"Quit!" I screeched at Paul as he cannonballed off the end of the dock and splashed me with a huge wave.

We'd been in the water for more than an hour and we were having the best time. Embry was being playful and fun as well and I hoped he hadn't noticed what Paul and I had been doing under the tree.

I couldn't stop thinking about it.

And I couldn't wipe the smile off my face every time I thought about it. I don't know what possessed me to take my bikini top down and show Paul my breasts. Well… I guess I do know. It was the way he asked. Hell, he didn't even ask me. He just demanded it. Take it off. Just thinking about it made me shiver.

For all the messing around we had done, that was the first time he had seen me topless. I wasn't lying when I said I was throbbing. I was just happy we got into the water shortly after so that no one could see how damp my bikini bottoms were. Paul did something to my body that I couldn't explain. And the only thing I knew was, I wanted more of that feeling.

I squealed when I felt something touch my leg. Paul surfaced near me, pushing the water off his face and through his inky black hair with both hands. "You are such a scaredy-cat!" he teased. As mad as I was, I couldn't deny how truly beautiful he was. 

I splashed him before attempting to swim away, but he was too fast catching up to me just before I made it to the dock. "Where do you think you're going?" he murmured into my ear.

I squirmed in his arms, causing him to loosen his grip on me. "I'm getting out," I announced. 

Paul swam up behind me as I gripped the dock edge. "Stay in and play with me," he growled lowly against the center of my back. 

I gasped when he slid his hands up my thighs and encircled my waist. "I'm hungry," I whined as my body betrayed me and I leaned against his broad chest.

"Me too," he laughed as he attacked my neck with kisses.

"You're so bad," I sighed even as I tilted my head and allowed him better access to my neck.

"You love it," he whispered into my ear. I could feel him pressing into me from behind. My nipples hardened painfully from Paul's teasing and I couldn't help but smile when I thought how far we had come since that day on the beach when he first saw me in a bikini. Oh how times have changed.

When I was finally able to wriggle away from Paul, I made my way back to the blanket under the tree and began spreading out our picnic lunch. "This looks great!" Embry gushed as he collapsed next to me and grabbed a handful of apple slices.

"Are you having fun?"

Embry nodded and glanced out across the field to the SUV that had just pulled off. "I am. And I know you are too. You and Paul, huh?"

I shrugged and couldn't control my smile. "I guess so. I know he's an ass sometimes, but…"

"You love him."

I glanced up at Embry, his expression unreadable. "You must hate me."

"Oh no. I could never. I just...you know. Hoped for a different outcome."

"You're gonna find the right girl. I just know it. And you've been such a good friend to me. I'm never gonna forget that." I held my hand out to Embry. He forced a smile and squeezed my hand gently.

"This looks fun."

My whole body tensed at the sound of her voice. "Just go away, Ava. There's no skanks allowed at this picnic," I growled, not bothering to turn and face her. 

"Skanks, huh? That's not how Embry feels, is it?" she challenged. 

I turned my body slightly, glancing up at her from my spot on the blanket. I could see Paul approaching us, drying his body with a beach towel as he walked. "What the hell, Ava? Why are you here?"

Ava's face lit up at the sight of Paul, half naked and dripping wet. I jumped up between them when she reached out to touch his chest. She lifted her chin a little when Paul slid his arm around my waist and pressed a kiss to my temple. Take that, skank.

She raised her eyebrows in confusion. "You two...are together now?"

"Yes," I retorted quickly, noticing how Embry's expression fell.

She crossed her arms over her chest and sighed. "Well I just got dropped off here, so I'm sure you won't mind me joining your little party, would you?"

We all stood there dumbfounded at her audacity. I wanted Paul to tell her off, but when he didn't, I stepped in. Ava was about to kneel down on the blanket when I grabbed her arm and pulled her back up. "Not so fast. We didn't invite you and we sure as hell don't want you here."

Ava scowled. "Embry?" she whined as she glanced at him pitifully. "You want me to stay don't you?"

The way she licked her lips let me know she wanted something other than lunch. "Ava… you should probably go."

Embry stood now, stepping close to her, keeping his expression tight. "Don't start shit, okay? We're having a nice day."

Ava narrowed her gaze at him, obviously disappointed that he wouldn't take her side. "You're having fun?" she accused him skeptically.  "It's fun being a third wheel to these lovebirds?" Ava scoffed, waving her hand toward Paul and I.

Embry let his eyes drift in my direction, his jaw clenching as Paul tightened his grip around my waist. "Let's go," he breathed after a few more painful minutes of staring me down hard. "I'll take you home."

Embry grabbed his shirt and a couple of sandwiches before stalking off to the dirt bike, he had left parked in the field. Ava watched him leave and just when I thought it was safe to breathe, she glared at me and announced, "I guess it all worked out in the end. You got Paul and I got the guy with the bigger dick." She paused and shrugged when my mouth gaped open. "You know what they say about skinny guys."

I was reaching for her hair when Embry pulled up alongside us and hollered for Ava. She bounced off in his direction and eagerly wrapped herself around Embry as he tore off back the way we came. "That little fu…"

My train of thought was thrown off when Paul pulled me close and covered my mouth with his. After a few minutes of swoon-worthy kisses, I finally started to feel a little better. "Let's eat," Paul suggested as he pressed his forehead to mine.

….

"I just don't get what he sees in her."

Paul sat leaned against the tree trunk as I continued to gripe about the Ava and Embry pairing. "Probably the same thing any other guy does...big lips and a nice rack," he replied distractedly.

"Seriously?"

Paul finally looked at me and shrugged. "Fuck, I don't know, Keegan. But I'm tired of discussing it to death." When he jumped up and tossed his trash down, I knew I had screwed up.

"I'm sorry." I gazed up at him, trying my best to soften his hardened expression toward me. 

I reached up and took his hand in mine. "Come back to me. I've been an idiot."

Paul sighed deeply, glancing around for a moment before resuming his spot by the tree. I crawled toward him, climbing over his thighs to straddle his lap. He scanned my eyes, lowering his gaze to my mouth and then even lower, to my chest. When he didn't touch me, I took his hands and placed them on my ass, finally earning me one of his killer smiles. "That's better," I praised him.

When I let my hands roam over his bare chest and across his shoulders, I felt him relax. He pulled me a little closer, pressing his lips to my neck. "Ooh, that feels so good," I sighed when he licked and sucked and bit my tender flesh.

"Can I ask you something?" Paul moaned as he dragged his lips across my collarbone. 

I whimpered as I pulled away and held Paul's face in my hands to get his attention. "No, I'm not jealous of Ava. I just think Embry can do a lot better."

Paul furrowed his brow and leaned away from me. "Wow. Fuck, Keegan I wasnt even thinking about that anymore." He paused a beat and added, "But I guess you were."

When Paul squirmed underneath me, I knew I had screwed up again. "Don't," Paul growled, turning his face away when I leaned in close to him.

"I wasn't thinking about them either. I was concentrating on us, baby. I just…" I fumbled for my words, needing to fix this thing between us before it ended altogether too quickly. 

Paul gripped my wrists, pulling them from his shoulders and folding them behind my back. "I wanted to talk about us, Kee. You told Ava we were together...was that real? Or did you just say it to piss her off?"

When I hesitated, Paul pressed me back, maneuvering me to lie back with him hovering over me on the blanket. His eyes were darker than usual, fueled by anger or lust, I wasn't sure. "Are you gonna answer me?" he urged breathlessly as he settled between my thighs. 

My hands wandered all over his torso, touching every inch of his smooth, muscled body. "I want…"

"Yeah?" he moaned softly when my fingertips trailed up and down his back at the slowest pace. "Tell me," he growled as he spread my thighs wide open and rocked against me insistently.

My mind went blank for a second as I clawed my way down his arms and held on for dear life. "I want...us, Paul. I meant what I said." My voice was coming out like a whimper and I'd be embarrassed if I wasn't so damn worked up. 

Paul eased back, kneeling between my thighs and planting his hands on either side of my hips. "You mean it?  You really want this…me? We can be a couple?"

I couldn't help but giggle at how excited he was. I didn't want to just make him happy, I wanted to be happy. Being with Paul was like a dream come true. But I couldn't push aside all the nagging doubts. When I didn't answer, Paul held my face in his hands and pressed a quick kiss to my mouth. "Keegan?"

"I want this, Paul. But do you, really? Because if we do this, I'm not hiding our relationship. I want everything with you. Holding hands in school, making out at our lockers, hugs between classes, the whole thing. I won't be someone you're embarrassed to be seen with."

I held my breath and waited for his response.

Paul slumped back and put some distance between us. I sat up and crossed my legs, suddenly feeling exposed in nothing but my bikini and my thighs spread wide. "Are you serious?" Paul sighed, running his hand over his face.

I couldn't hide the disappointment in my eyes, so I turned away from him and rolled over onto my stomach. I reached for the small cooler to grab a bottle of water, shocked when I felt Paul's body cover mine. "I didn't say no," he whispered into my ear.

He lowered his body onto mine, resting on his elbows and caging me underneath him. He swept my hair to the side and exposed my back to him. I felt his fingertips brushing my bare skin until he reached the ties of my bikini top. "I want all that too, Kee. Every bit of it."

I clenched my thighs together when he straddled me from behind. I didn't object when he pulled the strings of my bikini top at the middle of my back and the nape of my neck. "Then why did you hesitate?" I sighed as I rested my cheek on my arms, folded under my face. I knew I should probably be arguing with Paul for removing my top, but I was face down and he couldn't see anything anyway.

My whole body melted when Paul slid his huge hands up my back and down again. I moaned when he squeezed my tense muscles and cupped my shoulders. I could feel him leaning over me, his chest pressing into my back. "If we do this, then we tell everyone. And that means our families too. Are you prepared to confront your dad?"

It only took me a moment to decide. "I'd do it, Paul. I don't care what my dad says. I want this. I want us."

Paul froze. I couldn't see his face so I didn't know if he was surprised, happy, sad or what. He planted his hands flat on the blanket and tilted his hips so his lower half was pressing into mine. "Fuck," I gasped softly when I felt him hard and ready.

"Do you have any idea how much I want you?"

I nearly lost my mind when he kneaded my back expertly while grinding against my ass. I was about to comment, when I heard him whisper, "You know...I never did it like this before."

My whole body went up in flames. The thought of him being so hard for me and doing things with him that would be new experiences for us both had me so ready. "Paul, I…"

I felt him lean back, pulling us both up to a sitting position. I turned in his arms, reclining with our chests pressed together. He slid his hands under my ass and drew me tightly against him. "I'm sorry for pushing you, Kee. God, you must think I'm some sort of sex freak! You've barely agreed to be my girlfriend and I'm already trying to get down your pants."

I wound my hands around his neck and grinned up at him. "I don't think that, Paul. It feels good to be wanted."

"Oh you are," he groaned, his hands coasting up my sides and coming to rest on the sides of my bare breasts.

I batted his hands away but he simply moved them to hold my jaw instead. "I'm gonna be the best boyfriend ever, Keegan. You can trust me."

I gave him a few quick kisses before I spoke again. "Are you sure you won't get tired of me, Paul?"

Paul scoffed. "Why would I do that?"

"I just want to make sure. You haven't really had a girlfriend before and I know you've been playing the field and I just thought that…" I rambled quickly until Paul pressed his lips to mine and my doubts were vaporized. 

"I want you, Keegan. I've wanted you for four years. There is no one or nothing that can stop me now. I won't get bored of you. I'll never stop needing you," he paused as he ran his hands up and down my back. "I love you, Kee. I have for a very long time."

"Paul," I whimpered. I opened my mouth to speak again, but Paul had other ideas. His fingers carded through my hair, dragging me close enough for him to cover his mouth with mine. His tongue dipped between my lips, brushing across mine, dominating my mouth the way he dominated my body.

I lifted my body from his, creating a space between our chests that allowed him to reach between us. His hands went from my hair to my nipples in a matter of seconds. I moaned into Paul's mouth when he captured the sensitive buds between his fingers and twisted gently. I ripped my mouth from his in order to sit up and watch him play with me.

His large, tan hands looked so beautiful in contrast to my porcelain white skin. I watched his face as he kneaded my tender flesh in his hands, marveling at my breasts like they were the best thing he'd ever seen. I gasped when he lowered his head and greedily sucked a nipple into his mouth. I cradled his head in my hands, holding him close and urging him on.

I buried my nose into his hair and breathed deeply as he continued to explore my chest with his mouth. Even with the lake water, I could still smell Paul's signature scent in his scalp. I never realized how much I loved it.

Paul released my nipple from between his lips and kissed me hard. "Fuck, Kee. I don't think I can be good much longer. I need you so badly." His voice was raspy and ragged like he had just run a mile.

I bucked my hips against him, feeling how hard he was underneath me. "You're making me so wet," I confessed quietly into his ear. 

Paul groaned loudly as he wrapped his arms around me and held me so tightly to his chest. I turned to rest my face in the crook of his neck, loving every single thing about this moment and committing every second to memory. This was all I ever needed, my Paul in my arms.

…

"I got a few more dishes for you."

I nearly jumped out of my skin when Paul slid up behind me and placed a stack of dishes in the sink. My mind was elsewhere as I mindlessly washed the dinner dishes. We had fallen asleep under that tree and it was the best sleep of my life. By the time we got back, my dad had recruited Embry to assist him on the grill. My mom and Paul's mom had done all the other cooking without my help, so I offered to do the dishes… with Paul's help. 

"Paul," I warned, when I felt his hands slide under my tank top and dip under my bra. I shuddered when he cupped my breasts in his hands and squeezed me roughly. "Can't you control yourself?" I chastised while giggling. 

"Huh uhh," he hummed against my bare shoulder. "And more importantly than that, I don't want to."

His voice had me melting and his hard body pressing into me had me throwing all caution to the wind. I dropped the bowl I was washing and spun around in his arms. My soap covered fingers dove through his thick hair as his lips attacked my neck and trailed down my jaw. "Oh, Paul," I sighed, feeling every touch electrifying me deep in my core.

"What the hell is going on here?"

We both froze for a second before Paul released me and turned to face my father. "I can explain this," Paul began as my father crossed his arms over his chest.

"We both can," I piped up as I grabbed Paul's hand and squeezed tightly. He didn't have to face my father alone. 

My father stood glaring at us for a moment before tipping his head to signify he wanted us to follow him. Paul pulled me close to him when my father disappeared from the room and held my face in his hands. "You don't have to do this. It's not too late to change your mind."

I gripped Paul's wrists and squeezed them tightly. "No way, Paul. I love you. I want this. I'll defend you and us and there's no one who can stop me."

Paul's whole face lit up before he pressed his lips to mine. The kiss was too brief, I wanted more of him. His lips on my skin gave me the confidence I was going to need to face my father.

"Keegan!" he hollered from the other side of the house.

I sighed deeply as I pressed my forehead into the center of Paul's chest. "Let's do this, baby. I got your back," he grinned widely when I gazed up at him. "After this, we won't have anything else holding us back."

I returned his smile but my faith in this situation wasn't nearly as strong as his. My father had been keeping us apart for a while now. I had to tell him once and for all that he was no longer allowed to interfere in my love life. And his father had encouraged Paul to sleep with other girls, so I had a bone to pick with him too.

This was my life and I was done letting other people run it.

…..

A/N: I know this update has been a long time coming but I appreciate those of you who still read it! Thanks for checking out my other stories that have taken my attention away from this one. I love you guys!