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I start to move because I have to. He’s still sitting with his eyes closed, but his hands are rubbing up and down my thighs now. I lean forward and kiss him while I rock back and forth. He tells me he loves me each time our lips part.

Sitting up again, I continue to move up and down on him. He grabs my hips and starts driving his cock in as deep as he can.

“Baby, you need to get there. I can’t hold this much longer. FUCK! Baby, come!” Beck demands.

I place my hands behind me and grab his thighs. It makes my chest push out, and Beck runs his hands up and down my body. I feel sexy and loved and worshipped. When he grasps one breast with one hand and brings his other to my center and starts circling my clit, I lose control. He thrusts up into me, and I let him take over while I chase my orgasm.

The pulsing starts at the base of my spine and shoots through me, right to my clit. I can’t hold it back, and I can’t wait for him to meet me. I look at his face to see him watching where we’re coming together. But I know he feels my eyes on him, and he looks up. Our eyes lock, and I feel the first jump of his cock inside me as my orgasm cascades through my body. Beck’s mouth drops open a little as he continues to release into me. I stop moving altogether, coming down from the high. Beck moves his hands to my hips, and he squeezes me playfully as his breathing also starts to return to normal.

I lean down and kiss him again, whispering, “I love you,” across his lips.

Then I pull back up to a sitting position and sit by his side. He scoots down on the bed so his head now rests on a pillow. And I lie down next to him. He lays his arm out, and I rest my head on his shoulder.

Between Beck’s muscles and his tattoos, his body is truly a work of art. I bring one hand to his chest and trace the planes of his abs and chest. Then I trace each of his tattoos on his chest. Goose bumps pop as I do it, but he doesn’t stop me. We lie there like that for a few minutes, lost in our afterglow.

“Do you know that I’ve fallen in love with you three times?”

I look at his face. “What do you mean?”

“The first time I fell for you was when you came hopping over to my house the day we moved to Troy. You were so happy, and I was so sad at the time. Not because we’d moved, but because I was still dealing with so much. I saw how happy you were, and I wanted to soak it up. When you walked away, I watched you until you went inside your house. Of course, I didn’t really know what falling in love felt like at that age, but that was what I felt. I loved you already.”

“Beck …”

“The second time I fell in love with you was the day you almost beat me at the tree. I watched your braids flying behind you, and I couldn’t help but smile. You were so focused and so determined to beat me. And when we reached the tree, I knew I had to kiss you. By then, I had an idea what love was, and I knew when I was with you, I could feel you, soul deep.”

Tears are forming in my eyes. It’s not like this is the first time he’s told me he loves me, but he’s telling me how he felt while falling in love with me. I’m not taking this time for granted with my words, so I sit and listen.

“And the third time? I know you might laugh at this, but it was when I walked out my front door and saw you standing near Casey’s truck when we moved you to Walker.” He laughs. “The look on your face was priceless. Of course, I knew it was my fault. I put that look on your face, but I was also going to be the one to take it off. I’d had plans to win you back, even before you decided to come to Walker, but when you figured out you couldn’t live without me either, well, that just played right into my plan.”

“I did not decide to come to Walker for you, Beckham Linson, I assure you.”

“Oh, baby, but you did. You can’t stay away from me, just like I can’t stay away from you. And when I got in the truck after you and looked at you in the mirror … our eyes met, and I knew I hadn’t lost you. That’s when I fell in love with you again.”

“So, you’re saying you stopped loving me between those times?”

He sighs. “Charlene, don’t ruin it. I’ve heard that there are three loves of your life. I don’t know all the reasons for it, but I know that you’re all three of mine. You were always meant to be mine. And, baby, this is it. We’re forever.”

I’m watching his face while he speaks, and I feel a tear run down my face. This gorgeous man, inside and out … is mine. And he always has been. The first time I saw his blue-gray eyes, I knew he was the one meant for me. And I get what he’s saying about falling in love with me three times because we never stopped loving each other, but there were key moments that made that love deeper.

CHAPTERTHIRTY

BECKHAM

We’ve been backon campus now for two weeks. It was chaos when we returned with a university parade, interviews, and parties. It didn’t seem like things were ever going to go back to normal. And maybe they won’t. All of us on this team have accomplished something so few ever will in their lifetime. I won’t ever forget that or take it for granted.

Playing football for the NFL is my dream, and if I have a good season in the fall, I’m hoping to enter the draft next spring. But it can all go away in the blink of an eye. One pull, tear, or broken bone can end a career.

And watching Liam pack up his things and clear out his locker two days ago was tough. He accepted a transfer to Michigan, of all places. Poor guy. But there, he’ll be starting again, and he’ll have a real shot to make it in the draft when he goes next year. I’m going to miss him. He’s been a good friend to me and a great leader on the field.

So, things have gotten quiet around here.

Casey seems to be hanging out with Noelle more and more. I can’t tell what the deal is with those two, and every time I ask him, he blows me off. He did tell me she got back together with Trey, but he’s in season now, so she doesn’t get to see him as much. But I don’t want Casey to be used by her as a fallback boy. He’s the best of the best, and he deserves a girl who will love him the way he loves.

Charlie’s room finally became available at the sorority house, but she decided to stay with me because it didn’t make sense to move her so close to the end of the year. There’s also a chance I might have begged her not to go. Her terms in order for her to stay here were for me to allow her to redecorate our room.

So, we returned the cot, which she’d only used for a month or so really. Then we pulled everything out of the room and painted it. Pink.

We’re permitted to paint the walls during our lease period, which we renewed for another year, as long as we paint it back to the color it was when we moved in. Fair enough. So, now my girl has her pink palace on the prairie.