I'm all hard edges, rough and reclusive. I have spent my life protecting myself from getting hurt, pushing each and every person away, far away.
But Lemon isn't like that. She has spent her life pulling everyone close, into her circle, and not letting them go.
She sacrificed spreading her wings so she could make sure that the people she loved the most in the world knew they could count on her.
That is a kind of devotion, a kind of tenderness, I've never been around. Not since my mom was alive at least and fuck, that's been fifteen years.
But I can't think about the past right now.
Because as I kiss Lemon, my arms are wrapping around her tight.
Her soft skin is warm against my touch. And all I want to consider is the now.
The kiss that takes my fucking breath away.
When we pull apart, I feel like there are stars in my goddamn eyes.
She's smiling. Her skin is sun-kissed, her hair a mess.
Her eyes are lit up with wonder. “Well, that was a kiss to remember.”
“Sure that's not just the white wine talking?” I tease.
She shakes her head. “No, with five brothers, I've been able to work up quite a hefty alcohol tolerance over the years. Rye brews his own beer, and my brothers can go through a keg in no time at our family parties, so I can handle my alcohol.”
I chuckle. “Fuck. You're some sort of unicorn, you know that?”
She laughs. “Oh shush.” But her hands are on my chest, fingering the buttons of my open shirt.
I help her out by shoving it off my shoulders, letting it fall to the floor.
She looks down at her bikini top.
“Are you nervous?’ I ask her.
She nods. “All kinds of nervous. I've never done this. And you've never done this, and…” She groans. “I'm sorry. I just got the jitters.”
I smile at that, drawing her back to me. “I don't want you to feel pressured. I could go on kissing you all night long.”
She shakes her head, adamantly. “No. I want to do more than kiss you, Anchor. I've been waiting for a night like this for a long time. For the right man to waltz into my life and sweep me off my feet, and you? You paddled right into it. So I should take this opportunity when I have it.”
I look deep into her brown eyes. “We have all the time in the world.”
“Do we though?” she asks.
“Yes,” I say. I take her hand and lace my fingers with hers, walking over to the bed. We lie down, side-by-side.
I love the way she looks in my bed. Comfortable, nearly naked. And it fucking turns me on. My cock is hard. Can she tell?
“I'm goingto be twenty-four tomorrow,” she tells me. “It feels like time is moving too fast.”
“What do you want to do with your life? Why do you need to rush into anything?” I run my hand over her shoulder, down her arm, teasing that double knot at her hip, the string of her bikini bottoms.
“Well, my two oldest brothers, Rye and Bartlett, they both got married this year. I was crazy jealous. I always thought I'd get married before them. Which is probably stupid.”
“It’s not stupid if it's what you want,” I tell her, meaning it.
“I guess I never thought life would be like this.”