Page 373 of Small Town Firsts

I'm half-tempted to deepen the kiss here and now, but Sterling pulls away before I can. The man must have the self-control of a saint. I know he's been trying to respect me, but I also know he's got blue balls like whoa.

But tonight... Tonight everything's going to change.

Tonight, we're going to get back on track.

Tonight, I'm going to show him exactly how much I love him, how much I trust him, and how much I want to be his.

Not that I ever really stopped being his. Not really.

"Do you mind if I take a bath first?"

"Go for it, baby. I'm gonna go ahead and start grilling, if that's cool with you?"

"It's perfect."

He leans in and kisses me once more. "Come find me when you're done."

"Mmm."I inhale deeply as I step out onto the deck. "Something smells good."

"Gonna taste good, too." Sterling winks at me from behind the grill. "You want to run inside and grab us some plates and the salad I made?"

"So fancy."

His lips quirk up into a smile. "Your therapist said a healthy diet's good for your physical and mental health."

"That she did," I say, secretly touched by his thoughtfulness, before turning and heading back into the house.

When I step back outside, I'm blown away. Somehow, in less than five minutes, Sterling's managed to light like a bajillion candles.

Okay, so like, twenty. But still.

They're spread out, with a few along the deck rail, two tall ones on the table, and the rest scattered around the hot tub.

"Ster," I breathe. "This is magical."

He smiles, but doesn't say anything. Not about the candles, at least. "Ready to eat, little mouse?"

I nod, and he takes the plates and salad from me before pulling out my chair. I serve us each some salad while he pulls the steaks from the grill. "Made some eggplant, too."

"It smells and looks so good."

"Dig in."

I saw off a bite of steak and moan as the flavors of butter, garlic, and rosemary burst across my tongue. "Oh my God."

Our eyes meet over the flickering candlelight, and a calm settles over me. Being here, with him, just feels right.

"How are you feeling about everything, about school?"

"Mixed emotions. A little sad, but also like it was the right choice."

"An incomplete is better than failing out."

"Agreed."

"And you get to start fresh next semester."

"Also true."

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