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But unlike last night, she doesn’t wait for me to invite her over. She slips down the steps, crosses the yard, and heads straight for the loose board in the fence.

“You could use the front door.” I stand from my chair as she approaches.

“But what fun would that be?” She rises onto her toes and brushes her lips against mine.

“Indeed.” I slide an arm around her waist and pull her closer, pressing my mouth more firmly against hers.

It’s only been a handful of hours since I last tasted her, but my body reacts like it’s been days. Then again, a lot has happened since she left here this morning.

“Come with me.” I take her hand and lead her inside. “There’s something I want to show you.”

“Is it your dick again? Because I’ve already seen it. Many times.”

I come to a stop and tug her against me, dipping my face to the crook of her neck. “I remember. And if all goes according to plan, you’ll be seeing a lot more of him very soon.” I nip at her skin, and she moans.

“God, I hope so.”

“You will.” I land a playful smack on her ass. “But first things first.” I set my beer on the kitchen island and take her hand again, leading her toward the stairs.

I can sense her curiosity growing with every step, especially when we pass both the guest room and my old bedroom.

“What’s going on, Joshua?” she asks when we come to a stop outside my mom’s old room.

“I did some work around the house today,” I say with a shrug as I open the door.

Hours ago, this room had been dusty and untouched. Cobwebs clung to the corners. My mom’s bed and dresser had sat exactly where they had for years. As if time had stopped the moment she died.

Now the old furniture is gone.

The walls are still painted the same shade of gray, but the room feels different.

New bed.

New dresser.

New curtains.

I’d bought all of this months ago but could never bring myself to go through my mom’s things, so it’s just been collecting dust in my garage.

“What is this?” Wynter asks, turning slowly as she takes in her surroundings. “Well, I know what it is. Or used to be. But I thought…”

“Do you remember what I told you last night?”

“You said a lot of things last night.”

“I definitely did.” I reach for her hand, running my thumb over her knuckles. “But I mean what I said about the past. How when we’re together, I don’t want you to think about anything else. I want you to stay in the moment with me. Not worry about who I used to be to you. Or who you used to be to me. I just want us to be the people we are to each other now. This is part of that.”

She looks around the room. “You didn’t have to throw out your mom’s things for me.”

“I didn’t. I did it for me.”

Her mouth tips into a smile.

“Plus…” My voice turns mischievous. “This room doesn’t overlook your house.”

“And that’s important because…?”

I loop my arm around her waist and tug her against me. “Because now I can fuck you as hard as I want and not worry about your father looking up and catching me railing his daughter.”