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I look out towards the ocean and suddenly realize how dark it’s getting. “We should head back, it’s gonna rain soon.”

West and King each take one of her hands and I lead the way back to camp. We’re all silent as everything we’ve learned swarms through our heads. In some ways, this changes nothing between us, but it also changes everything.

Now I know what’s happened to her, I just want to cover her up in bubble wrap and never let the world get close to her. But she is far too wild and independent to allow that to happen, which is part of the reason I love her.

My eyes widen, and I freeze with one hand and foot on the ladder.Holy shit, I love her!

“Bower?” she says softly. I let go of the ladder to spin and face her. “Are you okay?”

Unable to stop myself, I step forward and push a few stray strands of hair behind her ears, then clasp her face in my hands and lean down, kissing her hard. I try to hold myself back, but the sudden realization that I love this woman has my body begging to be close to her.

It takes her a moment to relax, but when she does, her lips move against mine and I groan in appreciation. When I pull back to look at her face, she slowly opens her eyes, looking at me with heat, happiness and maybe… love?

I smirk as I swipe my thumb across her lower lip. She looks as if she’s trying to figure out what just came over me.

A drop of rain hits my nose, breaking me out the trance her eyes were holding me in. I glance up and my face is hit with a few more rain drops.

“Alright, up you go, Tink, quickly now, before you get wet.” I guide her to the ladder and she quickly climbs up with me right behind her.

When all four of us are in the hut, West closes the door just as we hear the rain start to come down hard. I look at Zee, who’s staring up at the ceiling, listening to the rain. Remembering how scared she was during the last storm, I grab her hand and pull her towards the hammock.

“Come here, Tink, lay down with me.” I lay in the hammock first and she sits on the edge before carefully turning and laying down beside me. I help position her with her head against my chest and her leg pulled up over mine. She’s on the outside of me so she can see the other two while we lay here, swaying slightly as we listen to the rain pour down outside.

West and King sit on the mattress, their back against the wall as they face us.

“You’re not scared,” West states. It’s not a question and a glance down at her and realize she’s not trembling. And there’s not a sign of fear on her face.

“No… should I be?” she asks in confusion.

“It’s just that last time there was a storm…” King trails off, not wanting to relive what happened when we found her under that raft.

“It’s the thunder. I’m okay if it only rains.”

I consider that for a moment, several questions screaming to be answered.

“Do you want to talk about it?” I ask instead.

“Not today, if that’s okay?” she asks shyly.

“Of course it is. You don’t ever have to tell us if you don’t want to. But we want to know everything about you, and everything you’ve been through. When the time is right,” King tells her. She nods against my chest.

I gently glide my fingers up and down her bare arm and close my eyes. The warmth of her body against mine, along with the soothing sounds of the rain, has me relaxing as I drift off to sleep.

I groan as my cock twitches, and soft fingers tentatively glide up and down my shaft.I must be dreaming.I know I was wearing jeans when I fell asleep, but these fingers are clearing touching me over only my boxers.

Suddenly, a full hand wraps around my cock, and my eyes fly open. Zee looks up at me, mischief written in her eyes, as she squeezes me through my boxers.

“Tink,” I groan, my voice rough from sleep. “What are you doing to me?” I hiss when she squeezes me again, and from the way she smiles as she bites her lip, she knows exactly what she’s doing. “Don’t tease me, baby,” I warn her.

“It’s only teasing if I don’t follow through.” She says the words quietly, her eyes quickly looking past me to the other two. I glance at West and King and see they’ve fallen asleep. West is still leaning against the wall and King has fallen to the side, asleep on the mattress.

“You don’t have to do this.”

“I know,” she whispers, her eyes filled with heat. It’s clear she wants this, but after everything she revealed, it feels like it’s too soon.

I place my hand over hers, stopping her from moving it on my shaft. “Tink, I think we should wait. After what you told us, it’s probably wise to take things slow.”

“Bower, I may have told you about it today, but it happened fifteen years ago.”