We spread our dinner on the coffee table on Billie’s balcony. Generally, I have no problems staying with my siblings. They all have plenty of room, but the condo affords us more privacy. While I’m happy Josie and Julianna are here, I would have preferred to spend this weekend in New York with Caroline alone.
We dig into our meals. She wasn’t lying when she said she was starving. Caroline polishes off her meal as I near the halfway point of mine. Thankfully, I set dessert on the island before we came out here. Otherwise, I won’t get to even try it. I love that about her. Her curves are heart-stopping. I’ve seen the looks she gets when we’re out. Looks she is completely oblivious to. She’s comfortable with her curves and isn’t on a perpetual diet. It makes her even hotter in my opinion.
The sun is setting, and the sky is covered in glorious hues of red, purple, and orange.
“It’s beautiful,” Caroline states, looking at the skyline.
“You are.”
She turns to face me. “Auggie.”
“I never had the opportunity to say those words to you before, not as your boyfriend anyway. It’s a tad weird we’ve been on only one official date but—”
“It was a spectacular date.”
I set my hands on her toned thighs and kiss her lips tenderly. “It was. Where should we go next?”
“Maybe we should wait to see how it’s going at Ocean Cliff. I’ll take whatever free time you have while we’re there. I don’t need a fancy date, Auggie. This is perfectly fine. You know that, don’t you? Wouldn’t we be doing something similar if we were home?”
“I do, but you deserve them.” I know in my head, but my heart isn’t getting the message. Caroline deserves the best of everything, which is why I wanted to wait to start a dating relationship with her. Being away from her for a little over a month was absolute torture. Now having felt her lips on mine and her bare, lush curves in my hands, I don’t see how I can go back. I don’t want to, but I’m concerned I’ll fail her. However, the sides of me are warring with one another.
“Auggie, you realize I’m choosing you knowing full well you’re chasing your dreams too, right?”
“Yes, but it’s why I was reluctant. I still feel as if I’m not giving you the attention you need and deserve.”
She cups my face with her hand. “What will it take for you to believe me when I say you are?”
“I don’t know.” I lean forward and set my forehead against hers.
She tilts our heads up so we’re looking directly into the other’s eyes. “There is only one reason which will make me run, and I know with everything all I am, you won’t betray me like that.”
“Never.” Our parents’ infidelities both yielded a half sibling. However, my parents never hid their disdain for one another. They were still married to one another, but it was in name only. Now all these years later, after my mother’s treatment of Billie, Noelle, and Savannah became known, they’re divorced. Caroline’s parents however stayed together in their marriage. Broken marriage vows are unforgiveable to both of us.
“I want you beside me as my man, not only my best friend. I need you to hear me and understand I’ll tell you if I need something more from you.”
“Cuore mio, I hear you. I’m still grasping the fact we’re a team. We were before, but it’s different now.”
“There is only one main difference now, and it’s amazing.”
“Is it now?” She isn’t wrong. Permission to show her how I feel with my body is unparalleled. Kissing Caroline makes the rest of the world slip away. Being with her completely might very well kill me despite my craving to feel her writhe beneath me.
“You don’t agree?”
Instead of answering her, I surround her waist with my arm and climb over her on the rattan furniture. My legs settle on the outside of her thighs. I lower my lips to hers and show her I agree with her assessment completely. Exploring her mouth with my tongue is breathtaking. Her chilled hands dip beneath my shirt, cooling my heated skin. Though my experience is limited, Caroline’s hands on my skin is blissful. I drop my head further and drag my tongue along the edge of her shirt. Her signature scent wafts up from between her breasts. I could get lost exploring her body. I plan to take an excruciatingly long time to caress every inch of her with my hands and mouth as soon as we’re able.
“This feels scary good,” she murmurs as I travel as low as her shirt allows.
“Do you want me to stop?”
“Hell no, but we should probably go inside.”
“I have to admit, your feisty side is crazy attractive.”
She raises an eyebrow as I pull her to sitting. “Your kisses drive me to insanity. If I knew how it would feel, I would have pushed you so much sooner.”
Her choice of words piques my interest. “At the risk of ruining the mood, have you kissed anyone else?” Our sexual experiences are pretty much the only topic we have never discussed.
“Yes, but it never felt like it does with you.” Her voice softens as she speaks.
“Same for me.” I draw her against me and kiss her again.
We cleanup the takeout, step inside, and lock the sliding door. After throwing away the trash, we dance into the front bedroom, removing one another’s clothing piece by piece.
Her hands slide up my flank and flatten against my back as I grip her hips. Her eyes drift closed when her breasts are flush against my chest. When she opens them, my gaze is pinned to hers. A heaviness settles between us. Going forward means there’s no turning back. For me there is no turning back anymore. She’s it for me. I need to get my head and my heart on the same page.
My phone ringing pulls me out of the moment—a moment where Caroline is naked in my arms and we’re on the precipice of completely sharing ourselves with one another.
“That’s Billie’s ringtone, isn’t it?”
I nod.
“Go, I’ll be right here.”
I leave the bedroom and answer my phone. “Hey, Billie. Is everything okay?”
“I got a call from Della. Giovanni had a massive heart attack. I’m heading to New York right now. Do you guys want to stay or come home?”
“Let me talk to Caro and I’ll get right back to you.” I end the call and pad to the bedroom. The sight of Caroline naked in bed makes every nerve ending pay attention. She’s partially covered by a thin blanket. It doesn’t matter, her curves are highlighted perfectly. The image doesn’t approach the recollection of my hands memorizing those very same curves. I almost don’t want to even ask her. Sliding beneath the sheets with her is much more appealing.
“Everything okay?” she asks.
“No. Giovanni had a heart attack, and Billie is heading to New York in the next hour or so. Do you want to go home today or stay until Sunday morning?”
“Whichever you prefer is fine.”
“Are you sure?”
“Of course. Can I make one request?”
I sit on the edge of the bed, resisting the urge to touch her soft skin by the slimmest of margins. If I feel the silky smoothness beneath my fingers again, my resolve will crumble.
“Anything.” She could ask for the brightest star in any galaxy, and I would find a way to get it for her—a fact I’m sure she doesn’t realize, nor would she ever ask for anything even remotely extravagant. That alone makes me fall even deeper in love with Caroline.
“I want to finish what we started here.”
I bring my lips to the shell of her ear and whisper, “It will be my pleasure to watch you shatter beneath me.”
Goose bumps erupt down the slope of her neck to her fingertips from my words. She turns her head, taking me in a soul-affirming, passionate kiss that makes my toes curl. I’m kicking myself for missing all the signs earlier in our relationship.
“Thank you.”
“You and your family would do it for me. Call her back, tell her we’ll join her, and I’ll pack quickly.”
She’s right. My siblings and I would be there for her without question even before we—I—came to my senses.
A little over an hour later, we’re headed back to New York. It makes sense for us to join Billie. Sam and Savannah can assist Cash and Noelle. We can even video chat with them instead of calling or texting. I gently nudge Caroline once we land at the airport. I have Billie and Peter drop us off at my townhouse and request updates as soon as she has them. In the wee hours of Saturday morning, I climb into my bed with Caroline.