"We have to go; the bus will be here any second."
"Fuck that bus,” he rasped. “We can fly there on uncle Grayson's jet or we can just not go." The thought of spending the week here in the house buried inside of her until they both couldn't walk made his cock twitch and his mouth water.
Ebony's eyes rounded, having felt him, and she gave him a smile that stole his soul before untangling herself from him.
"No, we have to go. Besides, we’ve been looking forward to this."
Gavin held her hand keeping her in place. "Tell me," he groaned. "I need to hear you say it."
Knowing what he meant, she tilted her head and gave him a soft considering look. "Remember the time when Levi Sanderval nearly gave me a concussion in a match years ago?"
Gavin blinked and forced his mind from the haze of the moment to focus on her words. "Yes. Sometimes when I see him in the halls, I think I should've done more than broken his jaw." He thought of the guy and how sometimes he gave him a grin that told him he was and would always be on his shitlist. The pale look of fear he always got in return would brighten his day.
Ebony slid her arms around his waist and stepped close until her breasts were flat against his stomach. God help him. "That was the day I knew you stopped hating me. Or when I refused to learn piano and decided to learn the drums you took up the guitar although you didn’t have to but you did anyway just to make it hard for mom to yell at us both. I knew then you were my best friend."
Gavin swallowed.
Ebony continued. "But I knew I loved you when Jade and Gideon left town and you held me all night until I cried myself to sleep. I love you, Gavin, and though I won't lie and say I'm not nervous about what people will say, I do know I only want to spend my life with you."
Gavin didn’t speak. In the next breath he had her against the wall, his mouth slanted over hers when they heard the blaring horn from outside.
Gavin growled in frustration, cursing everyone on that fucking bus as Ebony laughed. Moving away from him and out of reach she grabbed her luggage.
"We could always fly out tomorrow," he tried one last time. His rock-hard dick practically forced him to at least try. There was a part of him that was almost afraid to leave the house, afraid to see if she would maintain her courage for their love in front of others.
Ebony gave him a knowing look and smiled. "No. Come on. It will be fun, besides," she paused down the hall, a shy look coming over her face. "We can spend time together at the resort. Especially since we did all that work to get me ready last night."
Gavin had to shut his eyes. His jaw clenched at the rush of even more blood rushing to his dick, making his balls pulse under the strain. He called on every ounce of willpower he possessed. God, she had no fucking idea. Hair or bald, he didn’t give a fuck. But he supposed she would know that soon enough.
Opening his eyes, he managed a stiff nod and grabbed his suitcase and then hers. Within minutes they were saying goodbye to Duke, promising him that Garrett would come over with his girlfriend Ruby to babysit him, and were out the door toward the charter bus.
There were three buses total, all packed with their graduating class. The large black chartered buses would take them from Stardust Cove to Houston Airport to a plane dedicated just for them, of course all paid for by the Rosebank family. Scores of excited faces stared at them as they came out of the house watching as he handed the driver their bags.
Gavin's stomach tightened as he prepared himself for Ebony's polite sisterly smile.
It would be fine, he mentally assured himself. This was all still new to her. She hadn't had years and years of obsessing about him like he had for her. He just needed to be patient and-
His thoughts were cut short as she grabbed his hand and gave him a smile that he had no words to describe. Joy? Unspoken promise? Love? Fuck he wasn’t sure; all he could focus on was not tugging her right back to him and waving the buses on and spending days showing her how much she affected him.
As they walked into the bus hand in hand, Gavin could practically feel the rampant texts streaming through the air to one another. People bit back full-on grins as they smiled and greeted Ebony as she led them to their seat. Taylor, who sat behind him, was the least subtle; he just sat there grinning ear to ear at him. Gavin chuckled, if he wasn't so fucking overtaken by the moment he would be too.
Settling in beside her, Gavin leaned over, inhaling her scent and whispered. "I can barely let you go," he squeezed her hand gently, enjoying the soft feel in his. "I feel like I'm going to wake up and this will all be gone and you will give me that damn safe and familial smile again."
Shegave him a long look before grabbing his face and kissing him, slow and deep. He could’ve sworn he heard a choking noise somewhere behind him, followed by a sharp hushing sound and then the chorus of pinging texts.
"Does that reassure you?" she whispered.
"Yes," he said hoarsely. He needed about eighteen more but he feared if his blue balls got any worse it might just give him a stroke.
"Although," she let the word drag out and gave him a pinched look. "I shouldn’t."
His brows shot up to his hairline. "And why shouldn’t you?!"
"Because you tricked me for months. At first, I thought there really was some stalker texting me and following me," she hissed. "And how did you even do all that? With the texts and the picture of us at the golf course. You even smelled different."
He pulled her into him, his hand sliding to the lever and lifting the armrest between them. The sudden lack of space had her pressed flush against his side. His arm wrapped around her shoulders, heavy and possessive, anchoring her to him. His mouth brushed the delectable curve of her ear when he spoke, voice low enough only she could hear. "Deep down on some level you knew it was me. No one else in this town is dumb enough to touch you like that."
"But you are?"
