Page 118 of Sunkissed Colorado

My tongue dragged right over her center.

I had no idea how long I lay there, licking and kissing and savoring. Zandra’s cries of pleasure echoed against the foothills. Something howled back in the distance, and that just made me more feral for her.

I held onto the backs of her thighs, urging her to rock against me. My tongue found her opening. Slid easily inside as I fucked her with my mouth. It was like everything began and ended with her, like she was everything I wanted and needed. Giving me life with the sweet intoxication of her body.

Then she shouted so loudly it was almost a scream. Her thighs clamped down on me. Her taste covered my tongue, turning me on so damn much a few strokes would’ve sent me over the edge.

But I waited until she stopped moaning and thrashing before I nudged her onto her back. Grabbed protection. And then my cock was thrusting deep inside her.

“Say you’re mine, Sunflower.”

“I’m yours,” she panted, fingers digging into my hair. “Only yours.”

Zandra’s hips lifted to meet me. Pleasure lit up my veins, building each time my cock pushed in and her body gripped me so good.

The orgasm slammed into me. Better than any words could describe. More intense than anything I’d ever felt.

Yet that wasn’t really true. The way I cared for Zandra was even bigger and bolder. As if we were linked all the way to our souls. Like all these years, even when she’d hated me, we were always supposed to find our way to each other.

THIRTY

Zandra

We snuggledunder Callum’s blankets as the fire died down. He probably would’ve thrown another log onto it if I’d asked, but I didn’t want to move from this perfect cocoon of warmth.

I’d never seen a more ideal summer night. Not even back in my childhood days in Silver Ridge. The sky was totally clear, a blanket above us woven with stars. I’d missed those stars in Chicago.

But they’d never looked more breathtaking than right now, with Callum.

Today had been a lot. First getting to know his family and friends better, feeling like I could actually be a part of their circle. And then the field of sunflowers. The fire and feeding each other s’mores and everything we’d talked about.

My heart was still scraped raw about losing Jessa. All these years later, and I hadn’t fully healed. But Callum made me think I could. I’d never talked as openly about Jessa as I had with him tonight. I’d opened up to Callum in ways that I never would’ve been able to imagine with anyone. Certainly not withhim.

All the things he’d said, and how sincere he had sounded… I wanted to believe all of it. Wanted to trust his confidence that this would all somehow work out.

In the afterglow of spiked cocoa and orgasms, it was easy to be an optimist. To hope that falling in love with him wasn’t the huge mistake I’d feared it could be.

Now that I’d realized it, it was so obvious how much I loved him.

“Do you think it would’ve been like this if we’d gotten together in high school?” To my shock,Ihad asked that question. Clearly I was feeling wistful.

Jessa was gone, and nothing could ever bring her back. Yet would it do any harm to imagine, even for a few minutes, what it would’ve been like if things were different? If Callum and I had connected back then?

He pulled me closer, rubbing his nose against my hair. I was fitted into his side with my leg draped over his thighs, my head in the divot where his chest met his shoulder. “Would the sex have been that hot when we were eighteen? Obviously, the answer is yes.”

I laughed. “You’re just naturally that good?”

“Don’t expect me to argue.” He twirled a lock of my hair around his finger. “But honestly, I wasn’t ready for anything like this back then. Not even close.”

“Because of your commitment phobia?” I didn’t mention the fact that his reluctance to have a relationship had lasted until, let’s see, aday or two ago. Give or take.

“It’s not that,” he said in a low voice. “It was my family. Things going on at home.”

I lifted my head. “You mean your dad leaving?”

“Yeah. That was rough. But then Grayden and Ashford left for the Army. By senior year, it was just Grace and me, and she was still in middle school. Our brothers were sending money home to us. Mrs. Landry—Teller and Piper’s mom—could sign stuff for us if necessary, but she didn’t actually care.”

“So Grace was your responsibility. I’m sure you did a great job, but I’m so sorry you went through that. None of it’s fair.”