I moved on him a little faster, relishing the feel of him deep, rubbing against my core with pleasure.
“Fuck, baby doll.” He gripped my hips as his face went red from gritting his teeth and straining. “I think it’s been too long. I’m not going to last long.”
With a grin, I bounced faster and sank my fingers into his hair, gripping the strands hard. “You’ll last as long as I tell you to,” I said with a mischievous twinkle in my eyes, knowing my teasing words would bring out the challenge in him.
His gaze filled with surprise before he laughed and spun me around until I was on my back against the mattress and he was leaning over me. “Is that right?” he asked in a low, taunting voice.
“That’s right,” I dared. “Now give me all you got.”
So he did, heaving inside me, and staring into my eyes as he brought us both to the peak and then crested over the edge, dissolving into euphoria together.
“Dammit,” he muttered, collapsing on top of me, where I stroked his back and hair. “I was going to wait at least another week before whining and begging for this from you.”
“I know,” I said, kissing his hair. “But I was ready now.”
“Yeah.” He pulled up onto his elbows so he could grin down at me. “I could tell.” But then the light in his eyes faded a bit. “Are you sure you’re ready for everything today? If you need more time—”
“I don’t,” I assured him, kissing the tip of his nose. “I’m ready.”
He stared into my eyes a moment longer before nodding. “Then let’s do this. But first…here’s your real birthday present.”
With a boyish grin, he sat up and then draped his torso over the side of the bed so he could fish his arm under it. When he came up with a wrapped box, my mouth fell open.
“Sorry about the wrapping,” he offered ruefully, extending it my way. “Aspen made me do it myself.”
I shook my head, not expecting this. “You…Colton, you didn’t have to get me anything.” Seriously, just having him here with me every day was a present all on its own.
“Pfft.” He waved aside my rebuttal. “Just open it.” I swear, he was vibrating with excitement, anxious to see my reaction.
So I tore into the paper, telling him, “I love the wrapping paper. You actually did a good job.”
Once that was gone, I opened the lid of the white box that remained and blinked down at a pair of hot pink panties.
“Aren’t these my underwear?” I asked, confused.
He nodded, biting his lip. “I took them off you that first night we hooked up at the wedding.”
I gasped, my gaze flying to him. “But you said you threw them away.”
“Hmm…did I say that?’
“Oh! You…” I smacked his arm and laughed. “You lied to me.”
He chuckled and took them from my hand. “So, will you do me a favor and wear them for me today, and remember that no matter what kind of things have torn us apart, we’ve always found our way back together again. We’ll always find each other, no matter what.”
Tears of love sparkled in my eyes. “It would be my pleasure,” I told him, leaning in to kiss his mouth.
He kissed me back, but only just barely before he pulled away and demanded, “Okay, now open your real gift.”
When he motioned back to the white box on my lap, I looked down to realize there was something else underneath the next layer of tissue paper. So I folded it back to reveal a new dream catcher.
“Oh…holy wow,” I said, gaping at it. It was nicer than any other dream catcher I already owned.
“One more for your collection,” Colton said, watching me trace my fingers over the feathers and leather loom.
“I love it.” Looking up, I stared into his eyes and knew I was blessed. “Almost as much as I love you.”
We walked through campus hand-in-hand, each of us taking turns sipping from our favorite to-go mug. Colton had walked me to my first class and left me at the door with a kiss, only to be there waiting for me when it was over.
Someday, when I felt stronger and less apprehensive, I wouldn’t need that much support, but today I appreciated him being there, always where I needed him most.
I’d had no idea he would turn out to be such a rock when I’d first met him. But something told me he hadn’t known that either. I wasn’t the only one who’d gone through changes in the past few weeks. Something in Colton had matured. He didn’t seem to be all talk anymore. Now you could tell there was something there to back it up. And it only made him that much more appealing.
We didn’t say much as we started toward the history building together for our philosophy class. Up ahead, I spotted a familiar face and began to stop because I didn’t want to deal with Shaun. But as soon as he saw me, he stopped in his tracks as well and took off in the opposite direction.
“Huh,” I said gazing after him, pleasantly surprised but confused as to why he wanted to avoid me.
Colton chuckled. “Yeah, I’d run too if I were him.”