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Don’t come too quickly.

Make this good for her.

Then the door opens, and Grace walks out in a white two-piece. She spins, and I groan at the thong bottoms.

Like I said, don’t come too quickly.

I grab a couple of waters from the mini fridge and follow her to the pool. The lights out here aren’t on, but the moonlight gives us just the right amount of light.

I watch her sit at the edge of the pool, my heart pounding inside my chest. I’ve been waiting for this moment all day, but now I’m nervous.

I shouldn’t be, but I am.

Doing this, even if it’s only for a short period of time, will change who Grace and I are to each other forever.

I’m not so nervous I’d back out, but I can’t mess this up.

“Thank you,” she says, looking up at me. “I don’t think I ever actually told you that.”

I take a seat next to her.

“What are you thanking me for?”

“For doing this whole crazy thing for me. For helping me. For believing in me, I guess. Giving the magazines something to focus on besides what my dad did or whether I know what I’m doing—it’s been great for me mentally.”

I nudge her shoulder. I could say something cocky or something about how amazing she is, but I keep it short.

“You’re welcome.”

She smiles. “It’s weird to think that had we not agreed on this, I wouldn’t know this side of you.”

“And now that you know it, what do you think?”

She throws her head back, laughing. “Fishing for compliments, are you?”

I shrug. “I do like them.”

Her grin widens. “I believe that.”

Our gazes lock, and her smile falters as she looks at my lips.

Just when I think now is the moment to kiss her, she slinks into the pool.

“It’s hot today,” she says, a comment to fill the silence. She must be as nervous about this as I am.

“Yeah.” I follow her in, wading until I can reach for her hip and pull her closer. Her hands find my shoulders at the same time I run my hand over her ass, grabbing the back of her thighs to wrap them around my waist.

Our noses brush.

“Are you going to kiss me now?” she whispers.

“If you’re done talking, I am.”

“I’m done.”

The last word is barely off her lips before I put mine on her.

Her arms cling to me, wrapping around my neck to pull us closer. My hands, still at her sides, grip her ass cheeks as I rub her against me.