“Yes. You’re right.”

I let out a breath, a puff of air, then clutch the steering wheel with both hands. “All right then. Great.”

I’m so fucking relieved.

Putting the vehicle in reverse, I take us back the way we came. Past the administration buildings. The student union and library. Away from campus and three miles out of town.

Only when we’re sitting cross-legged on the living room floor does Teddy speak again.

“I think…I reacted so badly because…the differences between us suddenly became so pronounced. You came strutting toward me looking so handsome and fancy, and I was standing there wearing a borrowed dress and borrowed shoes. I borrow a car—I have nothing.”

“That doesn’t matter to me.” I say it with conviction. “And I don’t strut.”

She laughs, stretching out her leg toward me. I take her foot in my lap and begin massaging her pretty ankle as she talks. “But it matters to me; the way we were raised and the roads we’re taking, you know? It became so very clear to me after I realized it was you.”

“I can’t help the fact that my parents are wealthy, Teddy. You can’t hold that against me—people have been doing it my whole life. It’s a hard thing to escape. That’s why I came here.”

“I know. I get judged too, for being poor, and I hate that. I’m not saying it was horrible being me, but my mother works in a bar—and not a very nice one. A few times we’ve lived above it, and it was loud and smoky, and I’m never living like that again. That’s why I’m busting my ass now.”

“I don’t think we’ve talked about this, but…I’ll probably work for my dad when I graduate. Is that going to be a problem?”

“That’s not my decision—why would you ask me that?”

“Uh, because you’re my girlfriend?”

“I am?”

How did she not know that? “Affirmative. And you probably won’t be able to get rid of me.”

“Oh.” She bites down on her bottom lip, pleased. “Well in that case, you should probably take me upstairs.”

She doesn’t have to tell me twice.

I stand, bending at the waist and scooping her up as if she weighs nothing—she doesn’t—and carry her up the stairs. Over the threshold to my bedroom, setting her on the edge of the bed.

“I don’t think I got the chance to tell you how pretty you look tonight.”

Blue is a great color on her; the dress is prim but sexy, both hugging her curves and hiding them at the same time. Her toned arms and legs are the only skin showing, but when she slides off the bed to stand on the floor and presents me with her back, I get to see more of her as I slide the zipper all the way down.

It whirs, causing both of us to shiver when it splits.

Smooth skin.

No bra.

Sensible cotton underwear.

No frills for my girl, but that will come in time; when she trusts me and doesn’t get freaked out by expensive gifts, I’m going to spoil the shit out of her. Buy her lacey bras and panties and whatever the hell she wants.

“God this is taking you forever,” she complains when I still haven’t slid the dress off her body.

“Patience.”

My hands are huge compared to her shoulders, and I love watching them glide across her skin. Love the way she feels under my callused palms—have from the first time I touched her.

Knew she would feel this way the second I saw her standing at that keg in the living room of the rugby house.

Hell, I think I fucking loved her the second I saw her. Period.

When you know, you’ll know, my obnoxious sister is always telling me about finding the right girl for me, never really believing I’d sworn off of them forever.

Dammit. I hate when she’s right.

It’s so fucking annoying.

She’s definitely going to be rubbing this one in my face when I see her.

I finally get Teddy naked, hoist her onto the bed, propping her ass on the edge. Spread her legs and kneel.

“Oh my god, what are you doing?” She’s raised up, trying to see what it is I’m doing.

“Shh. I’m gonna show you what it’s like to have a smooth face between your legs before I grow it back. No beard burn.”

“Uh-h o-okay,” she stutters, letting her head hit the mattress, her feet now propped on my shoulders like stirrups at the goddamn gyno’s office.

I chuckle to myself at the reference then focus on the task in front of me.

Man she has a gorgeous pussy.It’s not waxed like most girls are doing these days; it’s trimmed and short, with a pretty strip running up the center. She keeps the sides nice and smooth, and I show my appreciation by licking one side then the other.

I press two fingers inside, licking her up the middle—she loves when I do that, squirms and sighs and gasps.

Wiggles her hips and thrashes her head when I bear down, sucking her clit.

She tastes fucking incredible, like sex and orgasms. And she’s mine.

So sweet and kind.

Shy but doesn’t shy away from telling me how she feels.

It doesn’t take long for me to make her come; her lower half convulses within minutes, the shockwaves of pleasure causing her to moan my name.

Reaches for me, pulls me up onto the bed.

We lie facing each other, her kisses on my wet mouth a total turn-on; I know she can taste herself on my lips, and that turns me on too.

Delicate fingers stroke the side of my face as she regards me, lying on her side. Her fingertip trails along my eyebrow, down my smooth cheek, and along the square jawline I could only hide with two years of beard growth.

“You’re so handsome,” Teddy says at last, a small smile playing on her lips. “Pretty boy.”

“I’m no pretty boy.”

Now her smile is rueful. “No, you’re not, are you?”

“I’m a mountain man, remember?”

She rolls her beautiful eyes. “You haven’t even been camping.”

“And I suppose you’re going to take me?”

A laugh. “Hell no! I’m terrible at camping—although it might be worth it to see you in the woods. Do you even know how to build a bonfire?”

“Hey, don’t make fun of me. It’s not my fault I’ve never slept in the damn woods—my parents wouldn’t know the first thing about roughing it.” A thought strikes me. “Bet my sister would go with us. She’s up for anything.”

Teddy’s hand flattens over my abs, working its way down my body. “Did you tell her about what happened tonight? How I freaked out?”

“Yeah.”

“What did she say?”

“That I never should have taken her advice and shaved my beard off.”

My girlfriend laughs, boobs jiggling. “I don’t know about that—she’s been right about a few things. Just give a girl a little warning next time you clean up, would ya?”

TWO MONTHS LATER

“The Epilogue and the moment I’ve been waiting for…”

Kip

No warning was necessary, because the beard is back—not as thick as it once was, but it will get there.

I’m keeping my hair the same—shaved short on the sides and longer on the top—because quite frankly, with my bushy beard growing in, I’m kind of rocking the Viking look and it’s fucking badass.

No one will be messing with me any time soon.

“Babe, did you see the stuff my mom left for you in the kitchen?” My parents were just here visiting; once they heard I had a girlfriend, they didn’t hesitate to fly out to meet her from whatever city they’ve been staying in.

“No, I haven’t. What has she done now?”

My mother immediately took to Teddy, and in the two months since we officially started dating, she has already begun mentally planning a wedding. I don’t know how I feel about my mom’s meddling, considering Teddy and I haven’t even had sex yet, but there’s nothing I can do.

I go with it.

“Had some clothes sent I think, sweaters and stuff from the department store—she said to keep what you want and send back what you don’t.”