make this work between us. She’s right, life is short, too damn short, and I’m going to hold onto her for as long as I possibly can.
“I can picture it,” she says with a smile. “It’s a great property for kids.”
“And Gram spoiled us rotten. She had a firm hand, and we didn’t get anything by her, but she gave us just about anything we wanted. The entire top floor of the house is an attic, and we loved to play up there. She never threw anything away.”
“I bet it’s a treasure trove.”
“It is. She’s been gone more than a year now, and we haven’t had time to go through everything yet. But she’d be happy that we’re using the house.”
“And your parents? Are they close by?”
“Yes. Actually, my father will be here tomorrow to meet with my brothers and me. My mom might come with him. You’ll get to meet them.”
“I’ve met them,” she says with a soft smile. “At Annika’s wedding. I’ve seen them from afar here and there over the years.”
I look down at her in surprise. “I don’t remember meeting you before that wedding.”
“I don’t think we met. Not formally, anyway. I was just around now and then at parties the families were invited to.”
“No way. I would have noticed you.”
“No, you wouldn’t.” Ivie shakes her head and then laughs. “I’m not the type of girl that men notice, Shane.”
“We’ve been over this. I think you’re hot. So, if you were around, I would have noticed.”
She smiles up at me as we approach the treehouse. “Well, we’re here now, and that’s all that really matters.”
“I’m excited to show this to you. I’ll go first and make sure it’s still sound.”
“Please don’t fall through rotted wood,” she says and watches as I climb the ladder. When I arrive at the top, I’m pleased to see that everything is as sound as it was the day it was built, almost thirty years ago.
“It’s good.” I look down at her. “Come on up.”
“Are you sure?”
“Totally sure. Solid as a rock.”
She climbs up the rungs and takes my proffered hand to pull herself up to the platform.
“It’s bigger than it looks,” she says.
“That’s what she said.”
She frowns at me, slaps my arm, and then giggles. “Okay, that was funny. But seriously, it’s really spacious up here.”
“We used to have furniture and all kinds of crap, but it got thrown away a long time ago. It was just a squirrel magnet and would have rotted this place quick. So, it’s just sitting here empty.”
“I like it.” She paces around the space, walks to a window and looks out over the green grass, the pond, and the house. “You got to grow up here.”
“Yeah. Pretty great, huh?”
“Pretty great.” She nods and turns to me. “How many girls have you brought up here over the years?”
I grin and rub my chin as if giving it a lot of thought. “Man, at least…one. Just you.”
She cocks a brow, and her eyes shine in approval. “I think we should have sex. Right here.”
And just like that, all of my thoughts of romantic words and confessions flee my brain, and my cock is fully alert.
“Is that right?”
She nods and backs away from the window, pulling her skirt up around her hips, then letting her panties fall to the floor. “Yeah. I’m not gonna get naked because I don’t want splinters in my back.”
“Good plan, babe.” I unzip my pants and cross to her, pinning her against the wall as I take my time kissing the ball of her shoulder, then up her neck to nibble on her earlobe.
“I don’t want it to be slow.” Her breath is airy now and catches when my fingers slide up the inside of her thigh to her wet center. “I want you to fuck me, right here, against the wall of your treehouse.”
“It would be rude of me to tell you no.”
She laughs, and then I boost her up, her legs encircling my hips as I drive into her, making us both gasp. Her mouth gapes as I sit there, buried deep, staring into her eyes.
“Mine,” I whisper.
“Yours.” She clenches. “Move, Shane. Fuck me.”
I tip my brow to hers and can’t resist her. My hips move faster and faster. With the way I’m pounding into her, it’s a damn good thing this thing is sturdy, or we’d be on the ground, twenty feet below.
Her fists clench in my hair, and she moans, long and low, as she comes around me.