Page 189 of Well That Happened

“Wait,” I whisper against his mouth. “Do we need a condom?”

Hunter stills, looking at me with a gaze so honest it steals my breath. “There’s been no one else,” he says, voice low. “Since you.”

My heart lurches. “Me either.”

Something flickers in his eyes—something warm and wrecked.

Then his mouth crashes into mine again, and he pushes forward, past the resistance of my body—until there’s no space left between us.

“Rilee…” His voice breaks on my name.

I kiss him then—soft and deep—and it feels like a vow.

His thrusts are easy—slow and languid, like we have all day. Like we have forever to do this very thing. He feels so incredible moving inside me, his rough breaths against my lips, my hand over his heart… I can’t believe I ever thought I could live without this. Live without him.

“Missed you so much, Ri,” he says around a kiss. “You’re fucking perfect. For me. Forus.”

“Yes,” I moan, falling deeper.

The front door opens. Closes.

Footsteps. Voices. A pause.

“Are you—holy shit.”

Grayson’s voice.

Caleb, laughing. “Guess we should’ve knocked.”

Hunter doesn’t pull away.

He just closes his eyes and exhales against my skin. “Ignore them.”

It’s easier said than done.

But Hunter’s lifting my chin to meet his eyes, and his movements quicken. His hips snap between mine in a way that makes me cry out, and then it’s just him and me…and two sulking hockey players trying to let us have our moment.

The California sun is obnoxiously golden, and somehow the backyard is even prettier than I imagined. There are string lights stretched across the patio and a pool that practically begs for cannonballs. It feels like a dream. Or maybe a movie set. And I’m the girl who somehow got cast as the lead.

I step out the sliding door in a red one-piece swimsuit, feeling the heat lick across my skin. Caleb’s sprawled on a lounge chair by the pool, sipping a lemonade like it’s his life’s purpose.

He looks up—and whistles. “Well, damn. You trying to kill me, Ri?”

I snort. “Just trying to catch some vitamin D.”

“You’re catching my entire soul.”

Grayson emerges from the house with a giant box in his arms. “Caleb and I got you something on our shopping trip.”

They’d come home with enough groceries to feed an entire hockey team, plus the frozen pizza I like and tampons. And apparently a… pool floatie?

He rips it open and reveals… a massive unicorn pool float. Rainbow mane. Gold horn. Full ridiculous glory.

I gasp. “Shut up. I love it.”

“I knew you would,” he says, grinning like the smug genius he is.

Hunter’s already shirtless, stretched out on the other lounge chair. He glances over with a lazy smile. “Only the best for our girl.”

---