"What I mean is that I don't want to live my whole life hoping for a day when life will slow down enough, or the time feels right enough, to move forward and start my life. I love you, Sky, and I don't want to wait another second to tell you. I don't care that it's fast. I've felt connected to you from the moment I saw you across the room. I love being with you, talking with you, making love with you. I don't want to miss out on a single second with you, Sky. I don't want to do what my dad did and work his whole life looking forward to retirement when he and my mom could have more time together-and then have something go wrong."

"Sawy-" Her voice hitched in her throat.

He pressed his finger to her lips. "Let me finish," he whispered. "I'm not saying we should get married, but I'm hoping that someday we'll be ready to. Sky, I want to carve our initials in the rafters. I want to stand in that skycap and look out at the land below with you right there by my side-and one day with our children, if you're willing-and create our own history. I want to wake up with you in my arms and know that at the end of the day, you're right there with me, sharing our headaches and celebrating the best times in our lives. I want to grow old with you and watch you do tattoos and paint in your long flowing skirts with your windblown hair and that sparkle in your eyes, while I play the guitar and sing songs that I write for you and our family."

"Oh, Sawyer." Sky could hardly speak past the tightening in her throat. She wrapped her arms around him and pressed her lips to his. "I love you, too. I want all those things, too."

He exhaled a long sigh of contentment. "This is my last fight, Sky. Once I win, my parents' financial future will be secure, and then I'm going to retire. No more fighting. I'll become a trainer so you won't have to worry."

"I don't want you to give up fighting for me. I'm okay with it now, and I don't want you to resent me." She could hardly believe how much her feelings had grown for him, and part of that growth meant accepting his career.

"I could never resent you. Fighting has risks, and that might not have mattered before, but now that we have us? I don't want to leave our future to chance."

"You would do that for us?" Sky's eyes dampened. "Sawyer..."

"Sky, I would do anything for you, and in turn, for us."

Sky felt their worlds twining together, without hesitation or doubt, and when he drew her closer and whispered his love for her, she sealed her lips over his, cutting him off midsentence, wanting to feel his words as they moved through her body and settled into her soul.

"You've turned my world around, Sky," he said as he laid her down on the cushions. "I want everything with you. I want to make all your dreams come true, and I still don't even know what they are. What do you want from life?"

She leaned up and pressed her lips to his. "I don't have big wants, Sawyer. I want you, and I want to be happy. I want to get to know your family and have you get to know mine. I want to have a simple life where if we want to shut away the world for an afternoon, we can do so without the rest of our world falling apart. I want to love you and be loved by you."

THERE WERE NO words for the emotions coursing through Sawyer. Love, happiness, and desire were all there, but they were wrapped in something more important, something bigger. They were wrapped in antic.i.p.ation for a future with the woman he loved.

He gazed into Sky's eyes and could feel her love for him. "I will always love you. I will cherish you, and I will spend the rest of my life making sure that you feel safe enough to be strong, or weepy, or silly, or whatever you want or need to be. Because I love you for you, Sky, and I want all of you."

Their mouths came together in a kiss full of promise and hope as his hands explored the soft lines of her waist, her hips, her ribs. He unzipped her hoodie and helped her out of it, tossing it to the deck, then lifted her shirt off and set it aside, too. Her nipples firmed instantly under his touch, and a soft sigh escaped her lips as he brought his mouth to her breast.

"Sawyer, you make me feel too good."

He drew his shirt over his head and tossed it to the deck. "I have to feel your skin against mine."

His hands slid over her, and he felt her heart beating fast as he lowered his mouth to hers again.

"Touch me," she whispered against his lips. "I want to feel your love everywhere."

He caressed her b.r.e.a.s.t.s, kissing, sucking, loving her nipples the way she liked, and moved down her body, tasting every inch of her warm flesh.

"You have no idea what you're doing to me," he said as he unb.u.t.toned her shorts and worked the zipper south. "When you tell me what you want, it makes my whole body hot."

"Then I'll tell you more often," she said with a teasing smile.

He hooked his fingers in the waist of her shorts and pulled them down, stripping her bare. Then he rose to his feet, shed the rest of his clothes, and came down over her again. Their mouths came together hard, tongues thrusting, searching, taking, as their hips ground together.

"Sky," he growled against her mouth. "I want you so badly."

He moved straight down her body, unable to wait a second longer, and pressed her thighs to the cushion. He lowered his mouth to her hot center and dragged his tongue along her wetness.

"So sweet," he said against her skin. He licked and teased and rubbed his thumb over her c.l.i.t as he thrust two fingers inside her.

"Oh, good Lord." Her hips shot off the cushion as she dug her fingers beneath his hair. "Oh yes. Like that...Yes...Sawyer..."

Every word made him harder, more eager to feel her come apart against him. He licked and loved and took her sensitive, swollen c.l.i.t between his teeth.

"Yes. Oh G.o.d...OhmyG.o.d." Her back arched off the cushions as the climax claimed her. "Sawyer!"

Desire mounted inside him at every sweet word that left her lips, every frantic thrust of her hips. He moved back up her body, using his hand to continue pleasuring her as he took her in a greedy kiss, breathing air into her lungs as she gasped her way through the final rush of her release.

She reached between them and stroked his eager length. "Let me...taste you."

He nearly came apart at the demanding tone of her voice and the hungry look in her eyes. Before he could move, she pushed him onto his back and took his throbbing erection in her mouth.

"Holy h.e.l.l, Sky." He gritted his teeth, and she teased the tip and then sucked all of him into her hot, wet mouth, shattering his remaining brain cells. His head tipped back against the cushion as she slowed her efforts, licking him base to tip, then teasing him over and over again. He fisted his hands, resisting the urge to come.

"Let go," she said in a seductive voice that brought his eyes to hers. "I want to taste you like you taste me."

"Sky, I want to make love to you."

Without a word, she wrapped her fingers around his hard length and stroked as she ran her tongue along the tip, pulling a moan from deep within him.

"Sky," he warned.

She stroked and sucked, faster, squeezing tighter, until he was dizzy and every muscle pulsed with heat. Ice shot down his spine, and he grabbed her shoulders-a warning she did not heed. She took more of his shaft into her mouth, and an electric shock scorched through his body as he hurtled past the point of no return, his eyes shut and his body racked with shocks. His thoughts fragmented as her hands and mouth continued their hungry devouring.

When the last shudder ripped through his body, she lay over him and kissed him roughly. Their mouths parted, and she gazed down at him with a savage inner fire burning in her eyes.

"I've never done that before," she whispered.

He stroked her cheek. "You don't have to do that with me, Sky."

"I wanted to be as close as we can be. I'm yours, Sawyer. All of me, and I wanted all of you."

He gathered her in close and kissed her again, ignoring the taste of himself still lingering in her mouth and savoring the closeness of their bodies, the bonding of their love, as their breathing calmed and they gave in to their exhaustion and dozed off beneath the starry sky.

Chapter Twenty-One.

AFTER A MORNING of skinny-dipping, making love, and teasing each other about being eaten by sharks while naked, Sawyer and Sky showered in the cabin, then took a leisurely sail to Nantucket. It was a sunny morning, and there was a nice breeze as they crossed the harbor.

"I still can't believe that neither of us has been to Nantucket," Sawyer said as he docked the boat at the marina.

"I think that's because we grew up here," Sky said. "When I was growing up, my dad was running the store on the weekends and my brothers were in sports. There wasn't much free time for us to go away for a whole afternoon."

He tied off the boat and stepped onto the dock. He turned back and helped Sky out of the boat. "My dad is such a private person. He traveled for book signings, but he wasn't really into exploring new places. When I was young, we spent afternoons on the beach, or at the cottage, but once they sold the cottage, we pretty much stuck close to home. And then I got into boxing, and nothing else mattered."

He rolled an a.s.sessing gaze over the marina. "It looks like home."

Sky wrapped her arms around his waist and said, "Only better. We have a whole day together before we need to return Pete's boat."

They walked along the marina hand in hand. Sky felt like she'd had new life breathed into her. The air felt lighter. She felt lighter. It wasn't the sweet scent of flowers as they pa.s.sed a little floral shop in the parking lot, or the summery dress she was wearing. It wasn't the way the sun highlighted the happy glint in Sawyer's eyes or the strength of his hand, holding hers. It was love. Pure, unadulterated love that had seeped inside her and made her feel rejuvenated. She couldn't imagine being happier than she was right at that second.

"Hey," Sawyer said, stopping in the middle of the street to gaze into her eyes. "I love you."

She smiled and went up on her toes to kiss him. "I love you, too."

"It feels so good to tell you that. I have a feeling I'm going to say it way too much, but I can't help it." He pulled her closer and kissed her. "I love your sweet little nose"-he kissed her nose-"and your beautiful lips"-he kissed her lips-"and the way you wrinkle your brow when you're thinking." He kissed her forehead. "I love the way your hand feels in mine, and"-he lowered his voice to a whisper-"that seductive look you get in your eyes right before our lips come together."

He kissed her again, and she melted against him, reveling in his words, his touch, his love. She was still busy swooning when he took her hand and pulled her toward a cedar-sided building with scooters for rent parked out front.

"Come on," he said. "Let's go have some fun."

They rented a double-seated scooter and tooled around town wearing their spiffy blue helmets. They window-shopped and ate in a cafe overlooking the water. The area reminded Sky of many small towns on the Cape, with cottage-type shops and old-fashioned light posts. Bikes were parked along the brick-paved sidewalks, giving the town an even quainter feel. There were flags and plants adorning many of the shops, with colorful blooms filling flower boxes beneath big picture windows.

One of the shop owners told them about a music festival taking place in the late afternoon and evening. They picked up a picnic dinner from a diner on the way and rode the scooter across the island to the festival grounds. As they were walking across the crowded lawn, already full of families sitting on blankets and children running around playing, Sawyer's cell phone rang.

He pulled it from his pocket and glanced at the screen. "It's my parents."

Worry riddled his forehead as he answered the call.

"h.e.l.lo?" He paused to listen and stopped walking. "When?" He squeezed Sky's hand-hard. "I'm on my way." When he ended the call, he headed back toward the parking lot. "My father's fallen. We have to go back."

Chapter Twenty-Two.

SAWYER BURST THROUGH the emergency room entrance, making a beeline for the registration desk. They'd used the motor and powered through the harbor to get there as fast as they could, and even though his mother had a.s.sured him that his father was okay, he feared the worst. The idea of his father falling on the way to the bathroom slayed him.

After what felt like an hour, but in reality was only a few minutes, he and Sky were allowed into the room with his parents. His mother rose from a chair beside his father's bed and embraced Sawyer.

"He's okay, Sawyer. They did X-rays and he's okay. Nothing's broken."

"Mom, are you okay?" His eyes locked on his father even as he embraced his mother again, to rea.s.sure her as much as to rea.s.sure himself.

"Yes. I'm shaken up, but fine."

Sawyer glanced at Sky, and she motioned for him to go to his father and not worry about her. Even so, he was thankful she was with him. His father lay on the stark white sheets, looking frail and nonplussed. G.o.dd.a.m.n Parkinson's. What Sawyer wouldn't give to see his father's smirk and hear him grumble about how a little fall wasn't going to keep him down. His father's facial expression didn't change when Sawyer went to his bedside. Sawyer touched his arm and felt the underlying tremor, saw the purplish bruise on the side of his cheek, and nearly crumpled to his knees.

"Dad." He couldn't ask if he was okay-of course he wasn't f.u.c.king okay. He'd never be okay again. He was vaguely aware of his mother greeting Sky, but he was too focused on his father to take it in.

"Son." His father held his gaze.

Sawyer wanted to climb inside his father's head and find his voice. He wanted to know exactly what his father was thinking, what he was feeling. He missed that part of him so d.a.m.n much that it burned in his gut.

"What can I do? What did the doctors say? Are they keeping you overnight?" Sawyer looked at his mother, who was talking quietly with Sky. Only then did he notice the look of sorrow on Sky's face and realize that she and his mother were holding hands, comforting each other.

"They're waiting for the doctor to sign off on the discharge papers," his mother said.

Sky went to his side and placed a hand on his back as his mother reached for his father's hand. His father's stoic gaze shifted to Sky. Sawyer didn't know if his father would be upset by having someone he didn't know in the room with them. He kicked himself for not thinking about that sooner, but Sky was part of him now, and it wouldn't have felt right not to have her by his side.

When Sky smiled kindly at his father, he felt the fissure in his heart heal up.

"Hi, Mr. Ba.s.s. I'm Sky, and I'm so sorry that you got hurt and that it took us so long to get here." She reached for his father's hand as if it were the most natural thing in the world and held it gently. She didn't look away from him, and she didn't seem bothered by his stoic gaze. "I'm glad they're releasing you soon."

His eyes shifted to Sawyer, then back to Sky. "Thank...you...for..." He paused, and Sawyer held his breath, hoping Sky would understand that he had more to say. Sky waited patiently. She didn't rush his father or seem irritated by having to wait for him to speak, and that meant more to him than anything ever could.

When his father spoke again, Sawyer heard a crack in his voice, despite the slowness with which he spoke. "Showing my son there's more to life than fighting."

Sky smiled at Sawyer. "I think we've both learned a lot about life."

He kissed Sky's cheek and whispered, "Are you okay for a second while I talk to my mom?"

She nodded, and he led his mother to the other side of the room.

"Honey, she's lovely," his mother said.

"I know. I'm a lucky guy." He glanced at Sky and saw that she was talking with his father again. "Mom, there's still a month before I fight, and then it takes time to get the money. I have some savings. I want to hire a nurse to help you out."

"Sawyer, you need money to live on. We'll be fine." She glanced at his father, and worry filled her eyes. "I won't leave him alone again. You know how stubborn he is. I heard him get up while I was doing dishes and told him I was just going to dry my hands and I'd be right out. Seconds later I heard him fall." Tears filled her eyes.

Sawyer folded her into his arms. "It's okay, Mom. Dad's okay. It's not your fault, but he needs full-time care. It's time." And I'm going to train twice as hard to make sure I win.

"I'm going to ask Mrs. Petzhold and a few of the neighbors to help me out until we figure things out. We can also draw more from our retirement funds. We'll be okay. I'll keep a closer eye on him." She drew in a breath and touched his cheek. "Honey, I'm sorry to call you away from your romantic weekend with Sky."

"Don't worry about that," he a.s.sured her. "I'm sorry it took us so long to get here."

He glanced across the room, Sky was sitting on the edge of the bed, holding his father's hand and reciting one of his father's poems. Her gaze was soft, her voice laden with emotion, and in that moment, his love for his family and his love for Sky coalesced.

Before crossing the room to be by Sky's side, he stood with his mother by the door and said quietly, "I'm going to marry her one day, Mom."

His mother reached for his hand. "Don't wait, Sawyer. Life's too short for one days."