep overtook us.

“Wanna hear about my dreams? I think you’ll like them.” Aubrey is already moving against me, warming me up and letting me think that maybe we can delay the conversation for a few minutes, considering we’ve got all day.

I open my mouth to answer, but a loud slam on the window causes us both to jump with surprise, and my heart pounds in my chest as I look out the window and see Brad’s face, smirking in an obvious ‘gotcha’ expression.

“Whoo! I knew I’d come up here and find you two up to some kinky shit. Well done, Ana. Well. Done,” he says loudly. “Hey, Trey! Come check this out!”

“Oh, my God!” I yell, blushing furiously with embarrassment. I hop up, grabbing the blanket and tossing it to cover Aubrey up, not wanting my brother or Brad to get a view of what Aubrey’s packing. I’m struck with a shot of possession . . . he’s mine, and I’m not sharing, not even a peek! The blanket lands somewhere over his head, turning the bed into a fuzzy mountain of knit cotton.

As I grab his shirt from the floor, pulling it over my head quickly, I look back at him, watching as he pulls the blanket from his head. He’s grinning like a loon. “Are you hiding me, Ana? Pretty sure that ship has sailed,” he laughs.

I cringe, but it’s with a smile. This is kind of ridiculous. Yeah, I’m totally busted, but I’m a grown woman. Trey has no right to give me shit about having a sex life. Of course, he will anyway. That’s what big brothers do. “Get some clothes on. I’ll be right back.”

“Where are you going?”

“To find that crossbow you showed me how to use. I’m not gonna kill him . . . just put an arrow in his ass. Maybe teach him a lesson about sneaking up on people and spying like a pervert.”

“Your voice may be full of vinegar, but I know you love Brad and won’t hurt him too badly . . . probably. Maybe. Hell, should I get dressed fast to save him?” He tries to get up, but it’s a slow process of staggered movements, pushing up from the bed and swinging his feet to the floor. Normally, I’d rush over to help him, but right now, I have bigger fish to fry.

I smirk evilly, telling Aubrey, “Just thank your lucky stars you’re not on the receiving end of my plotting right now. Maybe you should just stay there. You don’t want to see this.”

I stomp to the door, standing to my full height and my face hard. Using my no-nonsense tone, I demand, “What the hell are you guys doing here?”

Brad is standing with his hands on his hips, his delight at being correct surrounding him in an air of cockiness. “Bitch, you are sooooo busted.”

I look to Trey, who is eyeing me with raised brows. “Really, Ana?”

I sigh. “Well, guess you should come on in then.” I invite them into Aubrey’s cabin like it’s mine, like I have any right to do so. “Guess I’d better make some coffee.”

Brad laughs. “I think you already got your morning shot of wake-me-up, didn’t ya?”

Trey gives Brad a sharp look, but we can both see the tilt of Trey’s lips as he fights the grin. That’s one thing I can say for Brad. He makes my brother happy, makes him more chill and smiley. Right now, as much as I might smack Brad, I’m probably lucky he’s here to keep Trey from going too far into protective big brother mode.

“We came to check on you because you haven’t answered your phone. I was afraid you were dead in the woods somewhere, hoping for a rescue. Oh, I brought you another six-pack of that nasty soda you like, too,” Trey says.

“If you thought I was dead, why’d you bring me soda?” I say with a smile before telling him, “Thank you. For the soda.” I stick my tongue out at him like the brat he used to tease me about being when we were little, and he rolls his eyes.

From behind me, I hear the clunk-clunk-clunk of Aubrey coming into the room, dressed on his own, down to his boot. The nurse in me can’t help but feel a little guilty that I didn’t help him bandage his ankle, and I bite my lip, wondering if he did it properly. Or at all. Stubborn man.

He sits down at the table across from Trey, both of them eyeing each other up. “G’morning, guys. Good to see you.”

There’s a breath of anticipation in the air as Brad and I wonder what our guys are gonna do, but then Trey breaks the silence with a smile. “Just wanted to check in, make sure my baby sister was doing alright.” Okay, so maybe a bit of a veiled threat there, but Aubrey takes it mostly in stride.

Aubrey looks to me, his eyes working their way from my mess of hair, across my bare face, and down my chest before meeting mine with a big wink. “She’s looks just fine to me.” It’s bold and maybe even a bit confrontational, considering the compromising position we were just found in.

Trey looks at me with narrowed eyes, and between the two of them, I’ve had it. “That’s enough. I am fine, not that either of you actually seems to care while you’re busy puffing up at each other. Why don’t you both just whip ‘em out and see who’s bigger?” I say exasperatedly. I hear Brad’s intake of breath and stop him with a finger before he can say a word. “Nope, rewind. I take that back. Everyone with a penis, keep it in your pants.”

“Spoilsport!” Brad pouts.