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“Sorry, I didn’t mean to wake you.”

“No, I wasn’t asleep,” he said. “What’s up?”

I still wasn’t sure if I believed him. “I just got back to school. I was going to see if you wanted to sneak out front to meet up quickly.”

“You’re back now?”

“Yeah. I’m just coming across the courtyard. But if you’re in bed, we can just see each other tomorrow.”

“No, no. I’ll come down.”

“Really?”

“Of course.”

“Okay, you have to be quick though. The girls are covering for me with Lisa.”

I could hear movement in the background. “I’ll be right there.”

He hung up the phone just as I reached the entrance to the boys’ dorm. I waited in the shadow of the building, pacing as the seconds dragged by and there was still no sign of Wes. I‘d only been a couple of minutes, and already the girls were messaging me.

Anna:Lisa bought it. You have maybe five minutes. Tops!!!

Cress:Hurry!!

I releaseda breath and glanced over at the door. I hoped Wes wasn’t far off because we really didn’t have long. He had his own dorm dad he’d have to sneak past, so there was a chance he might not make it at all.

Another minute went by, and finally the door creaked opened as Wes stepped outside. He was dressed in a pair of checkered pajama bottoms with a dark Henley that stretched across his muscles, and his hair was mussed with sleep. He looked just as hot now as he did in the photo he’d sent of him wearing a tuxedo—maybe better.

A wide smile lit up his features as he spotted me, and he closed the distance between us with long, powerful strides.

He grabbed me up in his arms, and I sank happily into his embrace. We’d only been apart a few days, but it felt like much longer. I was so at ease in his arms and knew this was exactly where I was supposed to be—curfew or not.

“I missed you,” he said.

“Me too. I didn’t want to go another night without seeing you.”

I lifted my lips to his, and he pulled me close, pressing our bodies together as he deepened the kiss. It was filled with passion and yearning; it was the kind of kiss you could lose yourself in. If this was the way Wes kissed me when we’d been parted for a few days, maybe I needed to spend some more time away from him.

“You’re never going away without me again,” he said as we finally separated.

I laughed and slowly pulled back a little so I could look him in the eyes. “I was just thinking the opposite. You’re an extra enthusiastic kisser when we’ve been apart.”

Wes rolled his eyes. “I’m always enthusiastic.”

“I did sayextra,” I replied with a smile. "How was your weekend?”

“Dull until this moment.”

I raised an eyebrow. “You were at your parents’ party last night. I’m sure that was far from dull.”

“It was the dullest party of my life without you there.”

I laughed and glanced down at my phone. There were several new messages from Cress and Anna. I didn’t need to open them to know they would be telling me to hurry up. I could have stayed out in the courtyard with Wes all night, but I knew I needed to get back or I’d be in trouble.

I lifted my eyes back to Wes. “Cress and Anna are probably getting worried. I should go.”

“Okay, good luck with Lisa. I’ll see you in the morning.”