Page 27 of Knot Your Sunshine (Snugverse Romcom #2)

The orgasm takes me off guard, tearing his name from my lips. He kisses me through the shock of it, swallowing my cries until I’m left shaking. Still dazed, I reach for him, my hand closing around his cock. He hisses at the contact, his hips bucking hard into my grasp.

"Need you," I breathe, guiding him to where I'm still pulsing, still wanting.

"Look at me," he says. "I want to see you."

I meet his eyes as he settles over me and sinks in, slow and perfect. We both gasp at the sensation: the stretch of his cock, the fullness of his half-swollen knot, the sheer rightness of the act. He stills, forehead pressed to mine, breath ragged against my lips.

"Mia," he groans. "You feel incredible."

I hook my legs around him, drawing him deeper, and he groans a curse against my skin. Our rhythm builds, steady as waves meeting shore. His grip anchors me, guiding every snap of his hips. Our breaths tangle, my cries rising higher, blending with the crash of the ocean beyond.

He changes the angle and my world bursts into sparks. “There,” I cry out, voice breaking. “Right there, please—don’t stop.”

He doesn't, thrusting into me as his thumb finds my clit, circling in sync with every drive of his hips. The dual sensation surges through me, building far too quickly to contain.

“Come for me,” he commands, his knot swelling tighter as I break apart, crying out while pleasure rips through me in wave after wave. He groans my name as he follows, muscles straining, pulsing inside me as his knot seals us together.

We lie tangled, breaths still uneven. The sun climbs higher, but the gazebo’s shade wraps around us like a cool haven. I draw idle patterns across his chest while his fingers drift through my hair.

I glance at the dome-covered mystery on the table. "So... did I earn the reveal of whatever's hiding under there?"

He follows my gaze and grins. "Definitely earned it. Though technically, you did skip the intermediate surfing portion to make out with the teacher."

"Me, skipping?" I prop myself up on an elbow, mock-offended. "Aren't you the one who decided to move on to an intensive session on advanced stance adjustments?"

His laugh rumbles through his chest. "A fair point."

"So what's my final grade?" I tease. "For the whole lesson?"

"A+ across the board." He catches my hand and kisses my fingers. "With a special commendation for enthusiasm."

We hold each other's gaze for a long moment, the air between us electric.

"Which means…" he finally says, sitting up and reaching for the dome covering. "You definitely earned the big reveal."

* * *

A platter of papaya and mango gleams, arranged like a work of art. Tiny guava pastries sit beside it and two tall glasses of iced coffee sweat in the heat.

"Breakfast?" I stare at the spread in amazement. "You brought breakfast?"

"Thought you might be hungry after our... lesson." His grin is wicked. "Made two trips before sunrise to set this up."

"You carried all this down here in the dark?" I chuckle. “Why not rope in a few of your employees?”

"The best things take personal effort." He picks up a slice of mango, holding it to my lips. "Try this."

I bite into it and juice immediately runs down my chin. The sweetness explodes on my tongue, making me moan.

"Good?" he growls, wiping the juice away with his thumb, then deliberately licking it clean.

My breath hitches. "Very."

I reach for one of the sweating glasses of iced coffee, needing something to do with my hands before I jump him again.

"This coffee..." I take a sip, my brow furrowing slightly. "These are Josh's beans."

"You can tell from one sip?" His eyebrows raise. "That's an impressive tongue you've got."

"His coffee date was... comprehensive." I laugh, remembering Josh's enthusiasm as he made me try different brewing methods. "Very educational."

"Just educational?" He waggles his eyebrows suggestively. "You mean you didn't use your tongue for anything else during the date?"

Heat creeps up my neck. "Keanu!" I bury my burning face in my hands while he laughs.

"I'm kidding." He pulls my hands away, kissing each palm. "Mostly."

We settle against the cushions, me tucked into his side. He feeds me pieces of fruit between kisses, papaya, mango, bites of the flaky pastries that melt on my tongue.

"This is perfect," I say, then catch his pleased expression. "The breakfast. The breakfast is perfect."

"Just the breakfast?" His voice drops to that low register that makes my toes curl. "Those sweet little sounds you made earlier suggest otherwise."

I feed him a piece of papaya to shut him up, but he nips my fingers playfully, sending sparks through me.

"So tell me," I say, needing to calm my racing pulse, "when did you start surfing? You make it look so effortless out there."

Keanu's eyes drift to the ocean visible through a gap in the curtains. His expression shifts, growing faraway.

"First time I got on a board, I was twelve. Borrowed from a kid at school." His thumb traces absent circles on my shoulder. "Couldn't afford one myself, you know?"

I look up at him, watching memories play across his face.

"But the second I started paddling, none of that mattered. The ocean doesn't care if you're rich or poor. It just is. Demands respect, gives freedom in return," he says, looking lost in thought.

I watch the waves roll endlessly beyond the gazebo. "It looks beautiful. Powerful."

"Yeah." He plucks a piece of mango, chews thoughtfully. "Both those things."

"But also terrifying," I admit. "All that water. All that unknown underneath."

He nods slowly. "The cost of freedom is always risk. The ocean reminds me of that every time a rip current appears."

I trace the lines of his palm with my fingertip. "My work feels like that sometimes. Like I'm caught in a rip current."

He squeezes my fingers, waiting.

"The more I try to control every outcome, the more resistance I hit," I continue.

"Maybe I need to learn to trust the process, even though.

.." I swallow hard. "Even though I know how little control we really have over things.

Take the franchise test for instance, I'm confident I'll win, but in the end there are no guarantees. "

"Hey." His thumb strokes over my knuckles. "I know you'll succeed, one way or another… Just like you succeeded in standing up on that board today."

"After ten tries." I bump his shoulder with mine. "And only for three seconds."

"But you did it." He bumps back. "You fell, laughed, got back up. Then you flew."

Something warm unfurls in my chest at his words, at the faith in his eyes.

"Besides," he adds, grin returning, "you're not paddling alone anymore. You've got three alphas who'd swim against any rip current for you."

"Careful." I poke his ribs. "I might hold you to that."

"Please do." He catches my poking finger and pulls it to his lips.

A bird suddenly lands on top of the gazebo, eyeing our food with obvious intent.

"Don't even think about it," Keanu tells the bird, pulling the platter closer. "These pastries are spoken for."

"Territorial over breakfast?" I tease.

"Territorial over making sure you're well-fed," he corrects with a playful growl that sends heat straight through me.

"My hero," I say, kissing his jaw. "Defending my breakfast from aerial threats."

"All in a day's work." He salutes the bird, who flies away with an indignant squawk.

I settle deeper into his arms, feeling the steady beat of his heart against my back. "Thank you," I say against his skin. "For the food, the lesson, and... everything."

He pulls me closer. "Thank you for trusting me. In the water and... after."

We stay there as the sun keeps climbing higher overhead, sharing fruit and stories. He tells me about growing up here, about secret beaches and midnight swims. I tell him about hikes high up in Lakeview's mountains, late nights in the salon, dreams that felt too big until today.

"Ready to head back?" he finally asks, though neither of us moves. "We should probably rinse off all this sand and salt."

"Probably," I agree, running my fingers through my tangled hair. "I'm going to be finding sand in interesting places for days."

"I could help you look for it," he offers with an innocent expression that fools no one.

"I bet you could." I stand, stretching, very aware of his eyes tracking the movement.

"Off we go then." Keanu starts gathering our things, then pauses. "Mia?"

"Yeah?"

"Today was..." He seems to search for words, then just kisses me instead. Slow and deep and full of promise.

When we break apart, I'm breathless again.

"Solid closing statement," I murmur with a grin.

We pack up the gazebo, shaking sand from towels, finishing the last of the coffee, and walk back up the beach.

"Race you to the path?" he suggests, already starting to run.

"Cheater!" I chase after him, laughing.