Page 129 of The Lilac River

"Yes. God, yes!"

I let go of her throat, dropped my hand to where our bodies met. One rough stroke over her clit?—

She shattered.

Screaming into my mouth, her body bowing as she came.

I followed seconds later, groaning her name as I spilled inside her. My whole body shook.

And still, I didn’t let her go.

Waking with Lily wrapped around me felt like stepping into a dream I’d never dared to hope for.

It was almost sunrise. I couldn’t sleep. Couldn’t stop thinking about her, about us, about what came next.

Lily slept soundly, lips parted, her body pressed against mine.

We’d made love three times. Took a shower together. She’d kissed the scar on my knee like it was holy. Gave me a blowjob that erased my entire vocabulary, and we didn’t collapse until almost four.

I slid from the bed, kissed her bare shoulder, and pulled on sweats.

Quietly, I opened the balcony door.

This had always been my lookout point, watching over the ranch, nursing bourbon and pain.

But now... she was here.

I sat in the chair, waiting for the sunrise.

The door creaked behind me.

There she was wearing my shirt, hair wild, makeup smudged, the most beautiful fucking thing I’d ever seen.

"Hey, baby." I opened my arms.

"Did I wake you?"

"Nuh-uh." She curled into my lap, warm and soft and home.

"What are you doing?" she asked sleepily.

"Waiting for the sunrise." I sighed, grateful and at peace. “I used to think it was beautiful before. But watching it with you, now, I understand how beautiful it really is.”

She snuggled closer, dropping a kiss to my chest. "You know," she whispered, "if you listen carefully, you can hear the hiss."

My chest tightened.

She taught me that once by the creek, the night the world stopped and began.

"I know," I said thickly. "I taught Bertie."

Her eyes filled with surprise.

"You did?"

"Yeah. She watches with me sometimes. I guess I wanted her and I to have a little bit of you."

"Oh, Nash..."