Ollie looked disappointed, but he nodded in agreement. “You’re right.”

I wondered how many times Ollie had to give things up that typical kids took for granted because of his impairment. He was so mature. Most eleven year olds would be nagging their parents until they got their way. But Ollie only had to be told once before he came to the conclusion that Eden had his best interests in mind. He was a damn good kid. In the short time I’d known him, my admiration for this boy knew no bounds.

I scratched my chin. “You know what I like better than trampolines?”

“What?”

“Stand-up acts on YouTube. You want to go home and listen to some?”

He smiled. “Yeah.”***Back at Eden’s, after I’d hung out with her brother for a while, I joined her in the kitchen while Ollie stayed in his room.

I listened carefully for the sound of his device turning back on. That kid had the most sensitive hearing. When it was clear he was engaged in something that would allow us some privacy, I looked over at Eden. Her eyes were hazy, and I knew what she was thinking. I was thinking it, too.

Within seconds, my mouth was on hers. We took up exactly where we’d left off at the restaurant. It was as if our kiss had simply been on hold all night, as if I’d just released a pause button.

She tasted so incredibly good. I felt like a goddamn teenager—so horny, so hungry for her as my tongue explored her mouth. I didn’t know what to do with my hands, because they wanted to go everywhere, touch everything at once. I settled for raking my fingers through her beautiful, long hair that smelled like flowers and coconut.

My hands traveled down her back and landed on her ass. I squeezed it hard and pushed her into me.

Lowering my mouth, I began to suck on her neck, stopping with each movement to notice how her skin was changing color from white to pink. Fuck, that’s such a turn-on.

I really tried to stop myself, but I couldn’t resist lowering my mouth and devouring her breast through the material of her dress. Her nipples were hard, poking through as I circled my tongue around her left one.

Her hands were on the back of my head as she guided me back up and pushed me deeper into her mouth. The sounds she made were killing me. I knew she could feel my erection against her. There was no denying how hard I was, and there was nothing more in the world I wanted right now than to fuck her on this counter. I would’ve given just about anything for that, to wrap her legs around me and empty all of my frustration into her.

But I knew my body was moving way ahead of my mind. Even though the prospect of sex with Eden felt like it was right there, the distance between the present situation and that scenario was like the length of a football field.

I stopped the kiss and buried my head in her neck. “I want you.”

“I want you, too,” she panted.

I looked into her eyes. “I don’t think you understand how much.”

Eden’s breathing became heavier. “I’m scared.”

“I know. That’s why I stopped, even though I really didn’t want to. I know you’re not ready.”

“I mean, you’re leaving in what—a few days?”

“I’m leaving, but I’ll be back.”

“Then what?”

Answering honestly, I said, “I don’t know.”

“You’re gonna keep flying back and forth, only to come to the conclusion a year down the line that it’s not gonna work out between us?”

“Eden, I think you’re jumping way ahead right now.”

“Am I? There’s no way this could work. No matter how strong our attraction to one another is, we’re just in two different places in life. It’s why I didn’t want—”

“I know. You didn’t want to meet me. I violated our agreement in coming to find you. I don’t regret it for one second. I don’t know what’s going to happen tomorrow. I really don’t. I only know what I feel today. And I feel a lot—more than I’ve ever felt in my entire life. But more than anything, I feel grateful. I’m grateful that you’re okay.” I pointed toward Ollie’s room. “I’m grateful to have been blessed with that kid’s presence. In one day of knowing him, he’s inspired me so much—to slow down, to be a better person.” I ran my thumb along her bottom lip. “I’m grateful that I got to kiss these lips. Because a part of me believed there was no chance in hell of that ever happening.”

She looked like she wanted to cry. “Ryder, I’m feeling so much right now, too.”

I kissed her hard before I said, “Give me today. Just give me today. But don’t be surprised if I ask the same of you tomorrow and the next day. Will you take things day by day with me? Because I’m not anywhere ready to let you go. Not even close.”