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Which leaves me and Nora.

She looks at the couples, then at the sand, and finally at me. Her teeth catch her bottom lip.

Jesus Christ.

“Come.” I hold my hand out.

She looks at it before sliding hers into mine, and I guide her towards a flat rock sticking out of the sand.

“You can sit here.”

She looks at the rock, then back at me.

“What about you?”

“I'll sit on the sand.” I shrug.

Her eyebrows pull together as she looks down at my clothes, then at the sand.

“What if you sit on it and I just sit on you? That way no one gets dirty.”

What?

She looks up at me, completely serious.

I hold back a curse.

“Sure.”

Good job, Hawthorne.

I sit on the rock and hold my hand out again.

For the first time, she hesitates. Her eyes flick to mine, then down to my hand and back to me.

I don't move.

Her choice. Always.

Finally, she takes it.

I help her closer and…

Fuck. Me.

Her ass settles across my thighs, her bare back pressing against my chest, and every muscle in my body goes rigid.

She fits there so naturally, like sitting in my lap is something we've done a hundred times before.

Which somehow makes it worse.

Horse shit. Horse shit. Horse shit.

She shifts slightly to get comfortable.

She's killing me.

More horse shit. Entire barn full of it.