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I guess it’s time to rip the band-aid off. But her hand traces a slow circle over my chest and some of the tension in my spine eases.
My exhalation is long. “I’ve thought about that a lot.”
“Me too.”
I reach for the light and flip the switch, flooding the room with the soft, warm light from the lamp. As much as I want to hide in the dark, I want her to see the sincerity of what I feel.
Her eyes fill with worry as I tip her chin to me. “Rach, you were so perfect, and I wasn’t. We were so young, but you had this drive that I didn’t have. Your passion about having your own business was so powerful. I know what your parents wanted, and you went your own way. Your head was so straight. You were so serious and together. And I wasn’t.”
A wash of emotion crosses her face as she listens to me. Then, she shakes her head. “I wasn’t perfect by a long shot, Hunter.”
“But you were. I mean, you are. You’re kick ass. Look at you, here you are, getting ready to buy your own house. You created this life for yourself here in an all-new place. That just proves how passionate you were.”
“I just wanted it all, Hunter. Mom had this idea that college was just for putting on airs and that I had to meet my mate and start a family right away. And I knew I wanted more.”
I can’t stop my hard frown. “Damn, I haven’t even asked you about your business. I’ve been so caught up in everything. That’s really shitty of me. Tell me about it.”
She rolls onto her back and her eyes soften. “My friend Maddy and I started a little boardwalk shop. It’s sort of a café gift shop combo. It’s been fun. And I adore working with Maddy.”
Her hair is silky soft beneath my fingers as I smooth it back from her face. “That’s wonderful.”
The sigh she lets out says there’s more before she even says, “It is, but…”
Her dark brown eyes turn toward me and study me for a few seconds.
“But?”
“I’m being totally honest here... the shop is great, and I love working with Maddy, but I really want a clothing boutique. I now know more what I want, at least at this point in my life.”
I catch her fingers in mine. “Don’t feel guilty about that. Does Maddy love the shop?”
“She does. She’s really thriving with the bakery and café side of the business. I can’t just do that. I’d feel terrible. Plus, I’m in no position to start a boutique right now.”
After I brush a kiss across her knuckles, I say, “She’d want you to be happy, I’m sure. But you want to buy a house first?”
“I do. I’m tired of renting and having roommates. I mean, my roommate is great, but I want to keep moving on with my life plan.”
Her life plan. So Rachel. I grin at her. “You’re still the same driven girl I remember.”
That annoys her, the way she narrows her eyes says so much. “But you’re the different one, aren’t you?”
“It took a while, but I grew up fast.”
Her hand drifts over my face, down over my chest. “You’re as sexy as ever.”
Unable to resist the curve of her perfect lips, I lean in and taste her sweet kiss. “You blew me away earlier.”
When she laughs softly against me, my heart trips up. Against my mouth, she whispers, “Ditto.”
“We could get some sleep and do it again…”
Her hand drifts down between us. Her nails tease over my abs and then slip lower. “Who needs sleep?”
Laughing, I pull her to me. “Some things haven’t changed.”
Rachel groans softly when I take her budded nipple into my mouth. Slowly, I tease the tight skin with my tongue before I scrub my teeth across the tip. “God, these are so beautiful. Have I told you that tonight?”
Twisting her fingers in my hair, she murmurs, “No, you haven’t. Ooooh, that feels so good. Yeah, just like that, brush your scruff over me.”
