“You’re wet,” I whisper.

“And you’re about to be.”

His hands skim down my spine, and I push my chest against his, arching my back.

I tilt my head, my lips cascading kisses up his jaw, while he molds my ass in his hands. He backs up to the nearest lawn chair, and I sit down, eyeing his bulging swim trunks right in front of me. I peer up through my eyelashes at him, and goose bumps engulf all over my skin when he licks his lips.

He bends down on his knees, his hands cupping my face. “I love you, Piper,” he says, filling my heart with his words.

I graze the back of my hand down his stubble cheek, and he closes his eyes.

“I love you,” I softly admit.

Ever so gently, his fingers slide up my legs, past my waist and under the hem of my shirt. He casts a trail of kisses up my stomach while he pushes the shirt off my body, leaving me in only my bra. I take a deep breath as his lips move up my neck, and his fingers round my sides to undo my bra. As the straps drop from my shoulders, a tormenting groan rumbles from his throat, as he pulls one cup down, taking my breast into his mouth. I arch into him more as his tongue teasingly twirls around my nipple.

I hold his head to me and my heavy eyes close, reveling in the waves of passion and love rolling between us. His mouth scorches my skin, as he painstakingly explores the crevice and globe of my breasts. He eases my bra from my arms, and his hands skim down my abdomen before unbuttoning my pants. The sound of the zipper brings a surge of excitement that this is actually going to happen. I’m finally going to have Tanner McCain inside me again.

Switching sides, he wraps his mouth around my other breast while wiggling my shorts, directing me that he wants them off. Taking my hands off his head, I push back on the chaise lounge chair and scoot my butt up. I hear the clothes land on the ground, and the cold air chills my naked body.

Tanner inches up and guides me down, so my back rests along the chair. He climbs my body, lying on top of me, igniting warmth to my core. His two hands gently push the strands of my hair off my face as my heart turned over from his deep loving gaze.

“You’re gorgeous, and I’ve imagined this moment so many times, but I don’t want to take you outside your parents’ house,” he admits, his finger lazily weaving through my hair.

I wrap my hands around his waist and his hard chest crushes my breasts. My desire for him rising too fast to consider waiting. “I just want to feel you. I never want to be away from you again.”

He kisses my neck, swiping his tongue up to my ear. “But—”

I tighten my thighs against his waist and he circles around my center. “No, Tanner. I want you inside me. I want to feel how much you love me as we come.”

He pushes up on his strong arms, hesitation embedded in his sight.

“Don’t think,” I repeat his own words to me from years ago.

A small smirk crosses his face and I see his own matching desire for me overriding his gentlemanly intentions.

“We’re covered?” he asks, quickly closing the subject of waiting and I squirm under his hard body, itching to feel him.

I nod, a clear understanding between us.

My hands move down his body, and I push his swim trunks off his ass until my feet can finish. Once he’s naked, he centers his body to mine, and I feel his tip at my opening. My legs open wider, securing around his waist. His eyes pin to mine, he slowly pushes into me, and my back arches while my fingernails dig into his shoulder blades.

I gasp as he fills me. “You feel so good,”

He begins to circle his hips and thrusts into me. “I love being inside you,” he mumbles in my ear before sucking my earlobe into his mouth.

My chest rises and falls with my rapid breaths from not only the exertion, but also from trying to get our bodies as close as I can. My hands splay across his back, flowing down his tense muscles, as he continues to spread a fire throughout my body.

“Don’t stop, Tan,” I say, clenching harder to subdue my orgasm.

Winding his arms around the back of my shoulders, he urges my body to match his tempo, driving him deeper inside. An eruption of nerves frenzy inside and my thighs clench harder around his taut waist.

“Oh my God,” I whimper, nuzzling my head in his shoulder.

My hands grip his sweaty body, eager to find some kind of hold, while he manipulates and controls our rhythm.

“Don’t ever walk away from me again.” Tanner forcefully speaks at the same time he thrusts into me. “I was lost without you,” he whispers in my ear. He’s always that mixture of sexy and sweet.

I surrender to him and become unable to fight his masterful skills that send me to surrender.

My core tightens. “I’m coming, Tan. Oh God . . . you . . . oh . . .” I explode into a million pieces.

Tanner pushes two more times before he stills inside me murmuring my name.

His body collapses on top of me, and his lips sweetly land on mine. “I love you,” he murmurs.

My arms tighten around his shoulders. He draws out of me, and I already ache for him. Situating himself on the side of me, he reaches for a towel on the other chair, slowly wrapping it around us. My body sinks in the curve of his body, melting into his arms.

“I told you I’d make you wet.” He chuckles.

I shake my head in amusement. “That you did.”

“You want to go for a swim?” he whispers in my ear.

“I don’t have my swimsuit.” I purposely wiggle my ass into him, feeling his excitement for round two.

“I don’t think that’s a problem.” He moves away from me and stands up.

The moonlight casts down on his trim body, the muscle grooves glistening, and my heart soars because this Godly man is mine . . . all mine.

“You’ll keep me warm?” I accept the hand he has out for me, rising to my feet.

He encases me in a hug. “Always, Piper. Always.”

twenty-one

THE ORANGE HUES GLOW, SIGNALING the sun is rising. Tanner and I went for a swim and then talked until we both fell asleep from exhaustion on the lounge chair. His body sheltering me under the towels was better than my plush mattress by myself that I’ve become used to.

“Hmm . . . I’ll never grow tired of waking up with you.” I tilt my head to rest along Tanner’s cheek as he casts kisses on my shoulder.

“You never have to,” he whispers. His arm travels across my bare stomach as he slides closer to me.

“I will in two days.” My lungs constrict as I think about him getting on a plane for Colorado.

“Hey.” He kisses my shoulder, manipulating my body to face him. His thumb brushes along my cheek. “Come with me.”

My heart warms as I look into his honest eyes. “I just got my job.” As fast as my heart leaped, it sinks faster. There’s no possibility of us being together physically right now.

“Then, I’ll train here.” He tightens his arms around me.

The sun peeks over the trees, and I’m unconsciously counting the limited minutes we can steal before my mom wakes up.

I shake my head with a small smile. “No, you won’t.” He won’t sacrifice his dreams just for us to be near one another.

His lips turn down.

“We’ll just do long-distance for a while,” I bravely answer our dilemma, with the solution we’d rather not use.

Torture packs in his eyes, . “No, we won’t. I can find somewhere here to train. Sure, I’ll have to go back occasionally, but you can come with me.” He gathers me in for a hug and kisses my cheek. “I can’t go another night away from you, especially not in two days.”

His arms snug around me like my own human security blanket. I never thought I’d be a girl who needed a guy, but I need Tanner. These past two years were torment for me, not seeing him or hearing his voice. I desperately craved his sweet kisses, gentle touches and contagious laughter. Only knowing what he’s been up to from Google and off comments from Brad was gut-wrenching, to say the least. How many nights did I lie awake in my bed at night, recalling our short month affair and how loved I felt in his arms? Now, I’m expected to have him for twelve hours, and then ship him on a plane. It tears me up. I may have turned into the clingy girl I hated back in college, but I won’t allow him to put his dream in jeopardy. I’m a big girl and I can handle a little separation until the time is right.