The warm tropical sun felt heavenly against my skin. We’d only been on the island of Kauai for a day, and I was already sporting a nice golden tan. My best friend Megan hadn’t been so fortunate. She was nursing a mild case of sunburn beneath a large beach umbrella beside me.

I adjusted my ear buds and rolled over onto my stomach when my iPod shuffled to play one of my new favorite songs. I was happily humming along with the chorus when something very cold and wet hit my ass.

“What the—” I jerked the ear buds from my ears and flipped over onto my side, catching a glimpse of the culprit lying on the sand next to me—a canary-yellow Frisbee.

Megan shot up in her lounger and grabbed my arm. “Holy. Fuck. Me. There is a god on the beach.” She slid her sunglasses down to the end of her nose.

Chuckling, I shook my head at her dramatics. From the moment we’d stepped off the plane, the girl had been on the prowl for the ultimate Hawaiian hookup, like it was number one on her bucket list. We’d spent most of our day yesterday sunning in this exact same spot, rating men as they walked up and down the beach. I’d joined in on the fun just to appease her, but so far I hadn’t been that impressed. Most of the guys I’d seen failed miserably in comparison to Eric.

That was until my gaze landed on the gorgeous blond beach god himself.

Bringing a hand up to shield my eyes, I fixed my gaze on the glorious six feet of perfection stepping out of the ocean. The bright afternoon sun made his shoulder-length hair glow against his tanned body, which was dripping wet and glistening from head to toe. Watching him was like seeing my most sinful fantasy play out right in front of me; something I had plenty of experience with lately.

Biting down on my lower lip, I drank him in, slowly, appreciating every inch of his ripped body like he was a piece of rare artwork. Just as I dared a look down to the perfect V that dipped below the waistband of his red board shorts, Megan snapped me from my dirty thoughts.

“Shit! He’s coming this way,” she said in a hushed voice.

The hot surfer approached. His impressive shadow completely blocked the sun. Goddamn. Even his shadow was smoking hot.

“Hey,” he said, flashing me a smile so sexy it should have been illegal. He rubbed the back of his neck with his hand and shifted his stance in the sand before eyeing the Frisbee in my hand. “I’m really sorry you got hit. I swear that gust of wind came out of nowhere.”

“Oh, it’s totally fine. Really. There’s no need to apologize.”

As I handed it back to him, his fingertips lightly brushed against my hand. The exchange electrified me. When I looked up at him, his wide-eyed expression mirrored my own. Get a hold of yourself, Clare.

He extended his hand out to me again. “Reed Michaels.”

“Clare Winston,” I replied, taking it.

“Clare,” he repeated, rewarding me again with his deadly smile. The sexy way my name resonated from his lips gave me goose bumps.

“And, I’m Megan,” my best friend chimed in from beside me, her voice coming off with a purr.

His glance met hers but quickly returned to me. “Listen, my friend and I scored some VIP tickets to this new club that just opened on the island. Would you two like to join us tomorrow night?”

I hesitated with my answer, struggling to find a polite way to decline his invitation. After all, I had Eric back at home. We’d finally come to an understanding. As much as I wanted to go to the club, I didn’t want to do anything that might jeopardize things with our relationship.

“We’d love to,” Megan answered before I could speak.

I shot her a murderous look, but she was too busy drooling over Reed to even notice.

“Great.” He beamed and turned around to wave his friend over to us.

My attention was immediately drawn to the large colorful tattoo of a flaming tidal wave that stretched, shoulder to shoulder, across Reed’s muscular back. The blues and vibrant orange captivated me. I admired the incredible detail. Beautiful. I’d never seen anything like it. But then again, I’d never seen anything like him before either.

“Clare, Megan, this is my buddy, Cole.” Reed introduced us to his handsome friend.

I glanced over at Megan. Yep, she is definitely giving Cole a high rating in her head.

“Are you two staying here?” Reed motioned toward the beachside hotel sprawling behind us.

“Yes, we’re here until Monday,” Megan added.

I narrowed my eyes at her.

“Well then, it’s settled. Cole and I will meet you in the hotel lobby tomorrow around eight.”

Bracing himself on the arms of my chair, Reed leaned down over me. He looked into my eyes at a distance so close, I felt as though my breath was being sucked from my chest.

Fuck. Me.

I fluttered my eyelids at him, instantly drunk on the sexual energy that was seeping from our bodies.

The sides of Reed’s mouth turned up into a grin, as if he had somehow heard every conflicting thought swirling in my head.

“Don’t stand me up, Clare, or I’ll have to come up and fetch you. Come to think of it, that might be fun.” He winked.

Breathless, I admired his perfectly tanned physique as he ran back toward the water.

Reed Michaels was a dangerous temptation.

Exciting.

Sexy.

Completely off limits.

And, I already wanted him like there was no tomorrow.

---

“Yes!”

I fist-bumped Travis as we proudly celebrated our beer pong victory. We were undoubtedly wasted, but still more sober than our opponents—which wasn’t saying a lot. No doubt about it. Tomorrow’s hangover was going to suck. But, right now, I wasn’t concerned about that. The night was still young, and the beer keg was still flowing.

“Drink! Drink! Drink!”

I started the chant, and soon my teammates joined in. Smiling, I threw my arm around my best friend’s shoulders and watched the losing team chug their beers. Once they were done, empty plastic cups went flying in the air.

In keeping with Ridgeville tradition, the senior football players were throwing a party at Coach Parton’s lake house. Since Clare was away on her trip, I more than welcomed the distraction. She’d only been gone a few days, but I already had a serious case of blue balls. I was counting down the days until I could sink my cock back into her sweet pussy again. Clare had no goddamn idea how addicted I was to her or our late nights at the country club. We’d christened every hole on the course…

I’d been with more than my share of girls, but Clare was different. The best part was…now she was all mine.

A set of headlights turned into the driveway, illuminating the back yard.

“Girls are here!” Travis announced, winking in my direction.

Glancing back toward the vehicle, I cursed. The horny son of a bitch had planned all of this without telling me. I should have known he’d pull something.

Whistles and catcalls erupted as the group approached, girls from school, most wearing skimpy bikini tops and barely-there cut-off shorts. When I saw Mandy glance in my direction, my blood began to boil.

I didn’t want her anywhere near me. And I knew I needed to remove myself from temptation. The last thing I wanted was the alcohol in my system to drive me to do something I would regret later.

Deciding to call it a night, I staggered across the lawn and through the dark house in search of my room. I barely made it to the end of the bed before I collapsed onto the mattress. The image of Clare’s beautiful face was the last thing I remembered before I gave in to my drunken haze.

---

I awoke to a familiar moan in my ear. When I opened my eyes, Mandy filled my frame of vision. Throwing back the covers, I leapt from the bed, narrowly avoiding tripping over my own feet.

“What the hell are you doing in here?” I jerked my shorts up off the floor and dressed quickly.

“It’s where you wanted me, don’t you remember?” Mandy pouted her lips and rolled over to her back.

I looked down at her naked body and panicked.

“Wait a minute. We didn’t, did we?” I was terrified to know the truth.

She smirked, holding a ripped condom wrapper between her fingers. “Several times, actually.”

My stomach dropped. “No, no, no!”

Frantic, I shoved my hands into my hair, pulling hard at the ends.

Think, Eric. Think. What happened last night?

“I must say, your stamina has certainly improved. I had a hard time keeping up.” She licked her lips, rose off the bed, and walked toward me, obviously proud of her nakedness. “I’m more than ready for another round,” she purred, tracing her fingers down my bare chest.

I shoved her hand away and brushed past her. “Fuck!” I patted my pockets for my phone. “Where’s my fucking phone, Mandy?”

Amusement played at her lips as she sat on the edge of the bed, crossed her long legs, and watched me search the room. “It’s probably in the bed somewhere. You got a little creative with it last night.”

Goddamn it. Can this possibly get any worse?

Tearing the bedding from the mattress, I found my phone tangled among the tan sheets. Scrolling through my notifications, I noticed Mandy had sent me a video from her phone.

“What the hell is this?” Dread dropped like a stone in my gut.

“I thought you might want a little reminder from last night.”

“Have you lost your mind? Who else have you sent this to?”

She smirked. “A few people. Just the ones I knew would like to watch.”

“Did you send this to Clare?” I snarled.

She shrugged. “Maybe.”

The panic and dread morphed into a heavy guilt. I dropped to the edge of the bed, bracing my elbows on my knees as I held my head in my hands. “Oh, my God. What have I done?”

Mandy climbed behind me on the bed and massaged my tense shoulders.

“She can’t satisfy you, Eric. Last night just proved that. I gave you what you wanted, what you needed…and you loved it.”

I jumped to my feet. “Get your goddamn hands off me, Mandy. I was drunk. I didn’t know what I was doing.”

She narrowed her eyes. “Don’t give me that shit, Eric. You weren’t that wasted. You knew exactly what you were doing.”

Her words seemed to be stuck on repeat in my head.

You knew exactly what you were doing.

Throwing my shirt over my head, I bolted toward the door.

“Where are you going?” she snapped, the anger in her voice undeniable.

“I’m going to fix this.”

“Come on, Eric. She’s never going to forgive you.”

“Maybe not. But I’ll be damned if I’m going to lose her.”

---

The intoxicating aromas of bodies and sex permeated the febrile air of the busy nightclub. As I moved my body to the beat of the music, I became increasingly aware of just how close I was dancing to Reed. Our bodies moved back and forth in perfect sync, as if we’d always been familiar with one another. Earlier, when he had pulled me onto the dance floor, I’d convinced myself that dancing with him was harmless. But the instant his hands were on my hips, I knew I was heading straight into dangerous territory. The scary part was…I wanted it.

A bead of sweat trickled down my neck. As if he had read my mind, Reed lifted up my long strawberry curls and blew against my nape. The delicious sensation took a direct path to my pussy, which was already begging for release.

Once the song ended, I took his hand and led him toward the bar to cool off. I knew if I spent another five minutes on that dance floor with him, there would be no way I’d be able to keep my promise to Eric. I had grown to care for him far too much over the past month to jeopardize anything by indulging in a hot paradise fling with Reed—not that I hadn’t entertained the idea thoroughly in my head at least a few dozen times since this afternoon.

Fanning myself, I climbed onto one of the barstools. Reed looked like perfect sin in his form-fitting black shirt and dark denim jeans. But the best part was the man bun he was sporting. With his long blond hair pulled away from his face, he looked even more breathtaking. I felt like every woman in here had already eye-fucked him at least once.

“You’re a great dancer,” Reed shouted over the club music while waving the bartender over to us.

“Thanks, you’re not so bad yourself.”

The bartender sat two bottles of cold water in front of us and then patted his hand on the bar to get Reed’s attention.

“Good luck on Saturday, bro. My buddies and I will be rooting for you.”

Reed shook his hand. “Thanks, man. I really appreciate that.”

He handed me a water and I lifted my brow, eyeing him curiously as I twisted the cap off the bottle. “What’s Saturday?”

“The Sterling Beach Classic. The top five surfers will be eligible for the World Cup next month in Sydney.”

“Wow, so you’re a pro surfer? That’s awesome!”

Reed reached down and took my hand in his. He studied our entwined fingers for a minute before lifting his eyes to mine. “I know you’re dating someone, but I would really love it if you could be there Saturday. After the rough preliminary round last week, I could definitely use a good luck charm.” His dark eyes looked hopeful as he waited for my answer.

Oh, come on, Clare. What could it hurt?

I relaxed my shoulders and softened my expression. “Sure, I’d love to come.”

Like I’d pass up a chance to see the ocean god wet and shirtless again.

Reed placed a tender kiss on my hand, sending my pounding clit into overdrive. Jesus, the man was going to make me come apart in the middle of this club.

My phone unexpectedly vibrated in the bodice of my dress, causing me to jump.

A message came in from an unknown number. The text instantly grabbed my attention.

When the cat’s away, the mouse will play.

What the hell did that mean? Then another message came through with a video attached. Something told me not to open it, but I couldn’t stop myself.

I excused myself to the ladies room. After securing the door to the stall, I hurriedly retrieved my phone from the top part of my dress. My thumb hovered over the play triangle for a few more seconds before I was brave enough to continue. The second my gaze landed on the figures moving on the screen, I wished I had listened to the voice in my head.

I couldn’t hear the audio over the loud club music thumping outside the bathroom, but I didn’t need to. The vivid image of Mandy’s naked body bouncing up and down over the midsection of a guy told me everything. My hands shook as the angle of the video shifted, revealing another girl. She was sitting on the face of the guy, rocking back and forth as he ate her eagerly.

Suddenly, Mandy’s scream overpowered the noisy club. “Eric!”

I powered off my phone with trembling hands. Disoriented, I stumbled out of the bathroom stall and gripped the sides of the counter to keep my legs from going out beneath me. How could he do this to me?

I gave myself a few minutes to recover and decided I had to move. I opened the door, shocked to see Reed leaning against the adjacent wall. The broad smile on his handsome face dropped the instant his eyes landed on me. In one quick move, he was in front of me, both arms wrapped firmly around me.

“Clare? What’s wrong? Are you okay?” His voice was full of concern.

I buried my head into his chest. “H-He cheated on me, Reed. Someone sent me a video of him in bed with two girls. How could he be so cruel?”

He cursed under his breath before saying, “Come on. Let’s get you out of here.” He tightened his grip around my waist and led me down the hallway.

---

Reed’s Jeep had barely stopped in the vacant beach parking lot before I opened the passenger side door.

“Clare!” He grabbed for my arm, but I pulled away. “Clare, wait!” Reed shouted from behind me.

Quickly, I kicked off my heels and took off toward the ocean.

Images of Mandy riding Eric flashed before my eyes, sending a sharp pain through me. I ran until my chest was burning, until I couldn’t breathe. Gasping for air, I stumbled in the sand. Within seconds, Reed was by my side, kneeling next to me.

“How could I have been so stupid?”

In one gentle movement, I was sitting in Reed’s lap, my head against his chest, breathing him in as he held me against him. God, he smelled so fucking good.

Gently, using the pad of his thumb, Reed wiped at a single tear that fell down my cheek. “He’s not worth a single one of these, Clare. You need to forget about him.”

“I want to forget.” I tightened my grip on the front of Reed’s shirt, pulling him to me until his mouth was inches from mine. “Please, Reed, make me forget,” I whispered against his lips, begging for him to do something, anything to take the pain away.

“Clare.” His voice was strained.

Desperate to feel him, I began frantically working to unfasten his pants. I’d barely managed to loosen his belt buckle before Reed’s strong hands seized my wrists, forcefully pushing me backward until my back hit the sand.

Pinning my hands above me, he leaned over me, a pained look on his face. “Stop.”

I immediately stilled at his words. Stop? My face heated with embarrassment. He was rejecting me. I turned my head, too mortified to look at him.

“I-I’m sorry. I thought you wanted me.”

Using his knee to urge my legs apart, Reed slid one hand beneath my ass and then tugged me toward him until his hardness was flush against my heated opening. I gasped at the delectable sensation.

“Does that fucking feel like I don’t want you?”

Reed rotated his hips, grinding his pelvis against my swollen clit, but then suddenly stilled, tracing his thumb across my trembling bottom lip. Unable to speak, I stared back at him through lustful eyes.

“You have no idea how badly I want to rip that dress off you and fuck you until you forget your own name.”

I whimpered, wanting more, needing more. “What’s stopping you then? Take me, Reed. Please.”

Reed tensed, pressing his forehead to mine.

“No, Clare. Not this way. You can’t fuck someone out of your head. You need someone to appreciate your body, to make love to you.”

He slowly inched his hand up my thigh.

“Tell me. Has anyone ever taken their time with you?” He placed a gentle kiss against my neck, licking down to the crevice of my chest. My body arched against the sand.

“No,” I breathed, my voice trembling.

He brushed his lips across my bottom lip. “Then maybe it’s time someone did.”

---

“Come on, Clare. Please, pick up.”

I had been blowing up her phone nonstop with calls and texts for the past hour, hoping and praying that by some miracle she’d answer. Her voicemail was already maxed out with my lengthy apologies. Reaching the point of desperation, I’d even resorted to tracking down Megan’s cell phone number. She was also ignoring my calls. No surprise there.

The screen door creaked as Travis stepped onto the front porch. He shot me a sympathetic look before sitting in the rocking chair beside me. Everyone else had already left the lake house.

“Still not answering, huh?”

Frustrated, I ran my hand through my hair. “I fucked up bad, and I don’t know how in the hell to make it right.”

Travis cleared his throat. “Look, I didn’t want to say anything while the girls were still here, but I overheard a conversation in the kitchen that makes me think that Mandy’s up to something.”

I rolled my eyes. “When isn’t she up to something?”

He held out his hand. “Let me see that video again.”

Cringing, I handed my phone to him.

“When you’re done, delete it. I want it off my phone.”

As he watched, I sat back in the rocker, becoming nauseous as the sounds of Mandy’s moaning permeated my ears.

How could I have been so fucking stupid?

“That bitch!” Travis scooted to the edge of his seat. “She set you up, bro.”

He turned the phone around for me to see the paused image on the screen. My focus zeroed in on the hand that was gripping Mandy’s ass. The familiar brown leather cuff around the wrist gave it all away.

“Peyton? Are you fucking kidding me? But I thought he couldn’t make it.”

Travis shook his head. “He showed up late last night, but didn’t stay long. He was pissed when he left. Now it all makes sense.”

A sense of relief washed over me, but it was short lived. Even though I was innocent, the damage had already been done. I had just a couple more days before Clare returned from Hawaii. If I had any hope of making this right between us, I would have to come up with one hell of a plan. One thing was for sure. I wasn’t going to lose her.

---

We left the beach and were at Reed’s apartment, in his bedroom, shrouded in darkness. Reed tugged down the side zipper of my dress and slowly eased it off my body. I stood in front of him, wearing only a white lace thong. So many emotions swirled through me, but in this moment, I felt beautiful…appreciated…cherished even.

With a hunger in his eyes that stole my breath, he slowly slid his palms up my sides, over my arms, before cradling my face. Lowering his forehead to mine, our lips a breath apart, he growled with need. I opened for him, ready for his kiss. But before our lips touched, he swooped his arms under my knees and carried me back into his bedroom.

A second later, he eased me against the silky bedding. I lifted my hips as he gripped the sides of my thong, dragged the lacy fabric down my legs, and tossed them to the side.

“No one should ever rush being with you, Clare.” He gently kissed right above my mound before sliding his hands between my legs, easing them apart. “You should be treasured.” Keeping his eyes on mine, he swiped his searing hot tongue across the lips of my pussy. “You should be savored. Worshipped.”

Prowling above me, Reed licked a long trail up my abdomen, pausing to flick his tongue against my erect nipple. A mischievous look spread across his face as he pursed his lips and blew across the wetness. I arched up off the bed, every inch of my body humming with pleasure.

When I opened my eyes, he leaned in over me, brushing my curls back away from my face.

“So fucking beautiful,” he whispered against my lips before covering my mouth with his.

I moaned in delight, tasting the flavor of cinnamon on his tongue. God, could he kiss!

Every delectable swipe of his tongue against mine felt like I was falling, deeper and deeper, into a blissful euphoria. I was so deliciously lost in him. If kissing him was this incredible, I couldn’t begin to fathom how amazing sex would be.

Taking his time, Reed feathered kisses over every inch of my body. When he hungrily engulfed my breast, I cried out in pleasure. Reed’s appreciative groans only turned me on more. If he kept this up, I was going to come.

I almost whimpered with relief at the sound of the condom wrapper ripping. Then he wrapped his arms around my bare waist and lifted me up so I was straddling him. I felt his long, hard cock twitch beneath me, teasing me and triggering the heaviness in my core to bear down, hard. My pussy ached to be filled. I didn’t know how much more I could stand. Every kiss, every touch was only making me more desperate.

He slid his palms beneath my ass to support me while he aligned the tip of his sheathed cock to my soaked opening.

“Slow,” he reminded me with a raspy breath.

I obeyed, savoring every inch of progress. I trembled at the feel of his thick girth stretching me, filling me. Reed covered my mouth with his, groaning when I seated him fully. Overwhelmed with pleasure, I closed my eyes, dropped my head back, and rotated my hips.

“Eyes on me, Clare,” he demanded gently. “I want you to see what you do to me.”

In perfect sync we moved together, slowly, taking our time to relish each thrust.

With our gazes locked, my climb to release rose sharply. It was as if every single movement he made was connected to my inner core.

“Reed. Oh, God…you feel so good.”

“Let go, baby. Come.”

I let the feelings take me under. As a powerful orgasm rippled through me, Reed captured my face, quickening his pace, until I felt my pleasure soak his cock.

Before I could catch my breath, Reed eased me onto my back. He remained thick and swollen inside me, thrusting deeper. I moaned, wrapping my legs around his waist.

Reed pressed his forehead to mine, with his legs pressed beneath my thighs until my knees rested against my chest. I gasped at how deliciously deep he was.

“You feel like heaven. So.” Thrust. “Fucking.” Thrust. “Perfect.” Thrust.

His powerful words were my undoing, triggering the most explosive orgasm I’d ever experienced.

“See what you do to me?” He panted, his strides growing more powerful. “Oh, God, Clare. I’m going to come.”

I studied his face intently as he chased his pleasure, his mouth gaping open as he shuddered above me. Watching him come had been the most beautifully erotic thing I’d ever seen.

Panting, he tenderly kissed my lips before easing out of me. I grieved the absence of his cock, my swollen sex still craving him.

Nestling against him, I rested my head against his chest and tried to catch my breath.

“That was… Wow.” He tightened his embrace, rubbing my arms tenderly. I raised my head, smiling adoringly at his handsome face.

He stared into my eyes and played with one of my long curls. “I can’t tell you how incredible that was, Clare. Nothing has ever felt as good as you.”

I blushed at his compliment.

Chuckling, he kissed the tip of my nose. “I didn’t mean to embarrass you.”

“I just didn’t know sex could be like this. It was so perfect.”

He was silent a moment, studying me before speaking. “No one should take you for granted, Clare. Promise me you won’t forget that.”

I nodded, dropping my head so that he wouldn’t see the tears in my eyes. This man was unbelievable. Was he really a god?

Reed tilted my chin up with his fingertips, a sly grin forming at his lips.

“I think maybe I need to make damn sure you never forget.”

I barely had time to register what he’d said before he moved back between my legs.

Reed Michaels was a determined man, making his point three more times that night.

---

“What time does her plane get in tomorrow?” Travis carried the last case of beer from the back of his dad’s bar. I popped a handful of nuts in my mouth, wishing that I could wash them down with one of the cold beers he’d just put in the cooler.

“Nine o’clock tonight. Hopefully it won’t be delayed.”

Smirking, he leaned over the bar. “So you’re really going to risk making a spectacle of yourself in front of everyone over a girl?”

“Not a girl, my girl.” I corrected. When it came to earning back Clare Winston, I was willing to undergo any form of public humiliation—even if that meant that the FAA ended up banning me permanently from the airport.

“Well, when you get hauled into a room and cavity searched, don’t say I didn’t warn you.”

Travis’s attention shifted to something behind me. Lifting up his arm, he pointed toward the huge television hanging on the wall.

“Holy shit! Isn’t that Clare?”

Clare? Why the hell would she be on ESPN?

“Turn it up!” I shouted, practically leaping for the remote on the bar.

I grimaced as the blond surfer snaked his arm around Clare’s waist, tugging her close to him. Immediately, I wanted to rip his goddamn arm off his body. Without wavering, the surfer kept his focus on Clare as he answered.

“This beautiful girl coming into my life is what motivated me.” Then, he pulled her in for a kiss.

It took everything in me to fight back the urge to break every fucking bottle in the place. Travis quickly hit the button on the remote to change the channel, as if that was going to alleviate the situation.

I hadn’t missed the way Clare had looked at him. It was the same way she used to look at me when she was still mine.

Mine.

“That doesn’t mean anything, Eric.” Travis tried to console me, but it was pointless.

“Yes, it does. It means I’ve lost her.”

“No, it doesn’t. Grow some fucking balls, Eric, and go get your girl.”

---

Reed held my hand as we walked through the crowded airport. I told him last night that he didn’t have to come, but he insisted on seeing us off. Megan and Cole had already said their goodbyes, leaving the two of us alone.

Reed wrapped his arms around my waist and pulled me against him. I stared into his dark eyes, wishing I could stay longer.

“I have a confession to make,” he said, smirking.

“Okay, let’s have it.”

“That day on the beach with the Frisbee? Well, let’s just say my aim was spot-on.”

I busted out laughing. “You’re something else, you know it?”

Reed’s expression suddenly grew serious. “I know your heart still belongs with him.” He cupped my face with his hands. “But you’ve stolen mine, Clare Winston.” He tenderly kissed me, and then dragged his bottom lip in to savor it.

“I’ll never forget you, Reed. You’ve made me feel so special.”

“You are special, my beautiful girl. Never forget that.”

When the boarding call for my flight was announced, I struggled to let go of him. He lifted me up, giving me one final passionate kiss before setting me down.

Drunk on the kiss, I fluttered my eyes open.

“This isn’t goodbye, Clare. I’ll see you again.”

---

Megan snored lightly next to me on the plane. I was grateful for the peace. It gave me time to process everything in my head without her prying questions. I knew she wanted details about my time with Reed, but I wasn’t sure I wanted to give them to her. I wanted to keep them safely tucked away, to remind me how special sex could be between two people.

Resting my head against the window, I stared out at the evening sky. Reed had been right. My heart still completely belonged to Eric. Being with Reed only solidified that I deserved more than what Eric had given me. Sure, I’d loved our time together, but Reed had also opened my eyes up to how incredible slow, tender love could be. More than anything, I wanted to experience that with Eric, except I didn’t know where we stood. Could I forgive him?

I was completely exhausted by the time our plane landed. All I wanted to do was go home, crawl into bed, and sleep. Dropping my head, I followed my best friend off the plane. When I looked up, I saw the very last person I expected to see standing in the middle of the airport. My heart stopped at the sight of Eric.

Holding an armful of flowers, he moved toward me. “It was all a lie, Clare. That wasn’t me in the video. She set it up to keep us apart. I swear. Just give me a chance, and I can prove it to you.”

“Eric.” I said his name on a whispered breath.

He stepped closer, tipping my face up until I was gazing into his eyes. “I didn’t sleep with her. I’d never—”

“But, Eric. It’s not that simple. I…” I swallowed hard. I needed to be honest about everything that had happened with Reed. But how could I tell him if what he said was really true?

Eric interrupted me by pressing his finger to my lips. “Shhh. I don’t care what happened in Hawaii. It’s in the past. You and me? We’re the future.”