Total pages in book: 87
Estimated words: 83520 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 418(@200wpm)___ 334(@250wpm)___ 278(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 83520 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 418(@200wpm)___ 334(@250wpm)___ 278(@300wpm)
At the end of the day, it doesn’t matter what we do.
Or where we go.
As long as it’s together.
I don’t realize that I’ve fallen asleep until Austin’s hand gently sweeps across my cheek, his thumb drifting over my parted lips. It takes a moment for my eyelashes to flutter as I blink to awareness, attempting to regain my bearings.
“Hey, sleepyhead. You’ve been out for a couple of hours.”
My eyes widen as his comment tumbles through my head. “Hours?”
How’s that possible?
How can we be so far from Hawthorne?
“Yup.” He grins. “Guess someone must be keeping you up at night if you were so tuckered out.”
“Maybe if a certain person would stop sneaking into my room, then I could get a solid eight hours of sleep.”
His expression turns fierce. “I think we both know that’s not gonna happen. Ever.”
I release a pent-up breath and admit softly, “I wouldn’t what it to.”
“Better not,” he growls, slipping his hand around the back of my neck and dragging me forward until his lips can collide with mine.
As soon as our tongues tangle, all the thoughts buzzing through my head go silent. The only thing that matters is Austin and the way he touches me, bringing me to life.
By the time he pulls away, my lips are swollen and my core is throbbing an insistent beat. It doesn’t matter if he made love to me before slipping from my room early this morning. The only thing I can focus on is what it’ll feel like the next time he slides deep inside my body.
We fit together so perfectly.
Almost as if we were made especially for one another.
“As much as I enjoy sitting here and plundering that sweet mouth of yours, we need to get moving.”
“Moving?” I echo in confusion before everything crashes back into my brain.
Austin planned a surprise.
It takes effort to pull my gaze from his heated one and stare around us with interest. My breath catches at the blueness of the lake and the massive white structure next to it. I would recognize the building anywhere from the photographs I’ve spent years pouring over.
The Calatrava.
The art museum in Milwaukee.
It’s even more stunning in person.
My mind empties.
I…have no words.
When I remain silent, uncertainty flickers across his expression. “They have a photography exhibit I thought you might be interested in checking out.”
“They do?” I whisper in stunned amazement. I’m having a difficult time wrapping my mind around the fact that he brought me here for our date.
Our first real date.
Somehow, Austin realized how much it would mean to me and made it happen.
Unable to articulate my feelings, I throw myself into his arms and squeeze tight as hot tears burn the backs of my eyes.
“Thank you. No one has ever done anything like this for me.”
He presses me close before kissing the side of my face. “Hope you realize there’s nothing I wouldn’t do for you, sweet girl.”
We remain locked together before he pulls away enough to say, “Come on, we’ve got a lot to see this afternoon.”
Excitement fills me at the prospect.
Not only to explore the art museum, but to experience all the amazing things life has in store for us.
EPILOGUE
AUSTIN
Two years later…
As I walk out of the stadium after a grueling three-hour practice, I catch sight of Delilah waiting for me on a park bench with her head bent as she taps away on her computer. The long mass of her blonde hair is piled on top of her head in a messy bun.
Studious is one way to describe her.
Mine is another.
We both ended up at the University of Wisconsin-Madison freshman year of college. I was awarded a full athletic ride and Delilah was able to cobble together a mixture of scholarships, grants, and financial aid so her mother pays the bear minimum. After conquering all of our obstacles, there was no way I was going to let her out of my sight for the next four years.
We both agreed that no matter where we ended up, it would be together.
I’m playing football and studying kinesiology. Madison has a Division I program and I’m hoping that if I continue to do well, I’ll have a shot at turning pro. That’s always been my dream, and now it seems like it might actually be within reach.
Delilah has just been accepted to the teaching program. Her passion is elementary education with a focus on reading disorders. She’s also minoring in photography. Sometimes she jokes and says that when she’s hired as an elementary educator, she’ll start a photography club so she can nurture artistic passion in others. Having a creative outlet to focus her energies on helped her through a lot of tough times, and she wants to give other kids the same opportunity.
Whatever Delilah does, she’ll be amazing, because that’s the kind of person she is.