He was used to the ever-present background sound of the ocean.
The peace surrounding him amplified the small sounds his shoes made in the dirt. He spotted Tessa sitting on the curb beside the bike hunched over her phone, pinching her lower lip with the thumb and forefinger of the other hand. Her dark, glossy hair cascaded down her back from beneath one of his beanies and he couldn’t stop his fingers from brushing through the ends as he took a seat beside her.
She gasped slightly as if he’d startled her. Her round blue eyes shot up to him.
“What are you doing?” he asked with a small laugh.
“Um.” She worried at her bottom lip and glanced down at her phone screen. “Stalking you?”
He leaned over to see what she’d been looking at. It was his pseudonym’s Twitter feed. He lifted his chin and sat back.
“Anything you like?” he asked, a small tingle starting in his fingers.
“All of it,” she stated flatly. She took a deep breath and nodded once. “Yeah, I’m crushing pretty hard on you. And your words,” she added softly.
He curved his hand around the back of her neck and gave a gentle tug, bringing her mouth closer to his. His eyes bounced between hers as his lips hovered over hers. “I’m okay with that,” he whispered.
He could taste the surrender in her kiss and hoped she could feel his own. Because she was it. She’d always been it for him.
The poetry then, the in between, the poetry now, it was all hers. His heart cried out for her in the form of written words because it was all it knew how to do.
He wanted to tell her that. Wanted to tell her that every reference of “she” in his words was Tessa. That every time he declared love it was to her, and for her, and about her.
“Let’s go,” Adam interrupted loudly with a clap right behind them.
Kip gave the kiss a proper finish because anything less would be rude. He grinned at Tessa as he helped her to stand.
“Ready?”
She smiled, her cheeks flushed. “Oh, yes,” she said eagerly.
He hesitated, watching her carefully as she climbed onto the back of the motorcycle. He decided not to analyze it any further.
Whatever happened between them and at whatever pace, he was just going to live in the moment.
***
TESSA
Six hours on the back of a motorcycle had left her butt and thighs numb and stiff at the same time.
She’d forgotten about the learning curve a body needed before doing long distance on a bike. Kip had probably tried to warn her, but she was so preoccupied with the viable excuse to hold her body against his for an extended period of time, she didn’t care.
“Are you okay?” Kip asked as she hobbled towards the front door of the mountain cabin.
Which, by the way, mountain cabin?
Uh, no.
It was more like a mini-resort lodge for a family of twelve.
“Peachy,” she mumbled, struggling up the wooden porch steps.
She heard Kip’s soft chuckle but what her senses zeroed in on was the way he took her hand and held it. As if it were the most natural thing in the world.
Her heart went wild.
She’d spent the past six some hours pressed to his back, her arms wrapped around him, and her head filled with his words. Every time they stopped, she pulled out her phone and dove back in.
She couldn’t get enough. She wanted her brain to feast upon his poems until it was full and happy with words of love and longing.
Knowing that Cristoforo Luca and Kip were one and the same had changed how she read the words. She kept putting herself in the subject line and didn’t care if that made her crazy or just crazy infatuated.
She wanted more of him all the time. More time, more words, more emotion.
She’d only been half-paying attention as Kip led her through the enormous house to an upper level that had its own balcony overlooking the mountain views surrounding them.
“You’ve never been here?” she asked, pushing the curtains to the side and sliding the glass door open.
“Nope.” Kip followed her and rested his elbows on the wooden railing.
They stood side by side, breathing in the fresh, pine infused air.
No pollution out there. No horns honking or people yelling.
Just a peace and quiet that seemed almost supernatural.
“It feels a little like a fantasy novel come to life,” she said softly, afraid to disrupt the silence they were sharing. “I always forget there are still places this open and free in the world.”
She reached her arms over her head and tried to stretch her tired back. Out of the corner of her eye, she saw Kip watching her.
“I think I’m going to take a shower and wash off this road junk before dinner if that’s cool,” she said.
“That is cool,” he replied following her back inside. “I’ll probably do the same when you’re finished.”
She picked out some soft casual clothes to wear for evening. Glancing up to be sure Kip wasn’t watching, she slipped a pair of black lace panties and matching bra into her armful of clothing.
Not that she was assuming anything.
She. Was. Not.
But she would feel stupid not at least being prepared.
Besides, sleeping arrangements meant he’d at least see her in her pajamas when it was time for bed. And she didn’t feel like changing for the first time in front of him wearing plain cotton underwear.
Also, these thoughts led her to make sure she was so damn clean, she’d pass multiple health and military inspections. Everything was scrubbed and shaved. And when she got out of the shower, everything was lathered in scented lotion.
She’d chosen a fresh peach scent.
For obvious reasons.
It had been a long time since she’d done those things in anticipation of a guy. She hoped Kip didn’t notice in a way that made him feel pressured or that she was expecting something. But at the same time, she wanted him to notice.
Kip took his turn in the shower and Tessa decided to go downstairs to see if she could help with dinner preparations.
She hadn’t been able to spend too much time with the other couple so far, and was curious about their connection to Kip. Anything she could learn about her guy, she was more than excited about.
“Hey,” Jess greeted her, also looking freshly showered. “Do you like pink wine? Because I have pink wine.” Jess pulled the cork out of the bottle and poured a healthy amount before handing it to Tessa.
“I do like pink wine.” Tessa said hopping onto a cushioned barstool.
“To a weekend away from the city,” Jess toasted.
Tessa accepted the toast readily.
Adam entered the kitchen at that moment and took in the image of them and their wine.
“Ladies,” he greeted with a crooked smile.
“Would you like help making dinner?” Jess asked.
“I think we can do the cooking tonight,” Adam replied. His eyes glanced over the top of Tessa’s head.
“I like that plan,” Kip said as he joined them. He slid his palm along her lower back as he made his way past her. It sent a shiver down her spine.
They made a light dinner of sesame chicken stir-fry. When it was ready, they moved into the dining room off of the kitchen to eat.
“How long have you and Kip known each other?” Tessa asked.
Adam scrunched up his overly handsome face as he thought about it. “Since middle school?” he asked Kip, sounding unsure.
Kip nodded but didn’t comment, continuing to eat his food.
“But you didn’t go to school with us?” Tessa asked.
“No,” Adam replied, mixing his stir-fry around his plate. “I was technically homeschooled.”
“What?” Jess asked, her fork stopping halfway to her mouth as she turned her frown his direction.
Adam chewed thoughtfully, his eyes cast down to his plate. “I had private tutors most of the time. My family
traveled a lot.”
“Why didn’t I know this?” Jess asked, finally just putting her fork down.
Tessa’s eyes bounced back and forth between the couple. She’d had no intention of starting any drama. She was just trying to ask some pretty basic “get to know you” type questions.
“Because you never asked,” Adam replied slowly, but his tone was unmistakable. He was making a point.
Shit.
Tessa picked up her glass of wine and darted her eyes over to Kip, who was still eating but watching Jess and Adam with curiosity.
“What’s that supposed to mean?” Jess asked.
Adam shrugged. “Doesn’t mean anything. Just an observation.”
Jess sucked in a quick breath and then forced a smile at Tessa. “You learn something new every day, right?” she asked with a forced laugh.
“Mm,” Tessa agreed, wondering what the hell was going on.
“I met Kip through our parents.” Adam shot a quick glance to Kip who nodded briefly.
Ugh. Bro code.
Tessa vaguely understood now why people would get frustrated about the silent conversations she, Spencer, and Lo could have simply because they all knew each other so well.
Dinner finished soon after that and Jess jumped up to do the dishes, declaring she didn’t need any help.
Adam lifted his chin at Kip who guided Tessa towards the stairs that led them back to their section of the house.
“Is everything going to be okay down there?” Tessa asked, wondering how she could have prevented the tension that followed her questions.
“It’ll be fine. Adam just needs to talk to her.” Kip closed the door behind them and rested his back against it. “How’s your back doing?”
Tessa spun around and walked backwards. “Noticed that, did ya?” she asked with a nose crinkle.
“Only because you were trying so hard to hide it.”
She shrugged, the back of her neck heating. “I didn’t want you to worry.”
Kip pushed away from the door and slowly approached her. “Can I help you with your back?”
Tessa rolled her lips inward. “What-uh, what did you have in mind?”
As he came closer with romantic purpose evident in his eyes, she glanced away from the intensity. He’d straightened up the room while she’d been downstairs with Jess. He had even started a fire in the fireplace.
Her eyes bounced back to his. “Is your intent to seduce me?” she asked, her voice just above a breath. “Because it’s working.”
Humor lit the green in his eyes with gold as he came to a stop a few inches away.
“I have no expectations,” he said, threading the fingers of one hand through her hair and brushing the apple of her cheek with his thumb. “But I would very much like to touch you.” He tugged on her gently as he leaned closer. “And I want to kiss you,” he said against her mouth.”
“Yes, please,” she breathed, wrapping both her arms around his neck.
Her body fell against his and he caught her. The hand in her hair held her gently as his other hand slid around her waist in a possessive grasp.
Tessa’s body ignited. She let out a gasp that turned into a moan when his tongue slipped passed her lips.
His body became hard and warm against hers and she couldn’t get close enough. Her hands tossed his beanie to the side and she tangled her fingers in his dark, lush hair.
Maybe it was knowing why he always wore the hat, but removing it seemed a more intimate act that it would have on anyone else.
He tore his mouth from hers just to graze slow, passionate kisses down her neck.
“Yes,” she let out in a gasp. All. Of. That.
“I have to tell you things,” he said against the skin of her neck, punctuating his words by licking her pulse point.
Oh, Kip and his words. His words were always present in the huge moments of their relationship. Of course they would be here too. It only made sense.
Unfortunately for Tessa, her words didn’t work anymore. She’d been reduced to sensation and ecstasy and love.
The realization hit her hard.
Love.
She loved him.
Not in the way she thought she did earlier that day, but in a way she’d never experienced before—soul deep and eternal. In a way that she knew that even if they didn’t stay together forever, her heart belonged to him.
Kip lifted her up and carried her the few feet to the bed. He put a knee on the mattress and gently laid her diagonally across it. He brushed her hair out of her face with one hand while the other cradled her cheek.
Those green eyes were almost entirely golden with emotion and firelight.
“I’m so in love with you,” he declared, roughly. “My heart has never known a home. Until you. If you’ll have me.”
Wetness gathered in the corners of her eyes as she studied him. Her fingers slowly touched the lines on his face she knew were dimples when he was happy, and the line between his eyebrows when he was thinking. Her thumb grazed his bottom lip and he turned his mouth to kiss her wrist on its way by.
“I love you. I’m in love with you,” she whispered, one tear escaping and sliding down her temple.
He watched it in awe, like he wasn’t sure she’d actually said it.
As his lips descended on hers, her body rose to meet him.
And for the first time in both of their lives, they made love.
***
Sometime after round three, Tessa slipped Kip’s shirt on and snuck downstairs to raid the refrigerator.
Her body blissfully sore, she filled a plate with fruit and cheese and skipped back upstairs.
She closed the door behind her and Kip pushed his back against the headboard, tucking the sheet around his waist.
“You’re so fucking cute,” he said, making her heart do a happy skip.
She set the plate on his lap and crawled closer to him on her knees. When she was an arm length away, he reached for her and she folded into his side, pressing a kiss to his neck.
“I think,” he began slowly, picking up a few blueberries. “That sex is probably the greatest thing ever.”
He offered her a berry and she nibbled it from his fingers. “Agreed.”
“Do you think people know how great sex is?” he asked her thoughtfully. “Maybe we happen to be very good at it and the rest of the world is only mediocre.”
She snickered and leaned into him lazily. “What makes you say that?”
“Because I think if everyone had sex like how we just had sex, nothing else would ever get done.”
She chuckled and slid down into the covers. The best part about his idea was how serious he sounded as he said it. She folded her pillow and tucked it under her head so she could watch him eat naked.
Finally.
She finally understood what all the fuss was about.
And for all Kip’s apparent “lack of experience,” he wasn’t naïve when it came to how everything worked. He’d been eager to learn her body and her responses. He wanted to please her, and his desire had made the whole experience that much more enjoyable.
Which was why they did it again. And then again.
And they’d probably do it again any minute now.
Just as soon as she caught her breath.
CHAPTER 17
I only ever wanted life
and you gave me magic
-Cristoforo Luca
KIP
“So,” Adam finally said after he’d watched Kip bring the plate downstairs the next morning and wash it. “You had some late-night snacks?”
Kip didn’t respond to that. But he did smile to himself.
Tessa was still upstairs sleeping—her hair strewn across the pillow, the white sheet tangled between her tan legs, her back exposed to the sunlight coming through the tall windows.
He’d been tempted to wake her, but couldn’t bring himself to do it. So he’d showered, dressed, and come downstairs to make coffee.
And wash a
plate.
“Can I ask you a weird question?” Adam asked, flipping on the switch to the coffee maker. He crossed his arms over his chest and leaned against the counter.
“Shoot,” Kip replied, opening and closing cupboards until he found the coffee mugs.
“When did you get so much hair?”
Kip paused. He stared at the matching His and Hers bear mugs in front of him.
He’d forgotten to put his beanie on before going downstairs.
“I don’t mean to sound like an ass,” Adam added apologetically. “Just… you used to have the Picard hairline—nothing on top and just a ribbon of hair on the sides and back.”
Kip ran a hand through his towel dried hair as he turned around.
“It grew back,” he said carefully.
It wasn’t a lie. But he didn’t know if he was ready to start telling people why he suddenly had hair again.
Adam’s face grew pensive and he rubbed the stubble on his jaw.
“My mom said something once when we were kids…about you not being well.”
Kip’s stomach hollowed out.
This was his nightmare.
He didn’t know how to respond so he didn’t.
Adam waited.
The clock on the wall next to the window ticked louder.
Kip hadn’t even noticed the clock until then.
Tick, tick, tick, tick.
He started to wonder if maybe something was wrong with it. What could make a clock tick that loudly? Was it designed to be that loud? How had they all slept through that last night? It was louder than a smoke alarm.
“Hey!” Tessa breezed into the kitchen and placed herself in his arms. He locked eyes with her as she smiled knowingly and tugged his beanie onto his head. “You forgot this,” she whispered just before placing a soft peck on his lips.
Kip took a deep breath and inhaled her presence. It calmed him instantly.
He had no way of knowing when that damn beanie had become a security blanket. But apparently Tessa had known.
And she never asked him to go without or to reveal himself before he was ready.
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