I feel the heat of Lucie’s body as she takes a seat next to me. She feels good next to me, this is where I need to be. Being anywhere else with anyone else doesn’t feel anything like this, she is different in every way.

“Do you remember when we used to go riding as kids?” I ask her with a smirk. Lucie takes a swig of her wine and nods. “If I remember rightly, you sucked and I was amazing. Almost professional level.”

“What?” she squeals before shoving me playfully. As she does this, it reminds me of all the play fights we had as kids too. She was always much stronger than the other kids, which made her hard to beat. “What are you on about? You were the one who fell off Snowflake about eight damn times. Pro, my ass!”

I laugh loudly as a happiness swells in my chest. There’s something so easy about being with Lucie. I can’t help but wonder if I’ve always had a thing for her and I haven’t ever realized. Maybe I have subconsciously which is why she freaked me out when the hormones came in because I knew I would like her more than any of the other girls. They were all the practice women before I got to her. Maybe… although wouldn’t I have known if I felt that way? Wouldn’t I be able to tell? It would be pretty cool to think I’ve always wanted Lucie, but to be perfectly honest I think all these feelings might be very new. It’s certainly all fresh.

“Yeah okay, maybe riding was the one thing you beat me at. I was better at everything else.”

“Maybe football, but that’s about it. I have always been the most kick ass person in your life.”

I smile to myself, knowing that in a way she’s right. I’m still a freaking idiot of letting her go. If I could go back and do things all over again, I wouldn’t. I’d make sure we’re always friends. But I can’t ever do that, but I can make up for it now. Even if we aren’t just friends and other things are sizzling between us.

“So, it’s a nice night, isn’t it?” I ask her casually while lying down across the blanket. “The stars look awesome. I’m usually so busy that I don’t get to see the night sky. Lie down with me.”

Lucie does as I ask and she rests her head near to my hands. I decide to go with it and I wrap my arm around her, bringing her closer to me. As she rests her head on my chest I really like the sensation. My heart beats so hard against my chest, so I’m sure she can hear it, but Lucie doesn’t seem to mind at all. If anything, she intertwines herself around me closer and she snuggles against me. It’s actually pretty romantic.

“We’ve done this before, haven’t we?” Lucie muses quietly. “Do you remember? We used to camp in your back garden and stay up until really late at night just screwing around and having a laugh.”

The memories come flooding back and they make me chuckle. “I’d forgotten all about that. I can’t believe it! That was so much fun, wasn’t it? Not that we ever stayed out in the tent all night long.”

We always ended up in my bedroom, ironically that’s what I want now too. Except maybe not my bedroom since my roommate, Hector, is always there. I always end up hanging out in the chick’s room because they get more privacy than I do. I don’t know if Lucie will be the same though, her roommate might be like mine. Still, if that’s the case we have all the privacy we want out here. Not that I’m expecting anything to happen, Lucie is a good girl who might not want it. I can hope, but not expect with her. I’ll leave the choice to her.

“Did you ever think that we would end up here?” Lucie chuckles. “It’s all so crazy, isn’t it?”

“I don’t think I ever really believed that we would grow up, I thought we’d be kids forever.”

“Well, you better get used to it. Soon you’ll be running the family company, won’t you?”

I sigh loudly when I think about that. It’s good to have that option, I wouldn’t want to seem ungrateful especially when I know that others don’t have the same choices as I do, but sometimes I wish I could create some of the paths of my own life myself. Maybe I could, if I bothered to try, but maybe not. Dad is so keen for the family to keep full control of the company, which I suppose I must respect.

“What about you?” For now, I’d prefer to keep focus on Lucie. “What are your plans for after?”

“I want to travel,” she surprises me by saying. “I have always wanted to go to England, to London, oh and maybe some other areas of Europe too. I haven’t ever left America and I really want to.” She muses thoughtfully for a moment. “But after that I might write and tutor at the same time. That’s the dream anyway, but I guess I’ll have to see how it pans out. I don’t want to raise my expectations too high.”

I nod slowly, wishing I could say something reassuring. I can’t tell her that I know she’ll make it as a writer because that would be fake and she knows it. I haven’t ever read anything that she’s written. She’s determined, as far as I remember, I could say something in that area, but still I think it’ll sound lame.

“Well, I’m just glad we still have some time left at college so we can enjoy our lives for a little while longer.” I turn onto my side, kind of forcing her to do the same thing. “Don’t you think?”

“Hmm, maybe, although in case you’ve forgotten I haven’t spent my time at college just enjoying myself. I’ve worked my ass off to get my qualification. It might be a rest when I’m done here.”

“Oh yeah,” I chuckle. “Of course, I keep forgetting that you want to work.”

She rolls her eyes and smirks at me. “Yeah, I bet you do. You have it too easy for you.”

I could get into an argument with her about this, but I don’t want to… maybe because she’s right.

“Alright, I know, I ruined your study session the other day. It won’t happen again, I promise you.”

Weirdly, I actually mean it as I say that, I will be more conscious of my behavior. Especially as it comes to her. I don’t think I’ll ever be able to be in a room with her again and not be acutely aware of her.

“So, what is your plan for the night?” she asks me quietly, allowing her breath to tickle all over my face. I like the minty scent of her breath, it’s nice. “Are you taking me out for a midnight ride? Are there even horses here? I haven’t ever been to the stables here so I’m not sure at all. I can’t hear any…”

“The one behind us is definitely empty,” I reassure her. “I checked before. But there are horses here. I’ve actually been out for a ride. I went a few times when college first started, but I sucked so I gave up.”

“Oh wow, I would love to have seen that!” Lucie burst into laughter. “You have to take me one day.”

I thought about that, seeing it in my mind as a date and I didn’t totally hate the idea. God, what the hell was wrong with me? Why was I throwing myself into this thing with Lucie so whole heartedly? She’d made me do a total one eighty in all my thoughts. Deep down I wasn’t convinced that it would end well, but still…

“Do you want to come into the empty stable and have a look?” I wiggle my eyebrows suggestively at her. I’m not really suggesting anything I’m just trying to be flirty and fun. “It stinks of hay, but it’s okay…”

“Yeah, alright.” Her face breaks into a wide grin which causes a heat to spread across my chest. “That sounds fun. It might bring back all sorts of memories from when we were younger.”

She pushes herself upwards until she’s standing and as she does my eyes run down her body. She might not dress to show off every inch of her like some of the girls do here, but she looks damn good. I actually like it that she leaves a lot to the imagination, it makes her an enigma. A mystery that hopefully only I’ll be able to solve. I get a deep thrill up and down my spine as I stand too, joining her. And it isn’t just a sexual type of feeling, there’s much more to it. It’s the intense like that I feel for her, it’s off the scale.

Without thinking too much about it, I slide my hand through hers and I lead her inside the stables. She tiptoes behind me, bouncing on her feet as she goes. As we get inside, I inhale deeply, breathing in that real countryside scent. Lucie is right, it does bring back more memories now that she’s said it.

I turn to face her just as the door closes, I can still see her through the slither of moonlight that slides through the cracks in the slats. She looks beautiful in the glittering silvery color, it makes her irresistible. I bring her closer to me, taking her other hand in mine. She peers up at me through her eyelashes, making the butterflies in my stomach flap that much harder. They’re almost the size of birds.

“So, this is the stable,” I say with a soft murmur. “What do you think about it?”

I love the velvety feel of her skin as our hands hold on to one another. She makes my heart race like crazy.

“It’s very… nice,” she replies quietly. I’m sure I can hear desire in her voice which causes an intense stirring in my underwear. “I like it. I like it a lot. The smell brings back all sorts of memories. It stirs up everything from the past, don’t you think?”

I don’t know if she’s just being cute or if she’s trying to tell me that she’s always liked me, but I drag her had towards me because I can’t resist her for another second longer. I kiss her hard, there’s way more passion in this one, I’m sure she can feel just how hot and on fire I am. I snake my arms around her waist and I press myself against her. There’s no hiding how I feel, I hope she can tell because I really want to know if she feels the same way. I’m getting out of control now, if she doesn’t want me it’ll be very embarrassing.

“Oh, Kade,” she gasps against me, while rolling her hips against mine. At least she isn’t repulsed by my lust. It seems that she wants me too. Thank God. “Oh, my goodness, what are we doing here?”

“We’re doing whatever you want, baby.” I move my mouth down to her neck. “It’s entirely up to you.”

She pauses and steps back from me, running her eyes up and down me as she tries to make her decision. I can feel her undressing me, which makes me pant desperately. I don’t know which way this is going to go, and much as I hope she wants me too I get it if she doesn’t. I know that I’ll still like her, just as much as I do now. There’s something about Lucie that will keep me on the hook whatever.

Then she grabs me and she kisses me again, letting me know that it’s on.