“Thank God, because I had no idea how I was going to let you go.”

  Something shifted … again … after admitting that. I sensed it in the air between us. We’d turned a proverbial corner, growing closer, and wanting more.

  “Diego,” I said, and he kissed me into silence.

  His tongue melted against mine, moving and punishing and making sure I knew who I belonged to, as his hands worked against my skin, each touch more claiming than the last.

  He hoisted me onto the bathroom counter, pulled down my panties with one hand, and dropped to his knees. He buried his head between my legs, eating my pussy like his very survival depended on it, as I raked my fingernails against the top of his head, loving the way his hair prickled against me. His five o’clock shadow scraped my inner thighs, and I welcomed the burn as his tongue lapped at me, fucking my hole.

  I came fast and hard, convulsing against the cold granite before Diego pulled himself free and pushed inside.

  “I can’t wait a second longer,” he breathed out, and I welcomed him in.

  We’d already established that I was on birth control and we were both clean before he had his way with me in the pool the other night, so there would be nothing between us anymore. He fucked me holding me in his arms and the harder he thrust into me, the stronger his grip on me became. I felt like an extension of his body, moving with him in perfect harmony as he slid in and out, his dick as hard as steel. He grew bigger inside me, and I knew he was about to come. Reaching for the base of his dick, I grabbed it and held it firm.

  “Fuck me, Spring. What are you—” he started to say before his words died in his throat, and he came inside me, with force and power, his entire body jerking as I finally released my grip.

  “Did you like that?” I whispered against his sweaty neck.

  “Fuck yeah, I did.” He looked at me and kissed me long and hard.

  We finally made it out of the bedroom. I actually would have been content to stay there all day, but Diego had insisted that I needed to see more on the island than just his home. He mentioned shaved ice, shrimp, and waterfalls, and what could be better than that?

  So, by the time we finally got to Waimea Falls, it was nice to see it was not particularly crowded. Not that we were alone by any means, but there was enough room for us to swim in the pools and jump off the rocks around the falls.

  The funny part about the North Shore was that Diego knew someone everywhere we went. It was like that for me back home in Lake Bliss too. I couldn’t go anywhere without running into at least one person I knew. It was the same here but a million times more because Diego was also a famous surfer.

  He obliged a few of the fans with photographs at the falls, but then for the most part, people left us alone. The waterfall was romantic. And beautiful. And fun. We swam and held on to one another, and I forgot that we weren’t alone until someone whistled, making us laugh.

  “I’m a little scared that there are going to be photos posted all over by the time we get back home,” he said, and I winced.

  “Would it be that bad?” I asked because I wasn’t sure what that meant for him.

  “No. Just that they will all try to find out who you are and follow you online and stuff.”

  “All my accounts are private. So, they can find me, but they can’t see anything,” I said with a smile, and that seemed to calm him significantly.

  “They aren’t always nice, is all. That was my only worry, babe.”

  “I get it.”

  We checked off everything on Diego’s list, and he introduced me to everyone he knew along the way. They welcomed me, more than I’d figured they might—since I was a “mainlander” and all. Even the women were kinder than the ones at the resort had been. There were no mean looks, glares, or harsh whispers being spoken behind my back. They genuinely seemed happy for us. Or maybe they were happy to see Diego moving on after having been so brokenhearted. One of them even gave me a puka shell necklace that she’d made by hand, and I swore I was never taking it off.

  It felt like Diego and I were an honest-to-God couple, navigating the ins and outs of a brand-new relationship, but I guessed in a sense, that was exactly what we were doing. Being out with him was blissful, the food downright delicious, but I was ready to be back home at his house, sitting in the hot tub, overlooking the ocean as the sun set.

  “You ready to go home, babe?” he asked, and I nodded vigorously, loving the way he called his house home.

  “You read my mind,” I said with a smile, and he wrapped his arm around my waist and tucked me up against him, saying good-bye to the last few remaining people around us.

  “I like your necklace.” He fingered the strand when we reached the truck. “It looks so cute on you.”

  “I love it,” I said, trying to look down at it but failing to see it. I got into the passenger seat, reached for the sun visor, and pulled it down, using the mirror to see the necklace against my throat.

  Diego got in, leaned over toward me, and kissed me sweetly. I wondered if I’d ever get tired of being kissed by him. Then, I scolded myself for jumping too far ahead in the future. I hadn’t even left the island yet. We hadn’t even gotten through a single day of being apart and what it might mean or how we’d feel.

  What if our feelings were amplified because we knew there was a time limit on being together? What if none of it was truly real?

  “What’s going on in that head of yours, Spring?” he asked with a grin as the engine revved to life.

  I thought about keeping my doubts to myself but realized that we didn’t really do that. Diego and I had been fairly honest and upfront right from the start.

  “I was wondering if our feelings were real,” I admitted and nodded, making me feel less stupid.

  “I wondered the same thing once or twice, if we were just caught up in the moment or something,” he said before adding, “but it doesn’t feel like a temporary thing to me. Does it for you?”

  I admired his profile, taking in the slope of his nose, the scar underneath his eye, his chiseled jawline. “It doesn’t.”

  “How about we make a deal then?” he suggested.

  I said, “Okay,” before even hearing what it was that I was agreeing to. “Wait. What’s the deal?”

  “We agree to live in the moment. Enjoy every day we have together until you leave. Then, I’ll plan a trip to see you, and we’ll see where it all takes us.”

  “You want to come see me?” I asked through my surprise. “In California?”

  “Yes, babe. That’s what a long-distance relationship is. We go visit each other. Once you leave here, it will be my turn to come to you. Plus, I know you have a business to run, and it can’t be done online, like the majority of mine can.”

  “You’ve thought of everything, haven’t you?”

  “I’ve just thought of every reason why you might say no and turned it into you saying yes.”

  I laughed because it was adorable, thoughtful, and downright sexy. This was what men did. They handled their business, recognized their emotions, and went after the things they wanted.

  And Diego wanted me. How could I ever say no to that?

  TIME TO GO

  DIEGO

  The next week had passed us by in what felt like the blink of an eye. I guessed that was what happened when things were so comfortable that they didn’t take any extra work.

  Spring had made herself at home in my house, and I’d forgotten that I’d ever lived there with anyone else … or without her. It was like she had always been a part of my life.

  We had gone to the local markets, and I let her pick out things to take back home. I refused to let her pay for anything even though she tried. She was my woman, and I wanted to take care of her in every way—that included financially. Lord knew I had enough money to do it—at least three times over—so she’d begrudgingly agreed and then paid me back sexually and with cupcakes. I never complained.

  We’d spent the last forty-eight hours basically naked, talking, fucking, and laughing until our cheeks ached. She’d baked for me, and I’d sneakily kept a few of her latest creations to make my brother try them. He was going to flip out when he tasted them. I already had a plan in mind but needed to keep it secret for now.

  I stopped Spring mid-pack. “You should leave your things here so you don’t have to pack anything when you come back. It will already be waiting for you.” I thought it was a great idea, but Spring’s face told me otherwise.

  She hesitated, thought about it for a second, and simply said, “I’ll do that next time.”

  That was when I knew she wasn’t sure that I’d meant everything I said to her. Maybe she thought I’d meant it, but she definitely wasn’t convinced that I’d actually follow through. It was fair of her to think that. Even though we’d had an incredible connection and time together, she was well within her rights to wonder what would happen once we were apart.

  Me, on the other hand? I had no reservations, no qualms, and no worries. I knew that this was as real as it got. Distance wasn’t going to change anything. It was only going to make me fucking insane, trying to live my life without her.

  “I was thinking three weeks. Does that work?” I asked her as I typed on my laptop, searching various airlines.

  She bit her bottom lip as she tried to hide her smile but failed. “You mean it?”

  “Yes.”

  “You know I’ll have to work though, right? And Lake Bliss isn’t that exciting. Are you going to be bored there?” she asked, her tone a little nervous as the thought shifted from being simply an idea to reality.

  “I’ll hang out in the shop all day. You can teach me how to frost properly,” I said, and she laughed because she’d tried to show me how to make their signature swirl, but all I’d done was make a mess all over the counter and my hands.

  “I can do that,” she said before adding, “Maybe. You might be hopeless in the frosting department.”

  “Well, I’m a terrific sampler.”

  “That you are.”

  “Spring?” I said her name in a serious tone because I hadn’t even asked her this or thought about it before now.

  “Yeah?” She looked at me with those big hazel eyes, her hair spilling around her shoulders.

  “Is it okay if I come out? I mean, I know your ex will be there. Maybe it’s not cool of me to show up there and throw it in his face.” I couldn’t believe I was even suggesting not seeing her, but the last thing I wanted was to book this trip, look forward to it, and then have her tell me it wasn’t a good idea or something before I got on the plane.

  She waved me off. “I’ve thought about that already. I mean, worse comes to worst, we play it low-key, you know? Like, if I hear that he’s upset or hurting. But I want you there. I want to see you. I want you to meet Dee, see my shop.”

  “You’re sure?” Now, it was my turn to get a little nervous. To question how in she was for us because I’d already dived in headfirst without a life jacket.

  “Yes. I’m positive. Please come out. I’m going to miss you so much,” she admitted.

  I realized that she was trying to be strong. My girl was trying to hold it all together because what we had between us, it was too much.

  “I’m going to miss you too.” I pressed Buy on my laptop, closed it, and walked over to where she was on the floor, still folding her clothes and placing them neatly inside. “I bought my ticket.”

  She tilted her head up, and I leaned down and kissed her. Not like it was the last time or I’d never get to do it again because I knew that neither of those things was true. I kissed her like I belonged to her and she belonged to me and that I’d be spending the rest of my life kissing those sweet lips.

  “We need to get going. The traffic is sometimes really bad.”

  Zipping up her suitcase, she reached for my hand, and I helped her up. I watched as she looked around the bedroom, walked onto the balcony, and stepped outside, taking in the view of the ocean and the guys surfing in it.

  “I’m going to miss this place,” she breathed out, and I wrapped my arms around her, loving the way she fit against me.

  “I don’t think the house will ever be the same. Not until you come back, that is.” I kissed the side of her head and breathed in her scent.

  Good-byes really fucking sucked … even if they were just see you later.

  Spring laughed when I opened the garage and she saw all the other cars sitting in there. I usually drove my old truck but needed something more reliable and less temperamental to get her to the airport.

  “You’ve been holding out on me,” she said, sounding impressed.

  “I forget they’re even here until I need them.” I realized how douchey that sounded too late. But I hadn’t meant it in a dick sort of way. It was true. I rarely drove them. I just liked to look at them.

  Now that we were heading to the airport in my blacked-out Audi, I felt like I was dying inside. I held her hand tighter, and whenever I glanced at my passenger seat, she was always staring at me, like I was her favorite thing to look at on the island.

  “You’re missing the views.” I gave a nod out the window, and she grinned.

  “No, I’m not.”

  When we got to the airport, it was a madhouse. I tried to play it cool, like if I could win a surfing world championship at nineteen years old, then I could walk my girl into the airport and put her on a plane without falling apart in the process.

  “Diego! Look, it’s Diego!”

  A few voices filled the air, and I hadn’t even remotely prepared for the fact that I might be recognized. Keeping my sunglasses firmly over my eyes, I said aloha and took a few pictures before telling the kids that I needed to get inside.

  Spring stood there, watching, a proud smile on her face. “I love how good you are with everyone. They idolize you.”

  “I always do my best to be gracious. But I don’t want to right now,” I admitted before grabbing her suitcase from the trunk and taking her hand in mind.

  We walked together in silence, the two of us aware of the pain looming once we said good-bye. I started dreading every step, even with the knowledge that I’d see her soon. I didn’t want her feeling bad, so I sucked in a long breath and pulled it together, determined to be strong enough for the both of us as we checked in her luggage and stopped outside of the security line.

  “Okay. So, this sucks, but I’ll see you in three weeks,” I said, my voice confident, and she nodded her head before burying it in my chest.

  “Three weeks,” she mumbled into me.

  “Call me as soon as you land,” I demanded, my arms wrapping around her.

  “I will,” she promised.

  “I’ll miss you, babe.”

  “I’ll miss you too.”

  I kissed her long and slow, taking my time, my tongue tasting every molecule of her mouth. We pulled apart, dreading it but not saying the words out loud.

  I smacked her ass. “See you soon.”

  I smiled, and she couldn’t help but smile back.

  “Can’t wait,” she said before turning away from me.

  I stood there, watching her, and she glanced over her shoulder at me before spinning around and running back into my arms.

  “I don’t want to leave,” she said, kissing my neck and holding me tight.

  “Then, don’t. Stay.”

  “I love hearing you say that.”

  “I mean it.”

  “I know you do.” She pulled back, her hazel eyes shining as she leaned on her tiptoes and pressed a kiss against my lips. “Call you when I land.”

  “Good girl.”

  And then she walked away. For real this time.

  I stood there far longer than necessary. I couldn’t see her anymore, but my legs refused to work. My phone buzzed in my pocket. A text from her already, saying how much she missed me and to take care of the house while she was gone.

  I was going to fall in love with this woman so damn hard that it was going to kill me if I couldn’t have her.

  I LEFT MY HEART IN THE NORTH SHORE

  SPRING

  I was excited to see Dee waiting for me in her car at the airport. The smile on her face told me that she was dying to hear all about Diego and nothing else.

  “I missed you,” she said as she helped me with my luggage before hopping in the driver’s seat.

  The second I’d landed, reality had hit me like a two-by-four to the face. I’d barely thought about work in any sort of boss capacity while I was on the island. But now, being back in my home state, all the responsibility and orders I’d left Dee alone with clouded my mind.

  “How’s the shop? Was everything okay?” I asked, and she rolled her eyes at me as she pulled out of the busy lot.

  “No. It burned down while you were gone,” she answered like a smart-ass. “Who cares about the shop? Tell me all about Delicious Diego. That’s his name, by the way.”

  I actually laughed out loud and sent Diego a text, letting him know that I was with Dee for the next thirty minutes and refused to call him while she was around. He responded right away, arguing, and I couldn’t stop smiling as I informed him of her new nickname for him.

  “Are you texting him? Are you two dating? What is happening?”

  “We’re seeing where things go,” I answered and held my breath as I waited for her reaction. I had no idea if she’d tell me I was crazy or be supportive.

  “I hope they go straight back to Hawaii,” she said, and I barked out some sort of cough sound.

  “What?”

  “Nothing.” She waved me off with an odd sort of grin. “Bad joke.”

  “He’s coming out here in three weeks,” I spat out quickly before I could take it back.

  “He is?” Dee practically shouted into the car, smacking the steering wheel with one hand. “This is amazing. You go on your no-longer honeymoon and fall in love while you’re there!?”

  It sounded so simple when she paraphrased it like that. “Kinda.”

  “He’s really hot. I assume he’s nice,” she started, and I stared out the passenger window at all the familiar sights.

  “Why do you assume he’s nice?”