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“I’ll work on it.” I grin.

“Oh,” she exclaims. “We should rent this place once a year and drive down to celebrate—anything really—a birthday, anniversary…each other? Here.”

“Now, that I can do.”

* * *

It’sthe last night in our luxury mountain cabin retreat, and I’m not ready for it to end. I love being here with Lexi, far away from reality. We feel untouchable here. No distractions. Only us.

She straddles me in the hot tub, her wet arms propped up on my shoulders. She kisses me over and over again. We’re lost in our own utopia. Just our bodies, our breaths, and our connection—surrounded by an ocean of stars above us. My mom always told me growing up that when we pass away, we all get to pick our heaven. If that’s the case, this—right here—is exactly where I want to spend eternity.

Her lips linger against mine until she finally pulls away. She traces her fingers up and down the back of my head, dripping water down my neck. “So I’m all caught up on everything?”

I grab the sides of her bare waist beneath the water, relishing in the feel of her soft skin.

“Yeah. Not much has happened in the two weeks you’ve been gone.”

“You told your mom about me moving in?”

I pepper kisses over her face, across her cheeks, and on her chin. “I sure did. She’s excited, of course. Can’t wait to meet you. Said she can’t wait to have grandbabies.”

Lexi sits back onto my legs with a scowl. “Hey. Remember I said, I wasn’t sure about that.”

I chuckle. “It’s fine. She’s just talking, like moms do. We can have kids or not. It doesn’t matter to me.”

“Good.” The tension leaves her face, and she leans forward.

“Oh. Did I tell you about Johnny’s?” I think back to our conversations over the past few days.

“What? You went there without me and ate sixty-two chili cheese dogs?” She smiles.

I tell her about the accident, the crushed cart, his sick wife, and the plan to help him. “So Tiny messaged me yesterday while you were sleeping and told me that they raised enough money to not only cover the cost of the cart and ruined supplies but also to be able to hand over ten thousand dollars to Johnny and his wife to help with medical bills.”

“Oh my gosh! That’s amazing. I can’t believe the party raised that much money,” she exclaims.

“I know. I guess the bar owner agreed to match the donations.”

“Wow. That’s awesome. Typical, but awesome,” she adds.

“What do you mean. Typical?”

She presses her lips to mine in a chaste kiss. “It’s a compliment. I just mean that you guys are always doing stuff to help others, so it’s totally something you would do. Your bunch is so selfless. It’s sometimes intimidating.”

“We’re intimidating?”

“Yeah, I mean. Those in your profession don’t make a modest income, especially for what you do. You all run into burning buildings, putting the lives of others before your own. You’re always raising money for some cause. You just truly care about your community and the people in it.”

I raise a brow, and a slow smile forms. “And that’s intimidating? That we care?”

“Well, yeah.” Lexi sighs. “As a formermildlyselfish person, it is. I can’t say I’d put someone else’s life before my own. How can you love someone like that?”

“Former?” I tease.

“See.” She hits her hand in the hot water, splashing it toward me.

“First of all, most people wouldn’t save a stranger before themselves, and it’s okay. The other guys and I—we’re a rare breed,” I admit. “Maybe I love you so much because we are different. You don’t have to worry. I’ve never once thought about it like that. I simply love you because I do. We don’t choose who we fall for, it just happens. You’re mine, and I’m yours…and there’s no going back. Understood?”

She nods, her content smile lit up only by the stars and the moon above. She presses her naked body up against mine. Cupping my face between her hands, she kisses me hard, a fiery kiss full of passion for our future and the incredible life we’ll have together.

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