Being with her was always more than it had been with anyone else. We ended up lying in bed with pizza and popcorn, watching a movie, before she finally drifted to sleep curled up next to me.

I took the time to draw patterns on her back and faced the feelings in my chest. I was pretty sure I was falling in love with her, if I wasn’t already there. Especially when the driving urge inside me was not finishing school or winning the next race—it was making her smile. As I coasted off to sleep, I didn’t think I liked the idea of not waking up with her in my arms.

The sun had barely shown its face when I got out of bed and shrugged on clothes. I was sure I could make it back before she woke up.

“Where are you going?” a sleepy voice asked.

Shocked, I stumbled a bit after trying to put the other leg in my shorts. “Sorry I woke you. I thought I’d get some training in this morning. It’s early. Go back to sleep.”

She sat up and the sheet fell away from her naked breasts. “Let me come with you.”

I groaned and closed my eyes. “Come, and with me,” I repeated and grasped my dick tightly. “You’re going to make me get back in bed with you.”

She flushed and bit at the corner of her mouth.

“That’s not helping.” I shook my head.

She got off the bed, pulled my shirt from my hands and put it over her head. Then she bent to our bags that sat untouched on the floor in front of my bureau. Her lovely ass was in the air, covered only by panties I didn’t remember her putting back on.

I rushed to press my cock against her sweet spot. She squealed and stood up with shorts in her hand. “No, no, no.” She waggled her finger in front of my face. “You said you needed to train. So what kind of training are we in for?”

It was cute—no, rather, she was cute. “I’m taking the boat around the lake a few times.”

Stepping into her shorts, she said, “And I’m coming with you.”

With a quizzical brow, I asked, “You are?”

“I am.”

Her smile made me give in. She followed me down the slope with only the birds making noises. The houses that dotted the shores of the still and glassy lake were all quiet. I positioned her at one end as I pushed the boat out into the water before getting in opposite her to reduce the risk of us capsizing.

I got the oars in position and began to scull. I had to admit, having her staring at me made it harder to row. Not that she weighed a lot, but her wearing my shirt and no bra made me want a different type of workout.

“I think I love it here,” she said.

I think I love you. The thought came before I had a chance to stop it. “Me too.”

She dropped her hand in the water, creating ripples. “Should you be timing yourself?”

“No. The purpose of this is strength and repetitive motion. I’ve got to keep my muscles trained for this movement.”

“You do this every day?”

“Every day I can. There are things I can do on land but nothing beats being in the water.”

I lost my rhythm when she took off her flip-flops and let a foot hang over the side to sink under the water. It left her center open somewhat and I wanted to be buried deep in there.

“Your eyes are so pretty,” she said lazily. Her gaze smoldered with something like sin.

I felt the cord of her gaze yank me from my lustful thoughts. “My eyes? What about them?”

“They’re green or gray depending on the light.”

“What color are they now?”

“Gray.”

I hadn’t shaved that morning and rubbed at the scruff that covered my face.

“I like it.”

“What?”

“That beard thing you have going.” She flushed. “It’s seriously sexy as hell.”

All thoughts of a workout disappeared.

“Come here,” I said, curling a finger at her. “I need to kiss you.”

She licked her lips before she started to move, rocking the boat.

Shit, I’d forgotten for a second where we were, I’d been so lost in her.

“Wait.” She stilled and I secured the oars inside the boat. “Together and slowly.”

It felt like we were fastened to each other like two sides of a zipper. The closer we came together, the tighter our connection. When we met in the middle, I shifted her to straddle my lap.

The sun had risen higher in the sky, but I needed to be inside her. I started to shift the thin shorts and her panties aside to drive inside her.

“Shit,” I groaned. “I don’t have a condom.”

She was as worked up as I was. “I took the morning after thingy. We should be good, right?”

What the hell did I know? “Yeah, I guess.”

I’d already hit the point of losing higher reasoning. I tore at the fabric and it broke under my needy hands.

“Yes,” she sighed, as she slid down my length.

“Fuck, either I’m not going to last or we’re going to end up in the lake.”

That didn’t stop me from hiking her up and slamming her down on my cock over and over again.

As shy as she was most of the time, she was also determined and funny on occasion. “I suggest you work on balance then.”

“Wait.” I stilled her hips with my grip. I needed her to remain motionless not only so the boat would steady, but so I didn’t lose it on the next stroke.

I didn’t waste the moment, covering her mouth with mine. She kissed me fervently, trying to coax me to move. I shifted my hand in between her thigh and strummed her clit with my thumb like it was a guitar string. She cried out and it reverberated across the lake.

“Shh,” I murmured before claiming her mouth. “You’re going to wake the neighbors.”

I’d begun moving her up and down slowly so my breath hitched when I’d spoken.

Lost, she sighed, “Oh my…” before I swallowed the last of her words.

On autopilot, my shoulders and arms began working her like I would the oars, almost circular.

“Tade,” she whispered urgently.

I exerted more pressure on her nub and flicked it until I felt her tightening around me. It caused my own eruption with no way to stop it. Roughly, she tugged my hair as I came hard inside her. I groaned into her mouth, grinding her on me as her pussy milked me of every last drop.