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“Protection?” Grayson asked.

“Pill and spell,” she replied, barely able to get the words out. Her eyes rolled back from how much she needed him, and she dug her nails into his shoulders to urge him closer.

Finally, he thrust into her, and she made a strangled sound, spreading her legs wider, as wide as she could.

“Do you like that?” he asked, pushing deeper, and she whimpered, nodding. “Good.”

He thrust again, and she bit his shoulder, desperation rising through her. She wanted to feel all of him deep, deep inside of her, and she clutched him with urgency. He responded in kind, movements going faster and faster, until she was breathless and moaning.

“That’s right,” he rasped. “Let me fuck you.”

“Harder,” she cried. “Harder!”

The bark was rough as he fucked her against the tree, their naked bodies out in the open. Her vision sparked with stars as he went deeper, her ears filling with the sound of him panting as he made her scream. Beneath the sun, sweat broke across their skin as they moved in tandem, their pleasure mounting and mounting until they finally came together.

After they finished, Grayson rested his forehead against hers, and they fell silent, each catching their breath. Lucy’s legs were still wrapped around his waist, his dick deep inside her as he held her against the tree. Slowly, he pulled himself out, and she whined at the feel of him leaving her. He held her up, then gently set her down on her feet.

With a snap of her fingers, she dressed, her knees weak. She fixed her hair as he dressed, and when he was done, he held a hand out for her.

Lucy took it, taking a step forward. She was hardly able to walk because of how sore she was. When she swayed, still unsteady on her feet, he gave her a satisfied smirk, then scooped her up into his arms. She giggled, holding on to him tight.

Grayson pressed a kiss to the crown of her head, looking at her with a fond expression. His cheeks were red, his blond hair a mess, but his blue eyes were warm.

He was so beautiful.

“Come on,” he said, walking down the trail with her in his arms. “I want to show you my new place.”

“I can’t wait,” she said, happy at the prospect. “Your new home.”

“I’ve already unpacked my few things, but I have more space than I know what to do with,” he said, looking at her with bright eyes. “You can stay whenever you want—however long you want.”

Her heart burst with joy.

“Grayson,” she said, touching his cheek. “Let’s go home.”

EPILOGUE

Grayson

It was early November, and Grayson was barely surviving his first batch of midterms.

He had been busy all week grading papers, and while he loved his work, he decidedly did not love being too busy to spend enough time with Lucy. After months spent mostly at his apartment, finally she had moved in with him permanently a little over a month ago, but these midterms had kept him so busy that he’d hardly had the chance to see her, despite living together.

As he finished up his lecture for the day, his thoughts strayed to her again, to how he could make it up to her later tonight when she was done with work. He was nearly finished with grading. He could make her a special dinner, decorate the apartment with candles and flowers …

The idea coalesced in the back of his mind as he concluded the last slide of his lecture, and just as he was finishing, the door to the lecture hall opened.

As if conjured from his thoughts, Lucy entered, looking adorable as ever in a blouse and a suede miniskirt, her hair straight and hanging freely. It had been months since they’d gotten together, but he still felt a little jitter of excitement every time he saw her, the same way he did from reading the first chapter of his favorite book.

“That’s all for today,” Grayson said to his class, adjusting his glasses. “I’ll see you all on Thursday.”

He turned the projector off, and the lecture hall erupted in noise as students gathered their things, making for the exit. Lucy slowly walked down the aisle of the hall, heading toward him, and his heart-beat quickened.

“Hi,” she said as she reached the end of the aisle to stand in front of him.

“Hi.” He glanced over her shoulder, watching as the last of the students left. Once they were alone, he snatched her waist, pulling her to him. She let out a little yelp, smiling as she gazed up at him.

She twined her arms around his neck, and he kissed her cheek. “I was just thinking about you,” he said.