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“That didn’t stop you earlier,” I said, but he was right, this was too risky. “Get to work on those pancakes, will you? I didn’t have my dessert because someone was distracting me at the table.”

He gave me another kiss, and in no time had whipped up a nice stack of pancakes topped with butter and a drizzle of honey.

We snuck our plates back up to our room and sat at the window seat watching the reflection of the full moon dance over the water. The pancakes were just as melt-in-the-mouth delicious as I remembered, and when I closed my eyes I was back at our kitchen table with Levi and Josh getting ready for a night of camping that they’d begrudgingly agreed I could go on.

When I opened my eyes Levi was staring at me with a serious expression. “Where’d you go just then?”

“Colorado. The day we left for the infamous camping trip.”

“You mean the one when you had that run-in with the bear?” He sopped up the honey with his pancake.

“The bear was not going to hurt me. We were communicating.”

“It looked more like the bear was trying to decide what limb he should bite off first. Luckily, I had the horn on me and had decided to follow you.”

“I could’ve handled it,” I said although thinking back on it, I shivered. The bear had been feet away from me. And to my thirteen-year-old self, it had seemed like we were having some sort of telepathic discussion, but now, I realize how lucky I had been that Levi was there.

“Famous last words,” Levi laughed, setting down his fork. Not a speck of food was left on his plate, and it reminded me of the first week he’d stayed with us—he and Josh were thirteen and I was eleven. My dad had taken us out for dinner at a local Italian restaurant and Levi, after devouring his food, had licked his plate clean. To say we were all shocked would have been an understatement. I’d been hit by wave of nervous laughter and soon the whole table was in hysterics. My dad had slapped him on the back. “That’s some appetite you have. If you want more all you have to do is ask.”

“Want to finish mine?” I asked. The stack of pancakes was too big for me as usual. I pushed it toward Levi.

“Well, if you’re not gonna eat it.” He polished it off and set it aside and patted his stomach. “Wow, will you look at that moon?” Levi leaned over the table to get a better view of the bright pink again. It was a supermoon, so close it almost seemed like you could reach out and touch it. “You know, the October moon is the Hunter’s Moon.”

“Yeah, so?”

“So it’s your moon. Diana, the huntress.”

“Hmm.” I bit my lip, wondering if I should make another vulnerable confession. What the hell, he had seen all of me now. “I’ve always thought of the moon as yours.”

“Mine?” He frowned.

“You’ve always been obsessed with space. I mean, you and Josh met at space camp. And you were always going on and on about the stars and the planets.” I smiled, thinking of how sure he had been that he’d be on a mission to the dark side of the moon one day. “There’s always some random moon fact in my head.”

“Just like there’s always some random archaeology fact in mine,” Levi added, reaching across the table to take my hand.

“Sometimes I’d imagine that I’d turn on the TV, and I’d see you on the news in a space suit.”

“I would have mentioned that in my letter to . . .”

“My parents, yeah, I stopped reading those, Levi.” I swallowed. “They weren’t addressed to me. And anyway, you didn’t share that much.”

His hand tightened on mine. “I’m sorry, Diana. I’ll never stop being sorry.”

I put my fingers against his lips. “Let’s not talk about it now.”

I didn’t want to admit that for years I couldn’t stand to look at the moon because it reminded me of him and created an ache in my chest almost as devastating as the pain of losing my brother. “I forgive you, and that’s all that matters.”

Levi stood and pulled me to him. “I don’t know if I deserve your forgiveness,” he murmured against my hair, and I pressed my nose into his chest. “But you’re right, let’s not talk about the moon and the stars anymore. The only stars I’m interested in tonight are the ones you’ll be seeing when I make you come again.”

I squealed as he lifted me up and threw me down on the bed. He covered my body with his and opened my robe, kissing his way down my body. “This is much more interesting than the moon—I’d much rather explore planet Diana,” he teased and turned me over roughly.

“Let’s see, what do we have here? The Dorsa Ticklisium.” He traced featherlight caresses down my back. “The Vallis Eroticanus.” He flattened his palm against the small of my back and rubbed a warm circle, and my insides turned to liquid like he’d found some blocked energy there and loosened it. It was nearly orgasmic.

“The twin moons—Beautious and Maximus.” I bit the pillow to suppress a moan-giggle as he smoothed a hand over my bottom, gave a little tap and nip. “Hmm, what other hidden delights does this planet have for me?”

He turned me over and then began his slow descent, kissing, tasting, licking, naming, and staking claim to every inch of my body. “Aha, these, are especially sweet. The Montes Persicorum.” He took one pearled nipple in his mouth, swirled his tongue around it, sucking gently, and I thought I might come right there.

“Oh god,” I moaned. “Are you sure this is your first mission because you seem to know your way around the planet.”