Page 9 of Unholy Confessions (The Paper Rings Trilogy #1)

O range Beach, AL

Being on vacation with the family used to be one of my favorite things, but these days I prefer to be with Montgomery, especially since Grey Skies will be going on tour soon. I want to spend as much time with her as I can.

"Don't you wanna come with us today?" My dad asks, as we all sit at the table, eating breakfast.

"No," Montgomery answers. "We're going parasailing today, and no one can talk us out of it."

Under the table, I reach over and squeeze her thigh. Both of us want just a little bit of time alone, and we haven't been able to have any of that since we showed up here three days ago. "Yup, we're gonna have a good time."

"I'm too old for that shit," Jared says, as he glances over at his wife. "Y'all have fun."

I glance over at Montgomery. "Oh we plan on it."

After we finish our breakfast, our parents break off, and EJ goes to hang out with a friend he brought on the trip. I don't care about any of that, all I want is to spend time with Montgomery. We walk out onto the beach, toward the dock. "Are you sure about this?" I ask her.

"Yes, I can't wait to do this with you."

I can't either. "I want to have every adventure with you." I say, stopping us in the middle of the sand, hooking my hand around her neck, and pulling her into my kiss. It goes on for longer than it should, but when we break apart, she smiles.

"I want every adventure with you, too."

When we get to the dock, we check in, sign the releases, and pay for our experience. As they're hooking us into the harnesses, I can't help but admire Montgomery's curvy hips, and flat stomach. She looks fucking hot in her bikini. Not able to help myself, I lean over and steal a kiss.

"You ready for this?" I ask as the boat captain explains the safety procedures for the third time.

"I'm ready for anything as long as I'm with you," she replies, and damn if that doesn't make my chest tight with emotion.

The boat starts moving, and soon we're being lifted into the air, the parachute catching the wind above us. Montgomery lets out a whoop of excitement that makes me grin. Below us, the Gulf of Mexico stretches out in every direction, the water a brilliant turquoise that seems to go on forever.

"This is incredible!" she shouts over the wind.

I look over at her—hair whipping around her face, eyes bright with excitement, that huge smile that I fell in love with the first time I saw it. "You're incredible," I shout back.

We're up there for what feels like both forever and no time at all.

The view is amazing—the coastline stretching out below us, other boats looking like toys in the distance, dolphins jumping in the wake of a fishing vessel.

But honestly, I spend most of the time looking at Montgomery.

The way the wind catches her hair, the pure joy on her face, the way she reaches over to squeeze my hand when we hit a particularly good gust of wind.

"I love you," she calls out, and even though we're hundreds of feet in the air with the wind howling around us, I hear her perfectly.

"I love you too!" I call back, and I mean it with every fiber of my being.

When they start to reel us back toward the boat, Montgomery pouts. "I don't want it to end."

"Nothing good ever has to end, baby. We'll do this again."

"Promise?"

"I promise. This is just the beginning for us."

Back on the boat, we're both high on adrenaline from what we just experienced. Montgomery can't stop talking about how amazing it was, gesturing wildly as she describes the view to the boat captain, who grins indulgently at her enthusiasm.

"You picked a good one," he tells me quietly as we head back to shore.

"Don't I know it," I reply, watching her lean over the side of the boat to trail her fingers in the water.

When we get back to the beach house, it's eerily quiet. No music playing, no voices calling out greetings, no sound of the TV.

"Where is everyone?" Montgomery asks, looking around the empty living room.

I check the kitchen—there's a note on the counter. "They went to that seafood place downtown for lunch, then shopping. Says they'll be back around five."

Montgomery checks the clock on the microwave. "It's barely noon."

We look at each other, and I can see the same thought reflected in her eyes. Five hours. Alone. Finally.

"Come here," I say softly, and she doesn't hesitate. She walks straight into my arms, and I lift her up, her legs wrapping around my waist as I carry her toward the stairs.

"Are you sure?" I ask as I set her down in my bedroom, even though my body is practically screaming with want.

"I've never been more sure of anything," she breathes, reaching up to cup my face. "I've missed you. I've missed being alone with you."

I kiss her then, deep and slow, pouring all my love and longing into it. Her hands tangle in my hair, still damp from the salt spray, and she tastes like sunshine and adventure. We fall onto the bed together, a tangle of limbs and quiet laughter and whispered words of love.

I'm just starting to untie her bikini top when we hear it—the unmistakable sound of car doors slamming in the driveway.

"Shit," I breathe, my forehead dropping to her shoulder.

"They're early," Montgomery says, but she's already sitting up, retying her top with quick, efficient movements.

"We're back!" my mom's voice calls from downstairs. "Hope you two had fun!"

Montgomery and I look at each other and burst into frustrated laughter.

"This is ridiculous," I say, running my hands through my hair. "We're adults, Montgomery. We shouldn't have to sneak around."

"I know," she says, smoothing down her hair. "But what can we do?"

I stand up and pace to the window, looking out at the beach.

The frustration is eating at me—not just the sexual frustration, though that's definitely part of it, but the bigger picture.

We're nineteen and eighteen years old. We've been together for over a year.

We're serious about each other—more than serious. We're planning a future together.

"Next time we go on vacation," I say, turning back to face her, "we're insisting on our own room, or our own condo. I don't care what they say."

Montgomery raises her eyebrows. "You think they'll go for that?"

"They'll have to," I say firmly. "You're my future, Montgomery. I'm yours. Our parents are going to have to realize that we're adults, and that's all there is to it."

She stands up and walks over to me, sliding her arms around my waist. "I love it when you get all determined and protective."

"I'm serious about this," I say, looking down into her eyes. "I'm serious about us. I don't want to spend the next few years of our lives stealing moments when we can get them. I want to wake up next to you. I want to fall asleep holding you. I want us to have our own space, our own life."

"Me too," she says softly. "More than anything."

"RJ! Montgomery! Come down and tell us about the parasailing!" my dad's voice booms from downstairs.

We share a look of mutual resignation.

"Coming!" I call back, then lean down to give Montgomery one more quick kiss. "To be continued," I whisper against her lips.

"Definitely to be continued," she agrees.

As we head downstairs to rejoin our families, I make a mental note to have a serious conversation with our parents tonight.

We're not kids anymore, and it's time they started treating us like the adults we are.

Montgomery deserves better than stolen moments and interrupted privacy.

She deserves everything, and I'm going to make sure she gets it.

"There they are!" My mom says as we appear in the living room. "How was it? We want to hear everything!"

I slip my hand into Montgomery's and squeeze gently. "It was amazing," I say, looking at her instead of my mom. "Absolutely amazing."