1 Year Later

My feet shuffle restlessly against the tiled floor of the Detroit Metro Airport, my stomach dipping and my heart racing with the excitement that today carries. And since the moment I woke up this morning, I haven't been able to wipe this goddamn lovesick smile off of my face because today's the day I finally get to hold her again- finally get to see that beautiful dimpled smile in person. Because after 372 days of FaceTiming, texting, and phone calls, I finally get the pleasure of hearing that sexy, sweet voice brush right against my ears and I can finally twirl my fingers into those beautiful, dark curls again. It's true what they say, that distance makes the heart grow fonder, and I'm so ready to indulge in the bliss of having my girl back- to be able to know what it is to have her close.

With every passing minute, I find myself impatiently looking for her, my head veering around the moving crowds of passing bodies making their big arrivals to Michigan and my stomach sinks a little more at the sight of each stranger that doesn't happen to be her.

My phone vibrates, and I immediately dart my hand inside of my pocket and pull it out, instantly rolling my eyes and laughing at the group messages that pop up across the screen.

🔵

🔵

🔵

Just as my fingers begin tapping out a reply to my friends, another message cuts across the screen and grabs my full attention.

🔵😉

My pulse quickens as I read the text, and I shove my phone away, devoting my full attention to absolutely nothing but watching for Lani because I refuse to be even a second late of finding those sparkling brown eyes.

Straightening my back, my fingers take a tighter grip against the sign in my hands, my breaths becoming shaky with the adrenaline and eagerness coursing through my veins because each second that passes feels like a lifetime. A wave of bodies cuts around the corner and I watch the group carefully, feeling a bittersweet lump form in my throat when my eyes spot a head of inky curls appear. Our eyes find each other through the spaces and cracks of moving bodies as if we're the only two people in this airport. That gorgeous smile appears on her face, and as soon as I see it my heart leaps, and at this moment I'm positive that it's solely beating for her.

Her feet start to move quicker at the same time mine do, and before I know it, we're both in a full-on sprint as we race to see who can make it to each other first. And the next thing I know, the sign in my hands is falling to the floor, freeing my arms so that they're wide open for Lani as we become only feet apart.

"Maverick!" She squeals, and I catch her as she drops her bags and jumps into my arms, scents of coconut and her permeating my senses as short legs wrap around my waist.

I hold her tight- too tight- soaking in her warmth and the familiarity of her curvy body that I have been terrified of forgetting since the day I left Hawaii. But I immediately recall the feeling, realizing that I couldn't erase a single part of her from my mind even if I wanted to.

"I've missed you so goddamn much, wild thing," I greet her, nuzzling my head into the crook of her neck, unable to keep my lips from kissing her soft, golden skin.

"I was hoping you would," she giggles, pulling her head back as she takes a good long look at me. Her fingers trace my face the way they do in my dreams, softening every muscle in my body. "I've missed you more, though. And hey," she smiles, trailing her fingers to my head, "Your hair is longer."

I take my turn soaking in the image of her too, still keeping her held tight in my arms as I admire every inch of her from her shoulders, up.

"And your's is shorter," I quip.

"I thought a change would be fun," she shrugs, whipping her head from side to side and letting the shoulder-length curls dance for me.

"I love it," I swoon," I love it a lot." I pull her head back against me again, my fingers weaving into the smooth curls on the back of her head and become lost in the thought of how much closer I wish we could be. "God, you feel so good."

Her lips trail sweet pecks against my neck, and I feel her smile grow as they press against my skin. "Is it okay if we stay like this the whole trip?"

"That does sound like a good plan," I chuckle, setting her down carefully and absolutely loving the way the top of her head only reaches the middle of my chest. "But then I wouldn't be able to do this," I hush out, slipping my hands against her jawline and pulling her lips up to mine.

They're so soft and subtle as they kiss me back, and I didn't truly understand the cruel ache of longing until this very moment. Reluctantly we pull our mouths away, and she's the first one to speak up again as she whispers, "This feels like a dream."

"It does," I agree with a smirk, smoothing my thumbs against her high cheekbones. "But thank God it's not."

My gaze skims every inch of her that my eyes haven't touched yet, and I'm grinning so big that my face hurts as I take everything in. "Oh my God, am I actually witnessing Lelani Kahale in a sweater and a pair of pants?" I tease, my mouth agape at the sight of it.

"You told me to pack warm," she giggles, "so that's what I did." I take her hand and make her twirl for me so I can see the outfit from every angle. "You think it'll stand a chance against the snow?"

"Absolutely not," I snort, "but you look fucking adorable anyways."

"Don't make fun of me," she chuckles with a reprimanding tone. "I don't know how the hell you're supposed to dress for cold."

"Don't worry, I already made sure and bought you a snowsuit for this exact reason."

"Did you really?!" And I wish I could take a picture of the way her face is lighting up right now.

"I really did," I nod eagerly, reaching around and collecting her suitcases before she stubbornly tries to stop me from carrying them out to the car. "And I'm really damn excited to see you in it."

She picks up my fallen sign from off the floor, reading its marker-written words out loud for both of us to hear. "Welcome to Michigan, Island Girl," she beams up at at me, "I love it."

"I've got so much to show you, you know that?" I inform her as we begin to make our way out towards the car garage. "What do you want to do first?"

She cuts me a mischievous and lustful side-eye, and already I know what's going on in this crazy girl's mind, but she plays it cool and shrugs, "I don't know. I was thinking we could stop at the hotel maybe, you know, just so we could drop my bags off and stuff-"

"We can do that," I smirk, loving the feeling of her fingers as they lace into mine, her feet falling into a walk beside me. "We can definitely do that."

It isn't but 30 minutes later when we finally arrive at the hotel, and I slide the key-card into the door of our room, feeling my stomach swarm with butterflies as the lock clicks open and I motion Lani inside. I watch as her eyes widen, a bright smile rising to her face as she takes in hundreds of crimson rose petals strewn across the floor, creating a trail from the door to the white linen king-size bed.

"Brodie," she fawns, a pinkish tint crossing her cheeks, "you did not."

I let the door fall shut behind me as I set our suitcases and bags down, my eyes staying pinned on her and watching her childlike excitement as her stare gazes around the room we'll have to ourselves for the next week and a half.

"You like it?"

"Very much," she bobs her head, smittenly biting her bottom lip as she turns back to face me. Her expression grows ravenous, making the area between my legs twinge as she cocks an eyebrow my way and nods towards the bed. "Will we sleep," she begins to taunt, repeating a phrase I've said once before and making me chuckle, "or will we play?"

And as cute as she looks in that baby blue, cropped sweater she's wearing, my mind can only think about all the wonderful things that hide underneath it, and I take a gulp, trying to swallow back the heat that's suddenly found its way to my chest. I take a step towards her, feeling my pulse quicken as she takes a step back towards the bed.

"I think we should play," I nod, approaching her and pitching her up into my arms and causing her to squeal with giggles. Her legs twist around my waist, holding herself against me tightly and she presses herself against the hard-on growing beneath my pants.

Her lips travel to my ears, setting my nerves on fire as she whispers, "I've missed feeling you like this. I've missed everything about you."

"I've missed you more," I admit, a groan escaping the back of my throat as her teeth taunt and tease the skin of my neck.

Slowly and carefully, I lower her onto the bed, her shirt lifting as her arms fall back onto the mattress above her head and giving me a peek at the soft, tan skin of her stomach. I lower my mouth to the exposed area, kissing it leisurely and tenderly and making her hips buck in response as she whimpers for more. I answer the silent request as I move my lips further down her skin, grazing against the beltline of her pants and making her legs squirm more beneath me. I place another gentle kiss against her skin, enjoying the moan that it causes to escape her throat and I'm thankful she's wearing button-less pants as I slip my fingers beneath the beltline and make her hum more with pleasure.

Her hand grips mine, impatient and guiding me further down the natural V of her body, and my head spins as my fingertips graze the dampness already coating her panties.

"You're making me go crazy," I growl, rubbing against the lace and thinking about how slick she feels beyond the barrier of fabric.

She squeezes my hand tighter before leading and slipping it beneath the thin layer of lace and allowing me to feel more skin, growing wetter and warmer as my fingers swirl against her clit.

"Can you feel how much I've missed you- missed this?" Lani provokes me, her hands guiding my body upward to line up against hers. Keeping one hand on her, I use the other to guide her palm to the hardened ridge of my jeans. She presses and rubs my hard-on through my pants, making me feel so good that I have to clench my eyes shut to keep them from rolling to the back of my head.

"I love you," I moan against her chest, longing and desire making my heart race with the thoughts of her and me becoming one as I continue to play with her underneath her pants.

The sounds she's creating as I make her feel good are like music to my ears, and she quickly slides her hand beneath my jeans, gripping and stroking my erect penis and causing my breathing to grow ragged. "Show me" she pants, her hips lifting in a quiet plead as her lips place a hungry kiss against mine. "Show me how much you love me."

Those words are nearly enough to send me over the edge, but I reel my orgasm back, refusing to release it until I can feel her around me. Answering her requests, I yank her pants down her legs until my eyes can see nothing but skin, and I stay watching her body for a moment, recalling and soaking in the sight of her curves and how perfectly the universe has molded them. My stare devours her as I stand from the bed and the smile she wears is so sexy and wild as she reaches out and unfastens my own pants, nodding for me to remove them for her. I do as she requests, pushing them down my legs as my hands tear my shirt away from my body until all of me is bare.

Taking my cue, she gives me another show as she shimmies her own shirt away from her torso, and I reach for a condom from the bedside table. Tearing the foil of the wrapper open with my teeth, I continue to watch only her as she frees her breasts from the lace bra strapped to her chest.

"You're even more beautiful than I remembered, you know that?" I tell her, slipping the ring of latex over my hardened muscle and dipping down until her body is flush with mine.

"Look who's talking," she grins, sweeping her fingers against the nape of my neck and pulling my mouth closer to hers. Her thumbs brush against my skin, setting my nerves on fire and I settle into her touch, never wanting to leave it because I'm not sure if I can spend another day without feeling it. Lani's brown eyes skim the features of my face intently as she whispers, "So, so handsome."

And with that, I push inside of her, both of us moaning as I fill her and slip deeper into her wet core, the sensation of every thrust threatening to make me come completely undone. I continue my movements inside of her until the intoxicating feeling of one another reaches its climax and we're left with nothing but the sounds of our labored breaths. Falling to Lani's side, I pull her closer to me, just holding her and reveling in the ecstasy of having her in my arms again.

She props and rests her chin against my chest and my fingers play into her messy curls. "I don't want to go back, Brodie."

"You just got here," I chuckle, trying to bring some light to the heaviness of her statement because thinking of her leaving by the end of this kills me. "You trying to get rid of me already?"

"I would never want that," she giggles, poking me playfully. "I've just- I've missed you so damn much. I don't want to have to miss you anymore. I don't like thinking about having to say goodbye again."

"I don't either, baby." Silence fills the hotel room again, but I don't let the solemn quiet linger for long before I speak up again and mention, "Hey, I've got an idea."

"What's that?"

Rising from the bed, I clean myself off and dress my bottom half before going to my suitcase in the far corner of the room, retrieving the thing I've been most excited to see from the moment I bought her flight tickets to come here. I fling the long, one-piece, fleece snowsuit onto the bed beside her.

"Get dressed, wild thing. We've got a damn snowman to build."

༄༄༄

"Don't you dare," Lani cackles running away from me, and the huge snowball formed in my hands. "I'm cold enough as is!"

"Don't run away from me," I laugh, struggling to catch my breath because the sight of her struggling as she tries to trudge away from me through the several feet of snow at her feet in that big ass snowsuit is ridiculous. "I'm not gonna throw it at you!"

"You're a liar!"

"Am not," I, in fact, lie, continuing to taunt her. "Get your ass over here!"

"Never, Jarhead!" She yells against the resistance of the winter wind, her nose and cheeks glowing the cutest shade of red from the bitter cold sweeping through the Michigan air. She's still running as she turns back to look at me, gauging the time she has left before my long legs finally catch up to her.

I watch as the snow joins my side and betrays her, locking her legs from moving and causing her to trip face-first into the white, snowy terrain before she can get any further away from me.

"Lani?" I chuckle, checking on her and running to her side to help her up but getting caught in another fit of laughter as I stare down at her poor state.

"You're gonna pay for this," she pouts, trying her best to keep a straight face as she rolls onto her back and spits off the snow coating her lips.

"Me?!" I chortle, dropping the snowball from my hand before offering it down for her to grab. "That was your own damn fault!"

"Oh, yeah?" She fires back, gripping onto my wrist as a devious smile pulls against her lips and she yanks me right down into the white fluff with her.

"Lelani Kahale!" I reprimand as my body falls on top of hers and the snow freezes all the exposed areas of my skin.

"Payback's a bitch, Brodie!" She giggles, her breaths visible in the cold air enveloping us. "Don't dish it out, if you can't take it!"

"Keep laughing, Chuckles, and see if I don't get your ass back later."

She rolls her eyes, "I'll believe it when I see it."

"Yeah, smart ass?" I tease, rolling us both against the snow until she's positioned on top of me. She smiles down at me, and I can't help but confess, "Michigan looks good on you."

"You think so?" She scrunches her nose, shivering as an icy gust of wind blows against the black curls barely peeking out of the toboggan covering her head.

"Yeah, I do," I smirk, sitting up slightly and leaning back against my elbows. "Your little nose gets so red. It's adorable."

"Not as cute as hers," she banters, nodding her head over to the snowman that took us hours to build and her large, gaudy, and plump carrot nose.

"I mean, Snowangela's nose is pretty cute," I chuckle, my eyes taking in our ridiculous creation again, striped scarf, black buttons, and all; built just the way Lani said all that time ago back in my dorm room in Hawaii. "But it doesn't stand a chance against yours."

"Brodie?"

"Hmm?"

"Thank you," she says simply, her joyful expression full of gratitude. "Thank you for bringing me here. For flying me all this way so that I could see you, and see your hometown and-"

Her voice trails off but I prod her to continue, "And?"

"And for helping me build the most godawful, hideous snowman I've ever seen."

I laugh because it really is the most ridiculous snow creation I've ever laid my eyes on. "I wouldn't have it any other way."

"Lelani, I, umm-," my voice gets caught in my throat for a moment as my hand reaches down into the pockets of my snowsuit, my fingers feeling the outline of the velvet box inside and wrecking my nerves because I want this to be perfect for her. This needs to be perfect for her.

Her eyes follow my hand, widening as I pull the small, palm-sized, black box out from hiding. "Brodie Dawson," she gasps, quickly understanding what I'm about to do- what I'm about to ask.