"You call your dad daddy; that's cute." Kade nudges me with his shoulder.

I roll my eyes. "What are you doing here?"

Kade lies back on my bed and folds his arms behind his head, his legs frimly planted on the ground. "I thought I'd hang out with you tonight, but I can go if you want."

I wave my hands in front of me as if I'm offering him the entire bus. "Oh no, stay and make yourself at home, Kade Edward Slone."

"That's the plan," he says, kicking off his shoes. "Was your dad all right?"

I lie next to him, looking up as I continue to talk. "Yeah, he's fine. I think you might be his hero."

"Make thousands of fans scream, save pretty damsels in distress, and eat; it's all in a hard day's work."

I laugh. "The demands on such a mere mortal. How do you do it?"

He rolls over on his side, and the smile on his face is breathtaking. "It's absolutely exhausting," he says, tucking a strand of hair behind my ear. "There are positives to the job, though."

"Like?"

He moves in closer, and I close my eyes. I'm not sure what is going on, but I want this to happen. His kiss yesterday was amazing, and the memory of it was tainted by what happened with Asher. I want a redo, so I can have something good to consume my thoughts tonight. His lips graze mine, and my phone sings, "When the moon hits your eye like a big pizza pie, that's Amore."

He leans back and laughs. "Nonna?"

"Yeah, I haven't talked to her yet. I'm sure Dad told her to call me."

"Do you want me to leave?" Kade asks.

"No, you can stay." I press the green circle on the screen and put the call on speaker. "Ciao, Nonna."

"Ariella, mia nipotina, are you all right?" she asks, her voice trembling.

"I'm fine, Nonna."

"You know I didn't like that boy; he was trouble. His intentions with you were no good."

I set my phone on my chest and run my hands over my face. "I know."

"But my Kade..." I roll my eyes. I know what's coming and mouth the words along with her, "he is a good boy."

I glance at Kade, and he has the biggest shit-eating grin on his face.

"Well, you will be happy to know Kade is right here."

"Hi Nonna," he says.

What a kiss-ass.

"Kade, Nicky tells me you saved my granddaughter."

"It was all in a hard day's work for him," I say, cocking an eyebrow at him.

His eyes widen, and he shakes his head.

Nonna tsks. "Nipotina mia, sii gentile con lui, è buono per te."

"Si Nonna."

Kade furrows his eyebrows, and I shake my head.

"Thank you for watching over her, Kade," Nonna says.

"You're welcome," he replies.

"You remember what we talked about?"

He scratches the side of his face and looks a bit uncomfortable. "I remember."

"Please don't forget," she continues.

"I won't; I promise."

Now it's my turn to be confused. Sneaky old lady, what has she made him promise to?

"Ariella, look at him," Nonna says.

I do as she asks, turning to Kade. He meets my eyes, and I'm lost in how deep and tranquil they are. For the rest of life, I don't think I'll appreciate the beauty of anything as much as I do his eyes.

"Do you see how good he is? He is good on the inside. Don't get me wrong; he is a handsome boy." I smile, and Kade blushes at her compliment. "But on the inside, he has a bright light. When you feel dark and alone, Kade can be your light, Ariella. You must remember that."

My cheeks now match his with a crimson shade. "I will, I promise."

"Good. I love you so much, Ariella."

"I love you too, Nonna."

"Kade, you continue to take care of mia nipotina," she instructs him.

"I will."

I look down at my phone to see she's disconnected the line.

"Welcome to my life and the wisdom of Yoda Nonna."

"Yoda Nonna?" He laughs.

I turn to the side and prop my head upon my hand. "Yeah, it's like she's giving you words of wisdom, but they're in some kind of hidden message. You have to go on this journey to figure out what it all means. Nothing is direct and easy to understand, kind of like Yoda from Star Wars."

He laughs and asks, "What did she say to you in Italian?"

"That I should be nice to you because you're good for me."

He hums and smirks. "Do you speak Italian?"

"I can, but I've been told it is horrendous."

"Say something."

I roll back on the bed. "What do you want me to say?"

"Whatever you want."

I turn onto my stomach, cross my arms and lay my head on top, my legs kicking back and forth in the aisle. Most people want me to teach them a curse word or a silly phrase, but as I lay here looking at him, I feel the urge to be bold and say something I usually wouldn't. I reach for my phone and open my Italian translator app.

I take a deep breath, calming my nerves, press the record button, and say, "Voi siete il più bel ragazzo che abbia mai incontrato e mi auguro che baciami ancora."

His smile is enormous, like he just witnessed something remarkable, instead of my botched attempt at speaking my grandmother's language. "What did you say?"

I'm too shy to say the English words, so I turn the phone around so he can read the translation. You are the most beautiful boy I have ever met. I wish you would kiss me again.

His expression sobers, and he raises an eyebrow at the words on the screen. I brace myself for rejection. He kissed me on the Empire State Building to make a point, not because he planned on doing it all the time. If he says no, I'll break, so I need to take control before I get hurt.

"I was just being stup–"

He stops me by combing his fingers through my hair until they reach the back of my neck. My entire body becomes a heightened cluster of nerves as he pulls me closer until my lips touch his. Shivers run through me as his tongue brushes against my lower lip. I've never ached to be close to someone like I do with him.

I move on top of Kade and straddle his hips. My hand travels to the top of his head, and my fingers grasp on to his soft strands. I match the strokes of his tongue and savor the taste of him. The kiss feels so good...so perfect...I don't want it to end.

His hand moves to my side and slips under the hem of my shirt. Goosebumps follow the trail of his palm, gliding over the sensitive skin at my waist. I want to make him feel the way I do, so I run my hand down his torso and grab the bottom of his t-shirt. I lift the fabric, exposing his stomach, and sigh as his skin rests upon mine.

Kade rolls us over, situating me with my head on the pillow and his body on top of mine. I arch my back trying to get as close to him as possible. But it's not enough.

He trails kisses over my jaw and to my neck, and a moan escapes me as he runs his tongue along my pulse. Out of breath, he pulls away from me with a lingering kiss and whispers, "You're killing me."

I'm killing him? I feel like my entire body is a ticking time-bomb. The self-control I exhibited in the past has vanished, and I don't give a damn. I want more.

I reach down his back and pull his shirt over his head. He leans back, gazing at me with rich honey eyes. I'm ecstatic to see they hold as much desire for me as I feel for him. There's no end to what I'd do with him right now.

He brushes my hair away from my face and places a soft kiss on my lips. "You're making it really damn hard for me to stop, and there's a bus full of people who can walk in at any time."

I look at the curtain to the bunk and wonder if it will give us enough privacy. Kade follows my gaze over his shoulder. With a smile and a shake of his head, he says, "I don't think so, sweetheart."

"Just one more kiss," I beg.

I don't care if I sound desperate right now—I am.

He leans in, his lips soft as he rubs them across mine. God help me, he's teasing me. I tilt my head and pull his lower lip between my teeth, and his chest vibrates with a groan. With a final peck, he pulls away, and I feel so lost without him pressed against me. He stands and brings me along with him.

"Go get ready for bed," he says.

My rapidly beating heart sinks, disappointed that our passionate make-out session has come to an end. I move to walk away, and he grabs my hand, pulling me back. His palm cups the side of my face and he gives me one more kiss before letting go.

When I return to the bunks, Kade is on the far side of my bed on his side, leaving a small amount of room for me. His lips have relaxed into a sleepy pout, and his hair is all over the place. How he went from this desirable, sexy man to a sweet sleeping boy in a matter of minutes might be one of life's great mysteries.

Crawling in next to him, I close the curtain behind me. I lay on my side and study him, but instead of taking in his obvious physical beauty, I look deeper.

Nonna's right; there's a light within Kade capable of reaching my dark places. I've experienced days upon days of rain, and he is the sun breaking free of the clouds. I want to stand in his glowing rays. As the remnants of the rain dry, the sun warming my skin is addicting. And just like that, the dreary days are gone, overshadowed by the sun and his light. In the same way, he pulled me out of my looming depression and filled me with a mixture of the best emotions.

Kade opens one eye and smiles. "What are you thinking about?"

"The sun," I reply, nestling in close to him.