I grin sheepishly.

“I mean it, Reed. Thank you.”

I pull my exploring hand back and tuck it behind my head. If she wants to talk, we’ll talk. I mean, my dick is going to choke to death in my jeans, but it’d be worth it if it means she’ll stick around.

“Least I could do. It’s my fault you lost it in the first place.”

“Not really, but I appreciate the thought.” Her hand rubs briskly down my thigh.

I close my eyes. The touch is meant to be encouraging, I’m sure, but just a few more inches to the left and I’ll have a little relief. I take a couple of deep, silent breaths.

“The stuff at school isn’t as bad as before. Did you help with that, too?” she asks. Her hand has moved upward and she’s now trailing a finger down the side seam of my long-sleeve shirt.

Is she purposely trying to drive me crazy? I swivel my head to look at her, but she’s staring out at the water.

I roll back and focus my attention on finding the Big Dipper and not on how I’d like her fingers to pull up my shirt and trace a path along my abs. “Not enough,” I admit. “I talked to Wade and some of the other guys. Told them I wanted to hear if anything was going on, but we both know it’s Jordan behind this shit. If it was a guy, I’d take him out to the parking lot and pummel his face until he was shitting his teeth.”

“That’s a lovely image.”

I snort. “Would you rather I take him to the mall and get friendship bracelets made?”

“I don’t know. Does violence solve anything? Like, you hit Daniel, and I helped humiliate him, but he won’t go away. He doesn’t even appear…shamed.” Her wandering finger has drifted lower to trace the hem of my shirt.

“It’s an act,” I tell her. “He’s good at pretending it’s all right, but he got kicked off the lacrosse squad and his run for next year’s student body president is over.” I frown. “It’s still not enough.”

“It’s a start, though.” Ella reaches out to stroke my arm, and that innocent touch lights a fire under my skin that’s hotter than the one in the sand five feet away. “Speaking of Jordan, your dad threatened her dad at the game tonight.”

“He did?” I can’t hide my surprise.

She nods. “He said something like he’d hate for anything bad to happen to me and have it affect their business relationship.”

“Good for the old man. I didn’t realize he had it in him. Or that he even knew what goes on at Astor.”

“I think he knows more than he lets on. He hinted that he knew about you and me, too.”

I grin. “What about you and me?”

“That maybe wearing your jersey means something.”

I use her hair as an excuse to touch her, tucking a few wayward strands behind her ear. “I know what it means to me. Wanna share what it means to you?”

She grabs my wrist and turns her lips into my palm. It feels like a brand. Her brand. I want to close my fist around it and keep it there.

“It means that all those other girls need to stand down. You’re mine.” She lifts her shining eyes to meet mine. “Your turn.”

Again, I have to take a breath. This time it’s because my heart’s in my throat. “It means all those other guys need to step off. You’re mine.” I give up being patient and drag her onto my lap. “I want to solve all your problems for you. I want to make Jordan go away. I want to erase Brooke from our lives. I want everything perfect and shiny and beautiful for you.”

“Since when are you such a romantic?” she teases.

“Since I met you.” Oh man. If any of my friends were around right now, they’d start a statewide search for my balls. But I don’t care. I mean every word I’m saying.

Ella cradles my head between her hands. “Well, I don’t need any of that from you,” she whispers, her lips inches away from mine.

“I’ll do anything. Tell me what you need.”

“You. Just you. It’s always been you.”

She kisses me. Her lips press softly against mine, sealing the promise she’s made to me. That she’s mine and always has been. From before we even met, she was mine and I was hers. I fought it too long, but I’m giving in now. I’m all in now.

I kiss her back, driving her down to the blanket so that I can feel the full length of her body against mine. It’s innocent at first. I don’t rip her jersey off or stick my hand down her pants, even though I’m dying to do both. We just kiss each other, until she starts to move restlessly underneath me.

Her legs part and I settle between them, pressing my hard-on against her welcoming softness. Her hands leave my head and fumble with the bottom of my shirt. I reach one hand behind me and whip it off.

“You’re not going to get cold?” she asks, half teasing, half serious.

“I don’t think I’d be cold if it started to snow.” I grab her hand and press it to my chest. “I’m burning up.”

Her fingers curl against my chest, exploring carefully. I know she doesn’t have much experience, but I’ve never been this hot before, never been so close to the edge. Not even my first time. I could pluck her hand away and put an end to this with the excuse that my control is whisper thin, but I want her to touch me.

I brace myself over her, using my elbows for support, and let her explore. Her fingers count every rib. Her hands measure my chest and I take caveman-like pleasure in how big I am compared to her. Her palms smooth over my shoulders and spread along my back. I tremble over her, a wild animal ready to spring free, just waiting for her signal.

Fuck. This girl is wrecking me.

She uses my body as a lever and pulls upward to flick her tongue against the frantic pulse at my neck.

It’s too much. I roll over and drop onto my back, my chest heaving as if I’d run a marathon.

“What’s wrong?” she asks, snuggling down beside me.

I thread her fingers through mine. “Talk to me. Help me settle down.”

“You sure you don’t want me to help you some other way?”

That makes me smile. “Later. Right now, I want to lie here and enjoy being next to you.”

“Is it always like this?”

“Like what?”

She goes quiet for a moment and then, “Like my heart is about to burst.”