Chapter 1 #2
"I know what I'm saying." Her voice is steady, sure. "I know what I want. And I want you. All of you. Before you leave."
Studying her face in the darkness, I search for any hint of doubt. But there's none. Just Lucy, brave as always, asking for what she wants.
"Are you sure?" I ask, my voice rougher than I intended.
"I've never been more certain of anything in my life."
I lean down and kiss her again, pouring everything I can't say into it, all my fear, my need, my desperate love for this woman who's turned my world upside down.
When I break the kiss, we're both breathing hard. Her fingers are still tangled in my dog tags, and I can feel her pulse racing beneath my palms.
"Not here," I say, glancing around the open field. "You deserve better than the back of a truck for your first time."
Her cheeks flush pink even in the moonlight. "How did you…"
"Because I pay attention to you, Sunshine. Every detail." I brush a strand of hair from her face. "And because you're Noah's little sister. He'd have murdered anyone who tried before now."
She laughs, the sound breathless and sweet. "So where?"
I think for a moment, running through options. Jake's place is too risky with Brentley staying there, and the walls are thin. My parents' house is out of the question. Then it hits me.
"I know a place," I say, starting the truck. "Trust me?"
Lucy nods, settling into the passenger seat. "Always."
We drive in comfortable silence, my hand resting on her thigh, her fingers tracing patterns on my knuckles. The old dirt roads wind until we reach the edge of the Oakside property, where an abandoned caretaker's cottage sits.
"Noah mentioned this place once," she says as I park behind the cottage, hidden from the main house. "Said he was planning to renovate it someday. He's let a few families stay here when they were visiting."
"It's been empty for years," I say, leading her to the door. "I helped Jake fix the roof last summer. No one ever comes out here."
I push the door open with a slight creak. Inside is a small living area, a kitchenette, and a bedroom through an arched doorway. There's a layer of dust on everything, but it's dry and private and ours for the night.
Lucy walks in slowly, her fingertips trailing along the wall. "It's perfect."
As I close the door behind us, my heart hammers against my ribs. When Lucy turns to face me, the sight of her in the silvery light steals my breath.
"You're sure?" I ask again, needing her assurance one more time before there's no going back.
"I'm sure," she says, stepping closer. "I've been ready since the moment you called me Sunshine."
Crossing to her in two strides, I cup her face in my hands. "I love you," I whisper against her lips. "I know it's crazy, I know we haven't together long, but Lucy…"
"I love you too," she breathes, and the words hit me like lightning. "I think I have for months."
Then, I kiss her, deeper than before, backing her toward the bedroom.
Her skin is like silk under my touch, warm and yielding. Taking my time, I memorize every curve, every soft gasp. When I'm surrounded by sand and gunfire, I want this burned into me. All of it, every single moment. I want to carry her with me.
"You're thinking too much," she whispers against my neck, her fingers working at the buttons of my shirt.
"Just trying to remember everything," I admit.
She smiles up at me, eyes bright even in the dim light. "Then pay attention, soldier."
And I do. I pay attention to the way her breath catches when I trail kisses down her throat. The soft sound she makes when my hands find bare skin beneath her dress. The way she whispers my name, not a question, but like she's claiming me.
"Caden," she breathes again, and I'm lost.
I lift her easily, her legs wrapping around my waist as I carry her to the small bed in the corner. The mattress is old but clean, and when I lie her down, she looks like an angel against the worn quilt.
Taking my time, I unwrap her like the gift she is. Her skin is glowing and pale in the moonlight spilling through the dusty windows. When I finally have her bare beneath me, I have to stop for a breath to take her in—golden hair and storm-blue eyes and trust so complete it nearly breaks me.
"You're staring," she whispers, a hint of vulnerability in her voice.
"Can't help it," I murmur against her collarbone. "You're the most beautiful thing I've ever seen."
Her hands find my dog tags again, pulling me closer by the chain. The metal presses between us, cold against warm skin.
"Shit. I don't have a condom," I start to sit up, but she pulls me back down.
"I'm on birth control and have been for a few years to help with my period," she whispers the last part.
"This is good news, Sunshine."
"I want you so bad I might die if you don’t take me now," she whispers.
Feeling the weight of the moment between us, I line my cock up at her entrance and pause.
"You're sure?" I ask one more time, my voice rough with need. "We can stop…"
"Caden," she says firmly, her legs wrapping tighter around my waist. "I want this. I want you."
Her words break the last thread of my restraint.
As I slowly push forward, I watch her face for any sign of discomfort.
Her eyes flutter closed, while her lips part on a soft gasp as I ease into her.
The feeling is indescribable, tight, warm, perfect, and it takes everything in me not to lose control.
"Breathe, Sunshine," I whisper, brushing my lips against her temple.
She nods, her fingers digging into my shoulders as she adjusts to the feeling of me inside her. Then, in one hard thrust, I claim her virginity, and sink fully inside of her.
I freeze, watching her face twist in momentary pain before it slowly eases. Her breath hitches, and I press my forehead against hers, staying perfectly still while her body adjusts to mine.
"You okay?" I murmur, brushing my lips against her cheek, tasting salt.
Lucy nods, her eyes fluttering open to meet mine. "I'm okay," she whispers. "Don't stop."
Kissing her deeply, I begin to move, slow and gentle at first. She trembles beneath me, her hands exploring my back, my shoulders, my chest like she's memorizing me too. The way she says my name, broken and breathless, nearly undoes me.
"Look at me," I tell her, needing to see her beautiful eyes. "Stay with me."
She does, holding my gaze as we find our rhythm. The old bed creaks beneath us. She moves with me like we've done this a hundred times before, her body responding to mine in perfect harmony.
Even though I try to go slow, to make it last, there's a desperation building between us, the knowledge that our time is running out. Urgency is seeping in, knowing that in two days, I'll be halfway across the world.
"Caden," she gasps, her back arching as I hit a spot that makes her tremble. "Please…"
I don't need to ask what she's begging for. I can feel it in the way her body tightens around mine, the flush spreading across her chest, the way her breath comes in short, sharp pants. Shifting my angle, I drive deeper, one hand sliding between us to where we're joined, circling her clit.
When she comes apart beneath me, it's the most beautiful thing I've ever witnessed.
Her eyes go wide, then flutter shut as she cries out my name, her body clenching around me like a vice.
The sight and feel of her unraveling pushes me over the edge, and I follow her with a groan that sounds like it's been ripped from my chest.
I collapse beside her, pulling her against me before our breathing has even steadied. Her head finds its place on my chest, right over my heart, and I wrap my arms around her like I can somehow keep her here forever.
"Jesus, Lucy," I breathe into her hair.
She looks up at me, and there's a new depth in her eyes. It’s as if we've crossed a line we can never uncross.
I kiss the top of her head.
"When I get back, we’ll tell them. Until then, I want this bubble a little longer."
"Okay."
I hold her tighter.
And pray like hell I make it back to her.