I need the stars.

“Are you done?” Beau asks, knocking on the bathroom door.

“Just about,” I answer back, pinning up a few pieces of loose hair with bobby pins.

He opens the door and stands behind me, enveloping me in his arms. “I’m going to go wait inside the tent, okay?”

“Okay.” I smile at our reflection, watching him brush the remaining hair from the back of my neck. Our eyes connect in the mirror before he kisses the back of my neck and my bare shoulders. When he leaves the room, all I can think about is getting out of this cabin and into the tent with him.

After brushing my teeth, I turn off all the lights and head outside. Beau has a lantern on in the tent, which makes it easy for me to navigate through the dark yard.

As I unzip the tent and step in, Beau whistles while his eyes rove over my body. I’m relieved my mom packed a little pair of black sleep shorts with a matching cami to sleep in because it’s warm out here. Beau has two sleeping bags laid out on top of each other to pad the hard ground and a thin grey sheet over top.

“It took you long enough,” he says as I zip the door back up. I crawl in next to him as he begins to kiss the side of my neck. He doesn’t waste any time before his hand finds the inside of my thigh and begins to massage the sensitive skin.

His hand presses between my legs as his mouth caresses my collarbone. Lifting his head, he looks into my eyes as his fingers move in small circles right where I need them. “Does that feel good, baby?”

I nod, unable to speak. I just want to get lost in the moment. Closing my eyes, I feel him—all of him—pressed against me. His lips are like a magic wand leaving spine-straightening tingles in its path.

When I lose his touch, my eyes shoot open, already begging for more. He’s leaning over me with a smile spread across his face. “Look,” he says, pointing his finger to the top of the tent.

I do as he asks, noticing the netted opening in the top of the tent. “I’m about to make love to you under the stars,” he says quietly as he grabs my hands in his to pull me up. As he pulls my cami over my head, the moonlight reflects the hungry look in his eyes.

My fingers run across his smooth, hard chest as he massages my br**sts in his palms. His touch is perfect; it’s not too light and not too rough. It’s loving, yet a little bit possessive. Lying down on my back, I wait for him to make the next move.

His fingers brush against my stomach when he reaches them in my waistband to remove my shorts. I watch impatiently, waiting for him to remove his own. When we’re both free, skin-to-skin, he positions himself and slowly enters me. I wouldn’t be able to remove my eyes from his if I tried. I love him so much, and I need him to see it.

He begins to thrust in and out of me a few times before stopping short, buried deep inside of me. “How much do you love me, Kate?”

Barely able to breathe, I say, “A lot.”

He pulls himself out until only the tip remains. “How much do you love me?”

“More than I’ve ever loved anything.”

He pushes back into me, stopping again. “Tell me you’re mine.”

“Beau,” I say, eager to feel the friction again.

“Say it.”

“I’m yours … forever. I love you.”

“I love hearing you say that,” he says, resting his hands on top of my head and brushing his lips against mine.

As he moves in and out of me again, I run my hands up and down his toned back. The way his fingers worship my body makes me feel beautiful and loved. After a few minutes, he flips us over so I’m straddling his h*ps with him still buried deep inside me. I lift myself up and then sink back down as his fingers dig into my sides.

I feel myself building, and I speed my motions, hoping to take him along with me. The anticipation, motion, and heat between us push me to the brink. When I finally come, I come hard, pulsating around him a few times before he follows me. It’s amazing having this control and having this effect on him. After we both catch our breaths, I lay my head softly against his chest and let his fingers skim my back.

“How do you feel?” he asks quietly.

“Perfect,” I reply, kissing his chest.

“Every moment with you is perfect.”

Chapter 11

One-Year Anniversary - September 2013

KATE AND I HAVE BEEN TOGETHER for one year today. Time seems to move so much faster when I’m happy, and I’ve been grinning like a fool for months now.

Today is also our last day in Carrington before we head back to college, and I plan on taking Kate to the lake one last time before we leave. We’ve been there almost every day this summer so it seems right to say goodbye.

“You ready to go?” I whisper in her ear, wrapping my arms around her from behind.

“Yep, let me grab the cooler, and I’ll meet you outside.”

I kiss her cheek and when she looks back over her shoulder, I loosen my grip, resting my hands on her hips. “Don’t take too long, beautiful. I can’t wait to see you in that new blue bikini.”

“Beau.”

“Yeah?”

“The quicker you let me go, the quicker you get your wish.” She smiles and tries to move away from me, but I pull her back.

“One more kiss,” I say, spinning her around to face me. Not giving her time to answer, I press my lips to hers and envelop her in my arms. I start slow and gentle at first before pulling her lower lip between my teeth. The soft moan that escapes her just makes me crave more. Her heart races against my chest, and I know if I don’t stop now, we’re not going to make it to the lake. Just as her arms snake around my neck, I pull back and say, “Hurry up, and we’ll finish that when we get there.”

She bites her lower lip, knowing how f**king crazy it makes me. When I try to pull her into my arms again, she steps back. “Go wait in the truck.”

“You better hurry,” I growl, playfully smacking her ass before walking backward toward the door.

As I step outside, I realize that the most gorgeous girl in the world is in that house, and she’s all mine. We all find people in this world who we are attracted to because of their beauty, but with Kate, that beauty shines on the inside and out. My only job is to make sure she always sparkles, even on our darkest days.

I climb into my truck and roll my window down to let some of the stale, warm air out. After I turn on some country music, I sit back and watch the door, waiting for her to come out. When the door finally opens, I can’t keep my eyes off her. It feels like an eternity before she’s finally in my truck.

“It’s about time,” I say as she climbs in.

“Beau.”

“Yes, beautiful?”

“Just drive.” She smiles, waving her hand out the window.

The short drive to the lake is quiet. There’s nothing better than having the fresh summer air whipping through your hair as you drive, listening to guys croon about the women they love. It’s my idea of heaven, really, especially with Kate here.

As I pull into the parking lot by the beach, her face lights up. I know she loves this place just as much as I do.

“What are you waiting for?” I ask, running my thumb along her cheekbone.

“I was just thinking about how much I love this place,” she smiles, looking over at me.

“It holds a lot of memories,” I say, tucking a few strands of loose hair behind her ear.

“That it does. Let’s go make new ones.” She gives me the seductive grin that brings my c**k to life. She’s told me a few times that she thinks she’s an amateur at seduction, but I know she’s wrong; she gets me every time.

As we drive closer to the lake, my nerves start to boil over. Today is going to be a big day for me, and I hope that it’s just as big for Kate. I think I’ve known this day would come for years now, but we hit a few bumps along the way that made me doubt everything I thought I wanted. Sometimes, though, life takes us on a wild journey to force us to appreciate more what we’re given. Now, I have to work hard to never lose it.

When we stop next to the lake, she jumps out of the truck and waits for me to grab the cooler from the back. We make our way to a little clearing in the tall grass that has become our spot and lay down an old flannel blanket. She doesn’t waste a second before pulling her shirt over her head, revealing her new bikini top. She starts unbuttoning her shorts and slowly slides them down her legs. Damn, I am one lucky guy.

“Come here,” I demand.

She does as I ask, but moves slowly, making my need to have her near me so much stronger. When I’m finally close enough that I can touch her, I grab her hand and pull her body to mine. This time I skip anything slow and press my tongue past her lips. As she wraps her arms around my neck, I completely get lost in her and the kiss. It doesn’t matter how warm it is from the hot sun, because the blood that runs through my veins is scorching.

Words can never express how much this girl means to me.

As my tongue continues to tangle with hers, my hands run up the length of her smooth back. My body completely ignites when she pulls my hair between her fingers. My thumbs instinctively run over her nipples, causing her to pull even harder.

Just as I’m about to lay her down, a few drops of water fall from the sky, and when I look up, I see a lone storm cloud over our heads. A laugh escapes her lips as she fingers the umbrella around her neck.

“Thank you,” she mouths before letting her eyes connect with mine again.

I pick her up off the ground and spin her around, kissing her again while the rain starts to pour down.

“I love you so f**king much,” I say, resting my forehead against hers.

“I love you, too,” she says, pulling me in for another kiss.

I didn’t anticipate the rain today, but in a way it makes this moment so much more perfect. It’s the type of shower that falls from one cloud in a mostly blue sky, and with any luck, a rainbow will follow it.

My original plan was to have a picnic, but I don’t think Kate’s going to be too excited to sit on the wet ground. Improvising, I grab her hand and pull her toward our favorite spot on the beach. I don’t miss the way her damp swimsuit clings to her body when I glance back at her.