Chapter b60/bb: /bHunter bPOV /b

    I made a few bcalls /bwhen she said yes to a date with me earlier in the week.

    One of my dad’s best friends has a beach cottage with direct ess to the water below, which is balso /bmarked as a private beach area for the property’s

    residents.

    We’ve spent numerous long weekends hete with them and their family, so I immediately thought of it when I wanted us to be alone and in a romantic setting.

    Without answering her, I get out and walk around to her side. I open the door, help her down by the hand, and then silently lead her down the sandy pathway through the tall beach grass to the white, ethereal–looking beach a few yards down the slope.

    Her awed gasp when we walk out and the ocean blue wavese into view settles my nerves somewhat.

    The couple of hundred yards of sandy shoreline are fenced on both sides with boulders of different sizes, shapes, and colors. Between them, there are bmany /brockpools. If time permits, I n on taking her exploring in themter.

    The boulders‘ size and how far they stretch ind ensure that this little slice of paradise is secluded and can’t be essed by anyone other bthan /bthe people whoe down from the cottage.

    Earlier this morning, I drove through and set up arge nket with a pic basket underneath a few beach umbres for us. There’s also a cooler bwith /bvarious cold drinks for her to choose from, and the basket is filled to the brim with things I think she might like to eat and nibble on–thanks to Mom.

    b3 /b

    She finallyes out of her surprised stupor and says, “I thought we were going to diner, or maybe ba /bcoffee shop. But thisb…/b” she trails off, still unable to fathom what she’s seeing as her eyes dart from one spot to the next.

    “I wanted you to myself for a little bit,” I say, a note bof /bvulnerability I was hoping to hide from herb, /bcreeping into my voice.

    Ever the perceptive one, she notices and then turns to look at me, giving me her full attention, saying, “I truly love it. It’s just that no one’s ever made so much effort for me.”

    And isn’t that just fucking sad and an abomination. This woman must be loved, cherished, and worshipped daily. bAs /bbI /bstare into her amber eyes that are alight with the sun reflecting off the ocean’s surface, I vow to adore the ground she walks on bevery /bsecond of every day, for bas /blong bas /bshe’ll have me.

    Cupping her cheek, I say earnestly while drowning in her gaze, I seal my mouth over hers in a searing, soul–destroying kiss

    “You’ll never again have to feel like that.” I don’t give her a chance to argue or beven /breply as my silent promise to herb. /b

    Breaking the kiss, I walk her over to the nket and help her sit on one of the throw pillows I brought along for this precise reason. Opening the pic basket, I take out a few things and start listing the items she can choose from. Her eyes grow in bsize /bbas /bbI /bkeep going with the avable options.

    When I open the cooler next, she startsughing hysterically. “What?” bI /bask her, genuinely confused.

    “Hunter,” she says in between trying to catch her breath, “With the amount of food you’ve brought, you’d think a football team will be joining us any second.”

    Her teasing tone sets my doubts at ease, and I smile at her bas /bbI /bsay, “I might have promised the guys they can have the leftovers in exchange for them not making a nuisance of themselves while we’re out hereb./bb” /b

    She smirks at that, and then adds, “Clever negotiation tacticb, /bMr. Brooks.”

    The sound of my surnameing from her mouth conjures up an image of her walking down the aisle towards me minutes before the officiant deres us as Mr. and Mrs. Brooks. It makes my heart stutterb, /bbut in a good way. I fucking want that. With a passion. Someday.

    “So, what do you want to do first? Eat, take a stroll, or go explore the tidal pools?” I ask, wanting her to set the pace and direction of how this morning will olligo. /li/ol

    “Mind if bwe /beat first? I’ve only had coffee because I didn’t know where you’d be taking me and I didn’t want to spoil my appetite.”

    “Of courseb,/bb” /bI reply without hesitation.

    bChapter /bb60. /bbHunter /bPOV

    bFor /bbthe /bbnext /bhour, we sample everything in the basketb, /bsip on the sodas and water bin /bthe fooler, band /bdistress anything and everything. We puts to bother /bbin /bevery way possible, bfrom /bbmundane /bthings like our favorite color to more bprofound /bthings like what we want out futures to fost like

    After a few minutes offortable silence as we sit looking out onto the horizont, I jump up and hold my hand out to her, Come with me” 1 at. * takes my bhand /bwithout hesitation.

    bWhen /bshe sees me taking my shoes off, she follows suit. Hand in hand, we walk down to the shore’s edge where we start strolling leisurely. We don’t speak bbut /bthere’s no pressure to fill the silence as thepping of the waves acts as background noise: When we reach the one set of boulders bon /bthe bedge /bof the strip of beach, I help her onto one of therger ones hefore jumping up behind her.

    I point out a specific rock I have in mind, and we climb up and down and over various–sized rocks to get there. When we reach our destination, I sit down on bthe /brge t surface and gently pull her down to sit between my legs with her back to my chest.

    My hands wrap around her stomach, and hers cover mine as if it’s the most natural thing in the world. bAs /bif we’ve done it a hundred times before.

    “Thank you foring today,” I softly say in her ear as we stare off into the distance.

    “Thank you for inviting me. And thank you for all the effort you put into making this day so amazing.”

    Brushing her hair away from her neck and over her opposite shoulder, bI /bsoftly, slowlyb, /breverently bkiss /bits elegant column. “The day isn’t over yet, Beautiful.

    bMy /bwords against her skin make goosebumps erupt, and I smile triumphantly at myself.

    “Oh?” is her only breathy reply bas /bher hands tighten against my forearms.

    “Not at all. There are still a few things bI /bwant to show you before we leave here todayb./bb” /b

    I know how that sounds, suggestive as fuck. But that’s not what I meant. The boulders on the other side of the beach bhave /ba mini bcave /bthat bI /bbwant /bto bshow /bher because of the luminescent stctites hanging from its roof. There’s also the football jersey with my number on the back that I want her to wear at tonight’s game.

    But I won’t look a gift horse in the mouth if she wants me to show her some iother /iithings/i. Fuck, I’d like that a lot. But I won’t be bpressuring /bher into anything.

    However, before I can rify what I meant with myst words, she swings her body around partially and looks me in the beye/b. bAs /bI open my mouth to ask her what’s up, she crushes her mouth to mine and I’m a goner.

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