“Angels, princesses…” She glances toward the top of the evergreens. “All references you might give your little sister.” She leans in and takes a soft bite out of my lower lip.
I take in a smooth breath through my teeth.
“Trust me, Baya, the thoughts I’m having toward you are anything but brotherly. And you’ll get to meet my little sister next weekend. She’s no angel.” The truth is, Annie is every bit a saint. “Okay, maybe she is, but that’s beside the point.” I sink us a little lower. “I think you’re sexy as hell, Baya.”
“That’s better.” She presses a kiss over my lips, and I can feel her fingers twitching behind her back. She plucks her bra off, tossing it onto the rocks while staring into me with the look of anticipation in her eyes.
“Baya.” I ride my gaze, slowly down her features, her neck until I see her in all her God-given glory. “Damn, girl,” I whisper, pulling her under just enough to cover her tits. “You’re going to take me to the brink tonight.”
“They missed you.” She presses her bare chest into mine, and my hard-on rockets to life.
“I missed them, too.” It takes everything in me to control my breathing.
“So are we all done talking?” She rides her hand up my thigh until she hits pay dirt, and I catch her. My dick and I are on the rails of temptation, and the train just lost its breaks.
“Not by a long shot.” I slip my hands under her knees and hoist her high on my waist, safely away from my point of interest. “But I think we should do this”—I land a kiss over the nape of her neck and feel her sigh beneath me—“a lot.”
Baya relaxes her head back as I graze my teeth over her flesh. I run my tongue up all the way to her ear and give a solid attempt to swallow her earlobe.
“Bryson,” she gravels it out low, and my body electrifies in a series of pulsating waves. I’ve never felt this good, this alive with any other girl. Baya has the power to help me forget the past, erase it all together. This is strong, powerful, and I want to drink her down like an elixir, right here—right fucking now.
Her brother blinks through my mind, and I straighten. “Cole is going to blow my head off when he finds out.” I pull back just enough to take in her beautiful face.
“Cole doesn’t have to know—not at first anyway.” Baya traces out an S over my chest, and I groan into her. “Besides, I like the thought of having you all to myself for a while.” Her hand rides over my boxers, and this time I don’t stop her. “I like the idea of having a delicious secret that only you and I know about.”
I pull her hand up from over my balls and kiss it. “I’m falling for you, Baya.” It feels safe like this to confess it with a midnight moon the only thing around to witness the event. I swore I’d never fall in love again, and here I am, hook, line, and sinker. Baya has me in ways she doesn’t even know. “I want everything you’re willing to give me.”
Her eyes penetrate mine, serious, seductive like two emerald stones. “I’ve already fallen for you, Bryson—and I plan on giving you anything you want, anytime you want it.” She dips her hands into the back of my boxers and gives my bare ass a squeeze. “I want to share every part of me with you.” She runs her teeth over her bottom lip. “In the worst way.”
“I want that, too.” I firm my hands over her waist in an effort to keep them from wandering. “But I want to take it slow. I want your first time to be special.” I press a warm kiss over her lips, and a branding iron of heat shoots through my body.
She pulls back. “I thinkthisplace is pretty darn special.” A sweet laugh trembles from her. The water beading over her chest catches the light like a thousand falling stars. “But I’m okay with slow, too.” She glances down at the water a moment. “I’ve never done anything like that before, so don’t expect much from me.”
“I wouldn’t worry.” I spin us in a slow circle. “You’ve already got everything I’m dying for, Baya. Swear to God, I’ve never wanted anyone like I’m wanting you.” It’s my turn to drop my gaze to the water. I look back up and pull her in by the chin with my finger. “I swear to you—I won’t break your heart. I’m committed to loving you exactly how you deserve.”
Tears bloom in her eyes, and it’s the last thing I expect.
“Whoa, did I say something wrong?” I pull us out of the water a few inches and let the night air cool us off.
“No”—she shakes her head, wiping away the tears—“you said everything right.” She tilts her head back, taking in a deep breath before reverting her gaze to mine. “I hope you don’t think this is creepy, but nobody has ever cared for me the way you do—at least not since my dad passed away.” She shrugs. “My mom was busy trying to keep a roof over our heads, and Colt was busy telling me who to be and how to act. But you”—she pulls her lips into a sad smile—“you’re so positive. You make me feel safe. I love that about you. And—I think I’m falling in love with you.” The smile glides off her face. Her legs go slack around my waist, and I pull them up again.
“I think I’m falling in love with you, too. In fact, I know I am.” I press in until our mouths fuse in one eternal kiss. Baya dances her tongue over mine, lounges in my mouth as if she’s setting up shop and plans on staying for years, and I hope to God she is.
Baya says she’s never done anything, and I’m damn glad. I want to teach her everything, be right there while she’s experiencing the zenith of pleasure with my body buried deep inside her.
I ride my hands up over her waist and round out the front until my thumbs press over her nipples. She’s so fucking soft, I’m about to lose it. But I don’t. I want to save everything and wait for that perfect moment with Baya. I want to love her until the morning, and then that won’t be enough. Whenever it is, I hope it’s soon. I don’t think I can hold out much longer.
The week melts by like snow in springtime.
Baya and I take the bikes out each morning before class and ride up to the Witch’s Cauldron to steal a moment—safe away from Cole and the long line of sorority girls he has swarming his bedroom night after night.
I told Holt I was bringing Baya home this weekend, asked him to man the fort at the Black Bear while I was gone. I haven’t told Mom or Annie yet, I thought I’d spring her on them sort of the way the universe sprang her on me. Baya’s been the best surprise—the biggest relief.
The last thing I need to do on Friday, before I officially steal Baya away for the weekend, is work my ass off at Capwell Inc. for a few hours. The founder’s grandson, Ryder, and I share an office. He’s a grad student at Briggs, along with his cousin Aubree, the curator of my misery here at the Capwell advertising division.
“Anything new with you and Ms. Sawyer?” I ask, pushing the daunting stack of paper the hell away from me for a moment. It’s no secret Ryder still pines for Laney. They had a head on collision of a break up last winter after years of waiting to be together, and now it’s like they’re virtual strangers.
He shakes his head just barely. You can see the hurt swelling up in his eyes, so I don’t push it, hell I feel bad for bringing it up to begin with.
