I grind myself on him, and he reaches between us, knowing exactly what I need. It takes less than ten seconds for me to fall into the abyss with Bray coming alongside me.
I let myself fall into him, and he wraps his arms tightly around me. “You're mine now,” he whispers as he kisses the crown of my head. I snuggle against him, feeling safe and loved for the first time in possibly my entire life.
“Mom! OMG! Mom! I found a key!” Ava screams from downstairs. I’m super thankful that Bray woke me up an hour ago with his mouth on my clit. After another round of the best sex of my life, we showered and just got dressed.
Bray pulls me into his arms once more and gives me a deep kiss before smacking my ass playfully to send me on my way.
I grin up at him, and he tugs me back for one more quick kiss. I’m not ready to tell everyone about us. I still feel like this could all fall apart at any minute, but right now, I feel so good. I feel like I could fly. I sort of want to scream from the rooftops that I love Brayden Murphy. I haven’t said those words yet to him, but I know I do.
I practically skip downstairs to find Ava standing at the bottom of the steps, holding a very old skeleton key.
“See!” she says excitedly.
“Did you try it yet?” I ask.
She shakes her head. “Nope. Mr. Al thought I should wait for you guys. Well, Unca Bray is almost ready.”
“Unca Bray is ready,” Bray says as he comes down the steps. “Where’d you find that?” he asks.
“Mr. Al and I got up early. We went for a walk and found this fountain in a wall by the door. I noticed a brick was loose, so he helped me wiggle it out, and there was the key, and a marble, and some little carved stone cows,” she explains. “Now, can we go?”
“Yes. Just let me grab my coffee and a pastry,” I say as I walk into the kitchen with Bray on my heels. He had started the coffeepot before our shower.
We get ourselves a coffee and something to eat before following Ava out the door. Al’s sitting out there looking at the vista.
“It really is a gorgeous, romantic property,” he says. “It makes you want to fall in love, doesn’t it?”
Bray winks at him. “It does.”
I blush as Bray takes my hand in his and we follow Ava. He lets go before she turns. We decided last night to wait to tell her, or really to talk to anyone about what’s happened. We need a little time to just be together without everyone knowing, our own little bubble.
Ava runs to the door and stands next to it.
“What are you waiting for?” Bray asks.
She shrugs. “It’ll be kind of sad if it’s over, huh?”
“What do you mean?” I ask.
“I mean, there was so much anitication,” she says.
“Anticipation,” we correct in unison as Al walks up to join us.
“Oh, right,” she says. Suddenly, Vito and Drew walk over toward us.
“Mr. Drew, Mr. Vito, look what I found!” Ava says excitedly as she waves the key.
Drew bends down, and Vito takes the key to examine it.
“Wow, Ava. You should try it,” Vito says as he hands it back. “You know. There’s more to that story my great-grandparents used to tell us. They also said that whoever finds the key will get a wish granted.”
“They will?” Ava says, her eyes widening.
“Yep,” Vito says as he motions for her to open it.
With a shaky hand, she sticks the key in the lock and turns it after two attempts. She looks back with huge eyes. “I think it worked,” she whispers.
We all hold our breath as Vito helps her push the door open. Drew turns on the flashlight on his camera.
