Christy snorted and kept walking.I loved her like a sister, but we’d never felt the need to hug every time we saw each other.Too many people already thought Christy, Oscar, and I were a throuple.We were all affectionate with each other, but not constantly.We really were like siblings.
“She’s pretty great,” Ashlyn said as Christy’s footsteps faded, “and she’s right.I need sleep.”Ashlyn stood.She gathered her blanket and looked closely at Reegan.“Are you staying with Josh tonight?”
Reegan nodded.“Unless he’s changed his mind.”
“I have not,” I said.
“You have a key?”Ashlyn asked.
Reegan patted her pocket.“All set.”
Ashlyn stepped toward her house.“See you tomorrow.Good night.”She waved and disappeared into the darkness outside the light from the dying fire.
When the door closed, I asked Reegan if she was ready to head inside.
Reegan nodded, then stood.“We need to put the fire out, right?”
“Yeah.”I stood with her, moving the embers in the fire pit around to spread them out.Separated, they died out quickly, casting us into darkness within minutes.I reached for her, the moonlight our only guide.
She looked up at me with apprehension in her gaze.I cupped her jaw, wondering what the look was for.
“Is everything okay?”I asked.
She nodded, a sad smile lifting her lips.“Yeah.I’m good.Just… Not looking forward to going back to reality in a few weeks.”
I wasn’t thinking about her leaving.I didn’t want to.If I did, I would have to admit and accept that I was struggling to imagine my life without her in it.We’d only known each other a few weeks, but I enjoyed talking to her, spending time with her.Even on the first day we met, I knew she was different.Special.Someone I would never tire of having a conversation with.Even one that ended with her annoyed.
I brought my lips to hers, taking my time with our kiss.We had all night, and I was not going to rush through it.I wanted to savor every moment we had.To hold on to all the memories I could create with this amazing woman.
She grabbed my shirt, her fingers curling into the fabric and pulling me closer.My dick rose between us, and she pressed against it and moaned.
That sound was one I never wanted to forget.The soft moan that slipped from her wasn’t manipulative or intentional.It was the sound of a woman who was just as turned on as I was.A woman who was desperate for what was to come.
I broke our kiss and pressed my lips to her forehead, clutching her tight while I calmed myself down enough to walk across the yard to my house.I took her hand and half-dragged her to my house.I’d left lights on so we wouldn’t be walking into darkness, and those lights allowed me to see the light sunburn on her face and the wild look in her eyes.
She was beautiful.Perfect.She was so much more than I deserved, but she was everything I wanted.
I flipped the lock on the door and led Reegan through the house.I turned off lights as we went, knowing I wouldn’t be out of the bedroom until morning.I kicked my bedroom door closed out of habit and turned the light on, needing to see her.
That look was still in her eyes.The one that made me think she wasn’t sure about this, about us.I held her jaw and studied her closely, trying to decipher what she wasn’t telling me.
She didn’t give me a chance to ask before she rose on her toes and sealed her lips over mine.She nipped at my lower lip, and I couldn’t hold back a growl.She smiled against my lips and slid her tongue into my mouth.
I followed her retreat toward my bed, not letting her get far enough away to break the kiss.I bent over her when she sat on the bed, then pulled back to yank my shirt off.
Her eyes widened, and her smile brightened at the move.“That is so hot.”
“What is?”
She chuckled.“Men have no idea what it does to a woman when they remove their shirt with one hand.It’s a reminder of how powerful you are with a hint of gentleness that you don’t rip it.”
“It’s your clothes I want to rip off,” I told her, bracketing her knees with mine.I held her in place, trailing my fingers over her throat until she shivered beneath my touch.“You’re so damn beautiful.”
“You sound mad about that.”
I shook my head.“Not mad.Honored that you’re here.A little surprised.The men of your town should be beating down your door.”
She laughed in a way that sounded bitter.“You know how small towns are.Everyone expected me to get back together with my ex.I haven’t really dated since we broke up.”
