I wouldn’t allow it.
We sank into the thick blankets and pillows I had brought here earlier, thinking we would cuddle on them after celebrating.
Instead, I lost myself to the moment. To her softness. I whispered words of love, of forever, of adoration into her ear. I kissed her as if we hadn’t kissed for eons. I worshiped every inch of her, using my hands, my mouth, and my words to keep her lost with me.
She pulled on my shoulders, her voice pleading. “Linc, please. Oh please, my love.”
I want her to call me that for the rest of my life. I settled between her thighs, slipping inside her heat, groaning.
“Sunny,” I vowed. “I have you. I will always have you.”
We moved together slowly, nothing fast or frenzied. We savored the moment, the touches, the feelings. Our bodies never separated. I rolled into her, meeting her movements in perfect synchronization. Our lips fused, our oxygen shared, neither of us needing anything more. Her hair tumbled down her back, and I fisted the soft waves, clutching at her. She buried her fingers in my hair, tugging at the strands. I felt the cold metal of her ring on my skin as I moved within her. Our eyes were open, our hearts and souls sharing the depth of the moment and the love we were finally able to live.
My climax hit me like a long, lazy wave. I increased my grip on Sunny. “Baby, come with me. Come with me,” I begged as I fell. She tightened around me, riding out her own pleasure as we lived the moment. I collapsed in her arms, tugging the blanket around us, not wanting her chilled.
We lay in silence, listening to the sound of the water lapping at the shore. The night was dark, the only glow from the twinkling lights at the ceiling.
“We can listen to this every night,” Sunny whispered. “Us and the sound of the waves.”
“Yes.”
“We’ll build a life here, Linc.”
I held her tighter. “Yes.”
Her heart rate slowed, and my thundering pulse became steady. I raised myself up on my elbow, looking down at her. Her hair was a mess, a bright swath of color on the dark pillows. Her lips were swollen, her neck scratched. She looked thoroughly loved—and satisfied.
I brushed my mouth across hers. “You want to head back?”
“No, I’m not ready.”
“Okay. Dessert and champagne?”
“That sounds decadent.”
“I promise you lots of decadence, Sunny.”
I pushed up to my feet, looming over her. She waggled her eyebrows playfully. “Does that include lots of this?”
I pulled her to her feet, encasing her in my arms. “Yes.”
“I’ll take it.”
We dressed, and I helped her tie those silly, tempting little bows. I draped my coat around her shoulders since the air was becoming chillier.
I lifted the cover on the crème brûlées—another one of her favorites. She clapped her hands when I popped the cork, and we clinked glasses, sipping the cold, bubbly liquid.
“Can we come back? While the house is being built?”
“Anytime.”
“How long will it take?”
I grinned at her with a wink. “The company I hired promised double crews. A lot of it is done off site and brought here. It will be ready by Christmas.”
“Really?”
“Money talks, and this time, I’m using it for personal reasons. I want to share our first Christmas together in our new home. The work they do is amazing—their technology top-notch. They’re also doing the community center. I’m their number one customer right now.”
“Wow.”
“Until then, you can come back anytime.” I winked at her. “You can drive your new SUV.”
“I love my little truck.”
I gave up. She could call it anything she wanted.
Silence fell, her eyelids drooped, and I stood. “Let me take you home, baby.”
She let me pull her from the chair. “My trees,” she insisted. “You said you’d show me my trees.”
I didn’t argue. Using the light on my phone, we walked across the dirt and ducked under the long branches.
I aimed the light toward the bottom. Dirty and worn, it was still there. I pointed out her name and the year I had carved it in. Then I showed her the same on the other tree, my name and date still embedded in the trunk.
“When we get married, I’ll add our last name on both and a new date.” I stood and brushed off my pants.
She slipped her arm around my waist. “Who knew that summer, that summer of us, would become—this.”
I traced her mouth with my finger. “What is this, Sunny?”
“A lifetime of love.”
I had to kiss her.
She was right.EpilogueLincPearson Airport, as usual, was crowded. I waited by the glass doors, cart at the ready for Emily and Hayley’s plane to land. I’d volunteered to pick them up. It would give us some time to catch up with one another, and I knew Sunny already had a lot on her plate. She was in Mission Cove, preparing for their arrival, working at the bakery, and overseeing the details of our wedding.