"Seriously? You've got to be kidding me?" I don't think my mouth or eyes can get any bigger. I force both to return to their natural size and scratch my head.
She whips around, laying her hand on my face. Our connection is instant, the energy rushing through us is a constant reminder. Chills run over me, and I fight to lay her down and take her now.
"I love you." She swallows hard with the lick of her lips as she works up the courage to say what she's feeling. "There will never be another man for me, and I won't apologize for wanting you."
"Do you honestly believe I don't want to make love to you?" My heart hammers against my chest.
She adverts her eyes, afraid to recognize something other than I want her to. "I'm not sure, you could be having second thoughts about us. We don't have a relationship like everyone else."
"That's what I love about it, and why I love you more than you'll ever comprehend." I lay my hand over hers, gripping it.
"I want to be with you. I can't help it and I won't apologize for it." She bites and releases her lip.
"But this right here!" I hold up the paper in my hand. "This is the most important thing for us to do, once we're finished, no one can tell us we can't be together."
She flails backward, hay flies everywhere. "Ughhh! You're killing me!"
"I am not, Harper." I move over her, leaning in. "Open." I wait. "Open your eyes." I pause. "Stop being like this and look at me."
"What?" She snarls. Her top lip curls, making her adorable to gaze at.
My breath hitches. "You're stunning."
"You're insane." Her smile breaks across her face, beams of light and love shoot through the air. I can only hope to be hit by them.
"I'm crazy for you." I half shrug, struggling to not climb between her legs and find heaven.
She grips my shirt, pulling me down as she wraps her legs around my waist. "You're driving me crazy!"
"Wait. Why do I feel as though I'm losing this argument?" I run my hand up her leg, to her thigh and around, gripping her plump ass. "Damn, I sure as hell am losing it."
The tip of her tongue sweeps over her bottom lip, teasing me all to hell. "Well, then. Let me win this one time and I'll never ask again."
"Baby, I've waited for years to get in your panties. Once I'm in, I ain't backin' out." I struggle for air, as my breathing becomes ragged as her breasts heave and sway, laying beneath me.
"Fine," she slowly unlocks her legs. "read the damn letter."
I lean in, brushing my lips over hers. "Thank you, baby."
Ridge falls to my side, pulling me with him. I snuggle in, throwing my leg over his as he pulls my letter free. He opens it, glancing at me with a shit-eating grin.
"Oh, stop." I giggle. "You're the one who said I could do it, so don't pretend you didn't have a clue I could."
"Well," he shrugs. "I hoped you would."
I gaze at him as his eyes sweep over the words written on the letterhead from the University of South Carolina. I applied to several, but this is the one I wanted most. He did too because he insisted on writing my letter.
"Look at you, college girl. Straight A's your first semester." He beams at me, like I'm a million dollars in gold. "I'm so fuckin' proud of you."
I release a heavy sigh. "Good!"
"Oh, c'mon. This is fuckin' amazing, you're kickin' ass." He nudges me, followed by gigging my side.
I squirm, elbowing him. "Okay! Alright! It's seriously cool."
"Yes, it is." He kisses me deeply, and I melt into him as I always have. "Once you graduate, I'll be finished and have started my business. Then you can be proud of me."
"I already am proud of you, Ridge. There's nothing wrong with your chosen profession and if anyone can open a chain of business,' it'll be you."
He wrinkles his nose, almost thumbing at my words. "Still not good enough for the likes of you."
"Once I've graduated, I'll marry whom I damn well please." I shoot straight up, ready to fight this out for the last time. "I'm so tired of this shit, Ridge. You know what you want, since when is it wrong to go after it. To hell with everyone else and their fucking opinions. Isn't mine the only one that matters?"
"You're right."
I scramble to my feet. "I don't care what you say, I'm the only one you should be worried... wait."
"I said, I agree with you." He's smiling boyishly, it's my favorite, and he knows it.
I point at him. "Don't you dare be messing with me, Matthew?"
"I love it when you use my first name." His nostrils flare with the quirk of his lip.
I plop down on his lap, straddling him. "Good! I hate it when we argue."
"Ya know what they say about arguments. The making up is the best." He slides his hand to the nape of my neck. "Let's make-up."
His lips are puckered and ready, but my finger laid over them stops him in his tracks. "Actually, that should be make-up sex is the best. After you argue, it's supposed to be followed by mind blowing sex."
"Harper," his fingers dig into my hip. "I'm a guy and if you think I don't want to have sex with you, you're dead wrong."
"Well..." I open my arms. "here I am. I can't offer it up more than this."
Ridge's hands are around my waist and I'm flipped over on my back before I can utter another word. He hovers above me, smelling like dirt and sweat. Damn, if I don't love him.
Ridge leans in, running the tip of his nose from my heart, up my neck. "I love the way you smell."
"Really?" I giggle, thinking of my thoughts just moments ago.
He nips at my jaw. "Yeah, delicious. All strawberries and honey."
"So, you're telling me you're hungry?" I squeeze him between my thighs. "Go ahead, you can eat me."
"Harper, stop offering your virginity up like it means nothing." He groans.
I roll my eyes back. "Fine."
"Stop, will ya?" He releases a lengthy breath. "I want you. I want to make love to you as you say my name with pleasure. I want to fuck you on every surface there is in the fucking universe. But not yet, I want it to be special. Not here or like this."
I take his face in my hands, locking eyes with him. "It doesn't matter where or when, all that matters is that it's with you. That I know you love me, and for you to understand, I'll love you forever."
"Forever? That's a long time." He searches my eyes, I'm not sure what he's looking for, but he doesn't find it. "Not yet, but soon be a perfect time."
"Now..." I squeeze him tighter, growling through my teeth. A noise creeps up between us, sounding eerily familiar. "What's that?"
There it is, the look no girl wants to recognize on the face of her boyfriend. Caught like a deer in headlights, frightened, I'm grounded to where they stand.
He cuts his eyes, as if I didn't say anything. "I'm not sure what you're talking about."