I know she feels what I feel right now. The strength of emotion. The overwhelming need to show her what she means to me. The feeling that with her, there’s a future.
Love.
There’s no sense denying it. Love is what I feel. I’m falling for her harder than I ever thought I would. I care about her more than I thought was possible.
I love Rae Montgomery—spawn of hell, worse than Hitler, and better than us all.
As Rae reaches between us and positions me at her entrance, her eyes hooded and her lips glistening, I know she has my heart in the palm of her hand. She sinks down on top of me, ecstasy painted over her features. The two of us are connected. My heart swells.
Pleasure erupts through me as I watch this gorgeous woman ride herself to orgasm on top of me. I reach down to tease her clit as she grinds on top of me, loving the sounds she makes when I touch her.
“Rae,” I pant, pulling her down for another kiss.
“Yeah?”
“I—” I stop myself.
I love you.
The words are right there. Just on the tip of my tongue. Waiting to be spoken.
But pleasure clouds my mind. Her body feels so good, and I know I’m going to explode.
Then, I realize I’m not wearing a condom.
“What, Benji?” she whispers, nipping the edge of my ear.
I love you.
“I’m going to come.”
“I’m on the pill. I want to feel it.”
I groan, her words sending another wave of pleasure crashing through me.
She’s wickedly sexy. So bad, she’s good.
And she’s mine.
Mine. Mine. Mine.
I explode inside her, watching her eyes light up and pleasure erupt across her features. She keeps my hand against her clit and doesn’t stop until I feel her come, too.
I love you.
It was the wrong time to say it, but it doesn’t make it any less true. Rae is the woman for me. She’s the one I want to be with. The one I want to walk into the party with. The one whose name I want to scream from the rooftops.
The one I want by my side, forever.
As we lie there on the floor, arms wrapped around each other, I know it’s true.
I love her with every bit of my heart.
24
Rae
The next week goes by in a wonderful, happy daze. I spend my evenings with Benji, sleeping over at his place a couple of times a week. Sawyer and Lucy know I’m seeing him, but I don’t know if they realize how serious we are.
How could they? We’ve only known each other a short while. The party will mark the end of my sixth week in Woodvale. I can’t believe it’s only been that length of time, when so much has happened.
It feels like Benji and I are meant to be with one another. We fit together so easily, so perfectly, that it’s hard to imagine a time when we weren’t together.
As Sarah’s surprise party approaches, Benji grows more nervous. It’s cute. He wants so badly for his sister to enjoy herself that he forgets that none of the details really matter. The fact that he’s putting in the time and effort to plan it for her will be enough, I’m sure of it.
The party is planned for Saturday, and by Wednesday, Benji is a ball of nerves. I watch him agonize over how he’ll get his sister to the airfield, coming up with a thousand different scripts so she won’t guess there’s a surprise party waiting for her.
“She’s going to love it, Benji,” I say, wrapping my arms around him. “Stop worrying.”
Benji lets out a breath, nodding. “You’re right. It’s just a lot of pressure.”
“It’s all in your head.” I smile. “Come on. Let’s eat.”
We have dinner, and I nudge his foot under the table every time he gets that faraway look in his eye. He grins, nodding.
“Fine. I’ll relax.”
“Good. If I have to deal with this kind of stress for the next three days, I think I might explode.”
Benji chuckles, and the tension on his face disappears. I sleep over at his house that night, feeling full of love and affection for this big, burly man with a gooey center.
My life in Woodvale is completely different to how I grew up. It’s modest, family-oriented, and with a thriving community. I have more friends here than I had in all the years I spent in Houston.
And I have Benji.
I never thought feelings could blossom as quickly as this. He’s etched himself onto my heart, and I know there’s no getting him out.
But on Friday, the day before his big party, everything changes. I’m standing in the kitchen and I can hear Lucy in the next room with Roman. I get a phone call that makes my heart sink. My mother’s name flashes on the screen, and I know soon, I’m going to have to tell her the truth about where I am, why I’m here, and how I hope they can come here, too. I want to do it in person, but every minute that I’m not telling my parents the truth, it feels wrong.
“Rae,” my mother says, her voice hard. “You’ve been away for a long time. Your father and I have been waiting for you to come back.”
I swallow past a lump in my throat. I’m sick of lying to them. This isn’t a vacation. It’s my life.
“I’m with Lucy and Sawyer,” I blurt out.
My mother is silent for a beat, and then makes a disapproving noise. “So it’s not a vacation at all.”
“Well, no. I bought a business. I’m going to move away from Houston.”
“Excuse me?” Her voice is icy. “You were supposed to discuss taking over your father’s business. There’s a spot on the board reserved for you. Your father planned his retirement around it. How will you do that from out of state?”
“Mom, I don’t want to fight with you.”
“We’re not fighting.”
I sigh, pinching the bridge of my nose. “I don’t want our relationship to sour.”
“Maybe you should have thought about that
