Page 85 of The Path To Us

“Macaroni and cheese with hot dogs?”

“You know it.”

I pick her up to give her a big squeeze. “She named a kitten Cheese today, didn’t you?”

She nods frantically then scowls. “But Unca Beau wouldn’t let me keep her.”

“What kind of uncle are you,” Dad teases.

“Right?”

“All right, baby girl. Do you have everything you need?” Dad asks, taking the bag from Addy’s shoulder.

“You should be good to go. Thank you for letting her stay tonight.”

“Anything for the two of you to finally… I mean, you,” he says. “Anything for you, Addy.” Another wink at me which is so exaggerated it causes Addy to blush.

We say our goodbyes and then we’re alone.

No Zoey.

No Macaroni.

No Tyson or Lizzy or my parents.

It’s just the two of us and my heart that’s beating harder than ever and our chests are rising and falling, rising and falling, with the knowledge that it’s finally… just us.

Standing next to the closed entry door, she looks up at me from under her lashes.

“Well, what do you want to do now?”

I raise my eyebrows. “That’s a loaded question.”

Her teeth slide over her bottom lip.

She’s so effortlessly sexy and it’s taking every single ounce of self-control I have not to throw her over my shoulder and charge into her bedroom.

“Hungry?”

I nod. Take a step closer, lift a hand, and run the back of my fingers across her stomach, right above the waistband of her cotton shorts. “Starved.”

Her eyes heat and her body arches toward me. “Me, too.”

“Suppose we should do something about that?”

She sighs as if the burden is heavy. “I suppose so. It wouldn’t be good for us to go… hungry, now would it?”

I shake my head, slipping a finger beneath her shirt. Her skin is smooth and pebbles just slightly, her breath hitching at my simple touch. “No, it wouldn’t.”

“Beau.”

“Yes?”

“Take me.”

My mouth slams down onto hers and she returns my kiss eagerly, her mouth opening immediately allowing me inside.

Our tongues battle for dominance.

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