5

ASHLEIGH

I laid awake, watching Ezra sleep.

Uncle Jason had checked us all into the hotel down the road from the restaurant for the night.

It was nice of Poppy and Felicity to try and surprise Lily like that, but she didn’t look so happy about it. Even before we left, when we’d sat crammed into a booth, reminiscing about days gone by, she’d barely managed a smile.

I wasn’t surprised though. Lily was worried about what the future held, about her place in Kaiden’s new life.

Part of me got it. Ezra’s football career had only gone from strength to strength at Penn State, and success at next year’s draft was a good possibility. But Lily wasn’t like me.

Even after the accident, even when I had to learn to live with the fact that I had lost almost a year of my life, I soon realized that I was one of the lucky ones.

Life was too short not to embrace it with both hands and enjoy every moment. And with Ezra by my side and my family and friends around me, I had so much to live for.

I pressed in closer to Ezra, trailing my hand down his stomach, loving the way his muscles contracted under my touch.

His hand shot out, grabbing my wrist as I reached the waistband of his boxer briefs. “Don’t start something we don’t have time to finish,” he grumbled, voice heavy with sleep as he slowly cracked an eye open. “Best sight ever.”

“You say that every morning.”

“Because it’s true.” He leaned up to kiss me.

“And who said we don’t have time? We have time.”

“I thought we were meeting everyone for breakfast?”

“We are… in an hour.”

“An hour, you say. A lot can happen in an hour.” Ezra pounced, rolling me underneath him and caging me in with his big, muscular body.

He’d changed a lot in three years. Bulked out and packed on more muscle. I wasn’t complaining. I loved the feel of his weight on me, I loved how safe and delicate he made me feel.

“Good morning.” I smiled up at him.

“Good morning.” He rocked forward, letting me feel just how happy he was, and a moan slipped off my lips.

“Mmm, you like that, buttercup?”

“You know I do.” Wrapping my arms around Ezra’s neck, I pulled him down on top of me and kissed him. Soft and teasing, my tongue licked the seam of his mouth, demanding entrance.

He was all too happy to oblige, sliding his tongue against mine, while his hands slipped under the Penn State t-shirt covering my body.

“Fucking love your body, Leigh,” he murmured, palming my breast and massaging it. Right then left. Making me whimper and moan.

Shoving the t-shirt up my body, Ezra lowered his head and captured a nipple between his teeth, tugging gently, making me bow off the bed.

“Ah,” I cried, digging my fingers into his shoulder.

“Feel good?”

“Mm-hmm.”

“Take out my dick. Use me to get yourself off before I fuck you.”

“Jesus, E,” I breathed.

“Too early for dirty talk?” He smirked and I smothered a chuckle.

God, I loved this man. We’d had a hard and long road in high school, a journey paved with pain and heartache. But we were stronger than ever, and Ezra had spent the last three years making sure I filled the void of a year’s worth of lost memories with new ones.

Slipping a hand between us, I pushed his boxers down his hips and freed his length. It was so hard and heavy in my hand, I couldn’t resist tugging him a couple of times, loving the low, throaty groan that rumbled in his chest.

“Shit, babe. That’s… fuck.”

A smile tugged at my mouth as we kissed through the needy breaths and little whimpers as I nudged the crown up against my clit. “God,” I panted. “I want you.”

“Just a little more. Tease yourself. Get yourself nice and wet for me.”

I was lust drunk on Ezra’s words, dragging the tip down my center and back up, practically riding the thick length of him. “E,” I cried. “I need more. I need…”

“Just a little more. I want to feel you coming right as I fuck into you.”

It was my undoing, pleasure cresting over me. But Ezra didn’t give me a chance to catch my breath. He hooked his hands under my thighs and slammed into me in one hard thrust.

“Fuuuuck,” he groaned, stilling for a second. “You good?”

“Move, I need you to move.” He felt too good. Stretching me. Filling me up.

“Love you, buttercup.”

“I love you too, so much. Now hurry up and show me. We have to be at breakfast in thirty-five minutes.”

“I better make it quick then. Ready?” Challenge sparked in his eyes, and I grinned up at him.

“Always.”

KAIDEN

“Morning,” Ezra said as he and Ashleigh entered the restaurant.

Only me, Bryan, and Gav had made it down so far. I’d left Lily sleeping peacefully. We’d had a late night, so I hadn’t wanted to wake her. But the guys wanted to spend some more time together before they had to head off.

“All good?” Gav asked him.

“Yeah, where is everyone?”

“You know what they’re like. They say nine thirty when they actually mean ten.” I shrugged.

“You’re telling me I could have taken my time—”

“Ezra Bennet, I know you didn’t just say that,” Ashleigh said from across the room. “Anyone want more juice?”

“Not for me,” Bryan said.

“I think we’re good,” I added, turning to Ezra. “Thanks for coming last night. It meant a lot.”

“Any time, you know that.” He sat down opposite me, pulling out a chair for Ashleigh.

“Where’s Lily and the girls?”

“They’ll be down soon.”

“Everything good?” she asked me, and I saw the unspoken question in her eyes.

Were things between me and Lily okay?

“We’re good.”

At least, I hoped we were.