Emily
Present…
AFTER MOM GOES TO BED, I slide on my flip-flops and head toward the lake. Normally, Finn’s over-the-top car is sitting near the dock, but not tonight. Apprehension bubbles up inside me. He said our spot. Surely he wouldn’t stand me up.
A pang cuts through me.
What if I pushed him too far?
Now that I realize I have always wanted Finn and not allowed myself to have him, the very thought of losing him nearly guts me.
God, I am so stupid.
Every smile he’s ever given me flips through my mind like a slide show. By the time I make it to the lake, my vision is blurred with tears. I kick off my shoes when I make it to the dock and walk out to the end. Closing my eyes, I let the hot tears roll down my cheeks.
I’d been so busy trying to mold someone like Porter into something better, that I lost sight of the perfect man right in front of me.
He has every right to want to move on. I’ve been awful to him. Since the day he pushed me into the lake. My heart aches for a redo. To rewind back to that summer day and change things. I’d been smitten with him, but then I’d been introduced to his parents, seen his giant home, and felt the coldness of what money does to people. It was so different from what I was used to with my own family that it spooked me.
But Finn?
He was never cold.
Finn Browning is fire and warmth and comfort.
I let out a sad sigh. Tomorrow, I’ll go to his house and talk to him. It’s not too late. Determination is just burning through me when two solid hands give me a push from behind. I barely have a chance to cry out and suck in a breath before I plunge into the cold, dark lake water. Kicking up, I rise to the surface in time to hear a splash but not see the culprit. Panic rises up inside me and then something grabs me from beneath the water.
The scream I let out gets muffled by the water as I’m pulled under. I thrash until I’m pulled into a familiar pair of strong, muscular arms. He kicks us to the surface and the moment I open my eyes, I start yelling.
“You little asshole!” I holler. “You scared the shit out of me!”
His laughter makes my heart catch as he swims us back over to the dock. As though I weigh nothing, he hoists me out of the water and lays me on my back. That smug grin of his is the last thing I see before his lips hover above mine.
“What are you doing?” I whisper, my fingers sliding up his muscular arms.
“What I should have done six years ago,” Finn rumbles.
“Oh yeah?” I breathe. “What’s that?”
“Claiming you.”
His lips press to mine sweetly at first—reminiscent of that day when he thought he was giving me CPR. But then he urges my lips apart and his tongue seeks mine. This isn’t like any kiss I’ve ever had. No kiss has tasted like fire and need and a bond only forged through years of friendship and love. His body pins mine to the wood planks and in desperation to be closer to him, my legs part. He settles between my thighs and I can feel how hard he is through our wet clothes. When he grinds against my center, I moan into his mouth and claw at his shoulders.
“I knew I’d eventually convince you, angel,” he says in that smartass way that boils my blood. And tonight is no different. My blood is boiling, but I like the way he stokes my fires. I want him to burn me with this intensity he always directs my way.
“So sure of yourself,” I say, nipping at his bottom lip. “You’re going to have to work harder at convincing me.”
A growl rumbles through him and straight to my core. He rocks his hips in such a way that he rubs against my clit each time. Stars of pleasure dance behind my lids. His tongue dances with mine as his hands rove over me in a reverent way.
I’ve never felt so wanted and adored in all my life.
My heart skips with joy. I’m an idiot for denying myself this man for so long.
“Emily,” he rasps, lifting up to stare down at me. His blue eyes shine with such emotion that my heart seems to crack open.
“Finn.”
He smiles. No smugness. Just pure happiness. Me. I make him smile this way. “I’ve loved you from the moment I saw you standing on the end of that dock. I always knew I’d make you mine one day.”
My bottom lip trembles. “I’m sorry I pushed you away.”
“It just makes the reward much sweeter,” he says, pressing small kisses on my lips. “You are worth the wait.”
His lips kiss down to my neck and then he rubs against me until I’m whimpering with a sudden orgasm. Before I can come down from my high, he stands up, stealing his warmth away from me.
“Don’t look so sad, angel,” he teases. “I’m going to take you somewhere where I can take my time with you.” He offers his hand to me and then pulls me to my feet. Instead of letting go of my hand, he guides me over to the edge of the dock so I can put my shoes back on. Quietly, we walk over to my house to the garage. When I was a kid, after we moved into the main house, my parents would let me play in the garage apartment. Finn and I hang out up there a lot since it has a television and we can be as loud as we want without bothering anyone.
This time is different, though.
We’re no longer best friends going there to have an innocent time.
Tonight, we’re taking a new step. Breaking past the friendship barrier we’ve been stuck behind all this time.
He guides me up the stairs and we step into the apartment. Once inside, he walks over to the stereo and turns on some music. Then, he motions for me to follow him to the back. Nerves get the best of me and when I reach the doorway, I pause.
His eyes dart over to me and he stares at me with such an unguarded expression. Love and need and desire all burning in his blue eyes. But since it’s just Finn, the apprehension bleeds away and I find myself slowly approaching. When I’m close, he wraps his arms around me and hugs me to him.
“We don’t have to do this,” he says, pulling away to stare at me. “I’ve waited this long. I can continue to wait until you’re ready.”
His earnest stare is my undoing.
Grabbing the hem of his soaked T-shirt, I start lifting it up. I peel his shirt off him and then admire his lean, cut physique. Finn has those V muscles that make girls like me stupid. Even when trying to keep him in the friend zone all these years, I’ve allowed myself to admire this god of a man. Tonight, though, I’m allowed to touch. And greedily, I roam my palms over his hard, tanned flesh on his lower stomach.
“Finn Browning,” I whisper as I lean forward and kiss between his pectoral muscles. My lips linger there and I can feel his heart steadily thumping. “I’ve loved you from the moment you looked at me and pressed your lips to mine when we were twelve. And then I spent the next six years pushing you away. I’m sorry.”
His palms slide into my wet hair and he tilts my head up. Intensity burns in his blue eyes and he bites on the inside corner of his bottom lip as he stares at me. “Waiting all those years just to hear that you love me was worth every second.” His lips crash to mine and all sweetness fades as our need takes over like two feral animals. He’s not gentle as he practically rips my dress from my body. My fingernails make him hiss when they claw at his hips in desperation to remove his basketball shorts. Soon, we’re both naked and panting between kisses.
“God, you’re beautiful,” he groans as his palms find my ass. He lifts me, urging me to wrap my legs around him. His cock bounces against the crack of my ass as he carries us to the bed. As though I’m something fragile, he lowers us onto the bed with the utmost care. His cock slides between the lips of my pussy, but he doesn’t enter me.
“I’m nervous,” I squeak, my eyes darting all over his face.
He frowns. “This isn’t your first time.” His features grow stormy. “You’ve been with him.”
“No,” I rasp out. “He wanted to one night, but I was scared.”
His cock teases me. Back and forth. “Why were you scared?” His voice is husky and raw.
Running my fingers into his hair, I pull him closer for a kiss. “I was scared I was about to make a big mistake.”
“Are you scared now?”
The tip of his cock pokes against my entrance. A thrill of need shoots through me. “No, just nervous that it will hurt. But scared? Not with you. I trust you with my everything, Finn.”
He crashes his lips to mine and then slides his hand between us. At first I think he’s going to guide himself into me, but his fingers find my clit that’s still buzzing from my last orgasm. When he starts strumming me so expertly, I moan into his mouth and tug at his hair.
“That’s it, angel,” he croons. “Let me take care of you.”
He massages me until I’m crying out in ecstasy. I’m still trembling when he fists his cock and then wets the tip of it with the juices running out of me. His eyes are down between us where he’s rubbing me and I truly appreciate how gorgeous he is. Strong nose and chiseled jaw. A dusting of facial hair and tousled light brown hair that sometimes takes on blond hues with too much sun. His lips are full and kissable. God, he’s hot.
His blue eyes sear into mine, flashing with love and assurance as he pushes barely inside me. My breath hitches and his brows furrow together in concern.
“You okay?” he asks, his body stilling.
I dig my heels into his ass and urge him closer. “I’ve never been better.”
He grins that crooked boyish grin I love so much before pouncing on me for a kiss. His cock stretches me to the point of pain as he pushes further inside me. I let out a mewl of fear, but then he’s kissing me with such love and passion that I want everything with him. Pain. Pleasure. Forever.
His hips thrust into me hard. Just once. Enough that he breaks through any barrier separating us and is completely seated inside me. The burn is enough to bring tears to my eyes, but the way he kisses me in such a soothing way, I relax.
This feels right.
This feels like love.
For so long I’ve been an idiot, pushing away what’s been right in front of me. All because I thought money and status mattered. My parents prove that it doesn’t matter. Love matters. Love doesn’t give one damn about how much money you make or where you come from. Love is a storm that decimates everything in its path with equal fierceness. Love is madness and it just doesn’t care. It doesn’t care about what school you go to or what kind of car you drive. Love does what it wants.
“God, I love you, Emily Crenshaw,” he murmurs as his hips begin a seductive rhythm that sings to my soul.
I claw and kiss at him, desperate for more. Now that I’ve finally allowed myself a taste, I’m hungry for it all.
“I love you too, Finn Browning.”
My words set him off and he bucks into me. I love how my sweet, funny, put together boy turns into a beast dead set on ravaging me. His teeth nip at me and his groans become growls. And then he’s coming and marking me. Claiming me as his forever.
In this moment, we’re not best friends or neighbors.
No, we’re finally here.
Exactly where we should be.
This is our spot.
Together.