After that, they kicked off their clothes and kissed and laughed their way to total nakedness as quickly as possible. Sex had never been this much fun.
Except right when Maverick was about to get to the best part and slide inside her, he stopped.
“What’s wrong?” she asked.
“I don’t have a condom.”
God, she’d been so enamored with him, so anxious to lose herself to him, she’d forgotten about anything else. “I’m on the pill and healthy,” she offered.
“I always use protection, so I’m safe, too.”
She smiled up at him. “Then what are you waiting for, cowboy?”
“Are you sure?”
“I’m positive.” She slid her hands over his tight, round glutes for encouragement. She trusted him implicitly.
He spread her with his fingers and, with his breathtaking blue eyes locked on hers, slid unhurriedly inside. When she completely surrounded him, he stilled, seated so deep inside her, they both had to catch their breath.
And when he moved, when they moved, in perfect sync, their bodies slick with sweat, nothing else existed but the two of them. He whispered in her ear how good she felt. She whispered back for him to never stop. She cried out the first time he made her come.
Being the incredible lover he was, he didn’t stop there. He continued to move inside her with slow, measured thrusts until a second orgasm rocked her. This time he followed right behind, spilling inside her with one final push before going absolutely still to enjoy his climax.
“Wow,” he said, keeping them connected.
“Times two.” She gave him a quick kiss on the lips. In thanks. In surrender. In bone-deep affection. Falling for Maverick? In only a matter of days?
Best mistake of her life.
Chapter Nineteen
One day until the wedding
Maverick woke before Kennedy did. It didn’t matter the day of the week or where he’d slept, his internal clock had him up early, rain or shine. This morning, the first thing he saw held beauty and intelligence and maybe a piece of his heart.
Last night had been incredible. They’d stayed inside his sleeping bag long enough for two rounds of sex before he’d tucked her back inside her own sleeping bag, cleaned up, and dressed. She’d fallen asleep near the edge of the mattress and there she remained, her cheek pressed into the pillow, her lips slightly parted.
He gazed at her, his mind and body inundated with warm feelings.
He never imagined having heart-to-heart conversations with her. Poking fun at each other with fondness. Letting his walls down, and kissing her like he’d never kissed anyone else. Like he was consumed. Possessed. Unable to get enough. She’d tasted like barbecue potato chips and he didn’t care—they were his new favorite food. The smell of her skin his new favorite scent. Feeling her from the inside and being as close as two people could get, the best thing to happen to him in years.
His surrender came at her honesty, her pluck, her insatiable curiosity. Her kindness and beauty—inside and out. He liked who he was when with her. He liked… Don’t get used to it.
Kennedy’s whirlwind appearance had an expiration date, he reminded himself. They had very different roads ahead of them.
Swallowing that thought, he looked away. Tomorrow’s wedding had landed her at the inn, and the day after that she’d be gone. Back to her life as a big city doctor. He had no doubt she’d do great things. Save lives. Find someone to love her the way she deserved.
He rubbed at the sudden ache in his chest, unsure if the pain stemmed from the idea of Kennedy loving someone or from the pain of losing the woman he’d once loved. Three years. Nicole had been gone three years. Sometimes that felt like forever and other times like yesterday.
A week from tomorrow, he’d be on an airplane to honor her. He didn’t have a return flight scheduled. Didn’t have hotel reservations or train tickets or car rentals lined up. Just a promise to keep so he could finally move on when he got home.
Today…today he’d do his chores, then spend whatever time he could with Kennedy. She’d eyed the bookstore in town—maybe they’d go there. Or maybe he’d get her on George. Whatever she wanted, because making her happy made him happy.
He climbed out of his sleeping bag and rolled it up. Extinguished the remaining embers in the fire. Gathered the blanket, picnic basket, flashlights, and binoculars. His movements woke the sleeping beauty. She sat up.
“Good morning,” she said.
“Morning.”
“Looks like you’re getting ready to go.” She stretched her arms above her head.
“If you don’t mind. I’ve got some work to do this morning, but I thought we could meet up after that.”
“I’d like that.” She slipped out of the sleeping bag, raised up on her toes a few times to stretch her legs. “What can I do here?”
“Nothing. I’ll take care of it later.”
“A girl could get used to this special treatment, you know.” Their eyes met briefly before she gazed up at the clear sky, the sun on the rise.
She put on her shoes, slipped on his denim jacket, and his breath caught in his chest. In the morning light, after the amazing night they’d shared, he liked her in his clothes way too much. Liked the idea of her even keeping the jacket, wearing it in Boston.
She followed him over to Magnolia, where they mounted the horse for the ride back to the inn. With her arms around his waist, he could feel her more at ease riding behind him. Bone-deep pleasure filled his chest now. He’d taught her to be comfortable on a horse.
He took them through the magnolia trees, near a ridge that offered views of the ocean. When the fog stayed away, the spectacular sight was incomparable. Kennedy let out a sigh of awe.
Veering away from the hilltop, the air immediately warmed a degree or two.
“Are those carvings in that tree?” Kennedy asked, missing nothing as they passed by the familiar landmark.
“They are. My dad carved his and my mom’s initials after they married, and my brother carved his and Bethany’s after they tied the knot.”
“A family tree,” she said.
“Yes.” He slowed so she could take a better look.
“Are there other traditions in your family?”
“A slew of them. My mom’s big on rituals. And before her, my grandmother started a few, too.”
“Like?” she prodded.
“Like reading aloud The Night Before Christmas on Christmas Eve, playing touch football on Thanksgiving, having weekly family breakfast, my mom cooking ‘good luck’ dumplings whenever someone needs extra support, and—you’ll like this one—kissing the last page of a book. My mom taught us there’s nothing wrong with showing affection to a good story.”