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And somehow, this was maybe almost as wonderful as sex itself. Being naked beside him without shame.

Being able to look at him. His physical perfection and imperfection.

Everything that made himhim.

He put his hand on her hip, and she wanted to purr. The security she felt with that basic, possessive touch. It was soothing and arousing all at once.

“You know if you don’t go home, your sisters are going to send out a search party,” he said, his voice rough.

As sweet nothings went for a post-sex moment, it did leave something to be desired. But...

“Snowy plover,” she said.

“Termite,” he countered.

“What?”she asked. “What did I do?”

“You misused the safe word. I’m being smart, not mean.”

“Well, I don’t want to be smart. I just want to lie here like this.”

“Idon’t want to get skinned.”

“Can I just stay for a while longer?” She felt a little bit like what he really wanted to do was separate from her so the intimacy wasn’t so intense. But maybe not. Except, maybe.

The intensity was a little much for her. But she had decided she enjoyed it. Because it was him.

“But it wasn’t just this once, was it?”

He shook his head. “I’m here for the month.”

“So am I.”

“Don’t tell Lydia.”

There was so much weight in those words.Don’t tell Lydia.She knew that it wasn’t just about the fact that they’d slept together, but about everything else he told her when they were up camping. Because she knew that was shameful for him. A secret. Something he hadn’t figured out a way to come to terms with yet.

And she was sure, and understood, that he probably didn’t want his family to worry about him, but there was more than that, and she knew it. Sensed it.

“Everything that’s happened between us in the last couple of days is between us,” she said. “You can trust me.”

“I know I can,” he said.

She kissed him, pressed her body against his, and it wasn’t even subtle, and she didn’t care. He wrapped his arms around her, and she found herself beneath him as the kiss intensified. She was ready for him again, would take him again.

“I can’t,” he said.

She felt him getting hard against her hip. “I somehow think you could.”

“No. I meanyoucan’t. That was your first time. We need to be reasonable. I don’t want you to get sore. It’s like any workout. Like rope climbing. You’ve got to build up some stamina.”

That was frank. And betrayed his experience in ways that she didn’t love.

“Have you slept with a lot of virgins?”

He looked a little bit sheepish. “Not since high school. And I wouldn’t ever say that there were a lot of them. But that sort of thing didn’t mean much back then. I mean, that was when a lot of people were losing it. It was just expected and part of it. This was different. I do want you to know that. It was different because it was you. And it wouldn’t have mattered if you’d been with a hundred guys. It still would’ve been special. But you weren’t. And I appreciate that. That it was me.”

He reached out and touched her cheek. “I really do, Rory. I need you to know you’re special.”