A Summer to Remember - By Jessica Gunhammer Page 0,53

kitchen before we went to bed. Adrian disappeared for a little while but came back to walk with me up to the bedroom.

“I have a little surprise for you. Close your eyes,” he said when we got to the bedroom door.

“Okay.” I closed my eyes and let him lead me inside. He swept me up off my feet and carried me so I lost my sense of direction. When I felt my feet touch the ground again, he told me to open my eyes.

“Wow,” was all I could manage to say. The Jacuzzi tub was filled and overflowing with bubbles. The room was lit by tea light candles. Not that we needed them, the full moon and its reflection off the water alone was enough to light up the whole room.

“Do you like it?” he whispered in my ear.

“No.” I turned to face him. “I love it! No one has ever done anything like this for me before.” A lump formed in my throat. I really couldn’t believe he would do all this for me, for us, for our last night together.

“I thought you might like it.” I stood on my tippy-toes and kissed him on the lips. It wasn’t as soft as some of the others we’ve shared. This one was filled with passion. I pulled back just long enough to pull my shirt over my head. As we kissed, I felt him reach around to unsnap my bra. He pulled the straps off my shoulders and I dropped my arms from his neck so it could fall to the floor. He watched me remove the rest of my clothing and step into the tub. I motioned for him to join me and he pulled off his board shorts in a matter of seconds and stepped into the tub.

Adrian sat down. As I lowered myself to join him, he grabbed my hips and pulled me down onto him. He kissed my neck and down my collarbone, then made his way to my breasts. It wasn’t our first time together but it was the closest I’d ever felt to another human being. It felt as if we’d become bonded in some way.

When we finally made it out of the tub and into the bed, I was exhausted, but I felt like nothing could bring me down. I turned over and Adrian was already sound asleep next to me. I wanted to take in this moment as long as I could.

CHAPTER 30

The next morning came too soon. I knew the moment I woke up I was going to be an emotional wreck. I always knew that when the time came it was going to be hard, but after the night we spent together, it was ten times harder.

“Good morning, babe.” Adrian came walking in the door, coffee in hand.

“Morning.” I sat up and grabbed a cup from him.

“You want to sit outside and enjoy the view a little longer before we have to go?”

“Yes, please.” We went out to the deck and Adrian sat in one of the two wooden chairs. I decided to sit on his lap. We sat in silence for what seemed like forever. “So, are you ready for tonight?” I finally asked.

“Ready as I can be, I guess.” He took a sip of his coffee. “We would’ve been gone a long time ago if I could’ve convinced you to come with me.”

“I know.” I looked down at my cup. “I’m sorry.”

“Don’t be sorry. That’s what I like about you. You know what you want and you stick with it until you feel like you’re ready and the timing’s right for you. As much as I want you to go, I’d rather you stay here until you’re ready than rush into something and risk ruining what we have.” He placed his hand on my lower back.

“It would take a lot to ruin what we have.” I looked out over the lake.

“You’re right. It would. I just want you to be comfortable with whatever decision you make.”

“And that’s why I love you. You’re one of the most unselfish people I’ve ever met. Most guys would tell me that it’s their way or no way.”

“Well, those guys would be crazy to put a relationship with you on the line. Besides, I know what it’s like to be forced into something you’re not ready to do. My dad always pushed me to work with him. So finally, one day I said I would, and learned very quickly it was not something