I couldn’t believe how much we got finished.

The guys spent the entire day working their butts off, and it showed. We were ready for the rebuild. Just a week ago, I would’ve never thought it was possible. Without the help of my friends, I don’t know what I would’ve done.

“Can we eat, and maybe get a beer?” Garret asked.

“YES!” Paislee called out. The poor girl was probably starving. I was used to working daylight until dark before eating a good meal. She wasn’t. “I think we should all go out to eat. We’ve earned it, don’t you think?” She gauged my face for a reaction.

“You’re right.” I nudged her.

“Good, now lift me up.” She smiled. She was a tiny little thing compared to all of us guys.

I bent down lending her my back so that she could hop on. She did, and I lifted her up off the ground.

“I have an announcement!” She shouted, and the guys whistled. “I’m buying supper for everybody. Let’s go to Racks. I need a burger.”

The guys roared and cheered, and she leaned in to kiss my cheek.

“You sure know the way to a man’s heart.” I told her.

“What? A cheeseburger?” She laughed.

“With extra cheese,” I joked. She had a hold of my heart long before she mentioned food.

In this big ol’ devastating world, it made me happy to know that I had this one, sweet, beautiful, girl on my side. I may not have been lucky when it came to the trials of life, but she didn’t walk into my life out of pure coincidence. I was head over heels for this girl.

I couldn’t wait to show her just how much I loved her.

I couldn’t wait to press my lips against every square inch of her.

I couldn’t wait to hear her call out my name as I devoured her.

This needed to be the fastest meal we’ve ever sat through.

I lowered her back to the ground.

“Listen,” I told her. The darkness had begun to fall and there was barely enough light to see her face. “Is there any way we can get our food to go?”

“Yeah. Why what’s going on?”

I glanced around making sure no one was paying attention to us. It was dark, so no one could see what I was about to do. We never talked about sex. We never mentioned when we’d take that step, and I was in no way rushing her. But she had to know what kind of effect she had on me.

Taking her waist, I pulled her gently against me until our bodies were touching. “Do you feel that?” I questioned, knowing perfectly well that she could feel my hard as steel erection. It was pressing so hard against the zipper of my jeans that I thought they’d burst at the seams. I leaned down next to her. “We don’t have to do anything, but I want you curled up next to me. I want to kiss you so bad right now.”

“JOSH!” She yelled out. I didn’t know what the hell she was doing. He came over to us, and I pulled Paislee harder against me.

“What?” He asked her.

“My bag is in your car, and my wallet is inside. Take my credit card and buy everybody’s food and drinks. Make sure you leave a hefty tip,” she told him.

“Where are you going?” He asked, and I was curious what she was doing too.

“Jude and I are staying here,” she told him in plain, recognizable English. She wanted me just as much as I wanted her.

She yanked my arm and led me across the gravel towards the barn. She was sexy as hell when she was in boss mode. I freaking loved it.

“Wait, don’t you want to eat?”

She shook her head no. “Do you?” She asked.

When she looked back over her shoulder, there was a sly grin on her face. God, I loved her.

This was a side of her that I’d never seen before, surprisingly seductive. My pants were growing tighter by the second.

I grabbed the light that hung on a hook next to the ladder, and flipped the on switch, illuminating the room. She made the last few steps stopping just at the bottom of the ladder. Her eyes looked into mine, and the smile on her face was breathtaking.

I inched my way slowly and stopped right next to her. “What are we doing?” I asked. I wanted to be damn sure that the two of us were on the same page. “If you’re not ready, it’s okay.” I tucked a strand of her long brown hair behind her ear.

“I’m ready,” she promised. Her words never faltered. I felt her fingertips as they gently caressed my stomach. “I love you, Jude.”

Those words.

My heart stammered inside my chest. I thought that one day she might say those words to me, but I wasn’t prepared for the way they made me feel. It was incredible.

“I love you so much, Darlin.”

She closed her eyes, only for a brief second. “Then show me.”

She didn’t have to say another word.

She took the steps up to loft as I followed closely behind her. I left the light sitting on the floor below so that it would appear it was dusk and it wouldn’t be too bright.

“You want to do this here?” I asked. It didn’t seem like the best place for our first time. It was not at all what she deserved to have.

“It’s perfect.”

I pulled the throw blanket off of the couch and laid it on the old, dusty, wood floor. There was no way that the two of us were fitting on the loveseat. I could barely fit there by myself.

Snaking my hands around her waist, I leaned in to kiss her lips. Her hands fisted the front of my shirt, pulling me in closer to her. I deepened the kiss, savoring every single taste. She was sweeter than honey.

Her fingers moved quickly undoing each and every one of the buttons on my shirt until it hung loosely at my sides and was wide open. In turn, I held the hem of her shirt and waited as she lifted her hands above her head. Lifting slowly, I pulled it off her. I let my shirt slide off and hit the floor.

Her fingers gripped my sides and she kissed me again.

She was an amazing kisser. I could get completely lost in it, in her. The way her tongue matched mine, made it impossible for me to keep control. It was taking everything inside me not to devour her.

I reached for the button of her jeans, and unclasped it. Her big doe eyes were locked on me, watching my every move.

“You are so beautiful,” I whispered, as I slid her jeans down her legs.

Her chest rose quicker as her breathing picked up.

I slid the belt out of my jeans and slung it towards the couch, before lowering my pants to the ground. Reaching for her hand I led her down to the ground. Her back was against the floor, her hair spread out across the blanket, and in that moment I’d never seen anything more perfect. I thanked God for my sight. If I never saw another thing in this world, it was okay, because seeing her that way was everything.

I kneeled down between her legs, and let my hands rest next to her head. I liked looking down on her. She was so sexy beneath me.

She held her bottom lip tightly with her teeth as I inched my way closer and closer.

I kissed her cheek, slowly letting my lips linger there.

I kissed the side of her neck, letting my warm breath make her sigh.

I kissed the swell of her breast, letting my tongue lightly touch her skin.

“Jude,” she said breathlessly.

I kept my lips on her skin but glanced up at her to be sure that she was okay.

Her chest rose and fell and I could hear the loud intake of her breath.

“What is it, Darlin?”

“I need you.”

I smiled. “I’m going to take care of you. Don’t you worry.”

I hooked my fingers onto the sides of her white, lacey underwear and slid them down gently. I was teasing her now, as I took my sweet time. She was ready to explode. I could see it.

I kissed her knee, and watched as she trembled below me.

I kissed her thigh, and heard a moan escape her lips.

I kissed her hip, and felt her hand grip my shoulder.

She was coming undone.

I slowly let my tongue trail between her legs.

She cried out, and it was a sound that made me barely able to hang on.

I kept my mouth on her, and let my tongue do all the work. She was seconds away from losing it. She shook, she called out my name, and she made me love her even more.

I slid my boxers off my legs and let myself spring free. I watched her as she took every inch of me in. It was the sexiest thing ever.

I reached for my wallet and grabbed a condom, before opening her legs a little wider. She looked gorgeous lying there, ready for me. I moved quickly because I had no more patience left inside me. This was going to be quick, because I was past the point of worked up and well on my way to explosion.

“I love you, Paislee,” I told her as I inched my way inside her.

She took in a deep breath feeling every last inch of me. Her body was tight and I felt her fingernails dig into my back.

“Open your eyes, beautiful.” I told her, and she listened.

“I love you.” She mouthed the words as if it took too much breath for her to say them.

I was gone.

I moved harder and faster, and the two of us melted together as one.

I dug my head into the crook of her neck as my body shook with hers. It was total, and unrequited love.

She had every bit of my heart, my mind, my soul, and me.

“You have a great ass,” she spoke breathlessly, and out of the blue.

“You have great tits.” I countered.

Did I mention that my girl had a great way with words?

The two of us shared a laugh and talked as we spent the rest of the night wrapped in each other’s arms.