Home Again by Lisa Fisher Page A

exercise anyway. By the time I got to the lake, I was completely out of breath.
    I really needed to get in shape if I were going to be touring in two weeks.
    “East?”
    “Hey, babe.” He was sitting on our rock, looking out at the sunset. “Where’s the shield?” he joked.
    “I actually convinced him we’d be okay alone.”
    “No way.” He gave me a big lopsided grin. “Come here.”
    Just looking at him in the soft glow of the sunset did me in. I walked over to him, and he pulled me into his lap.
    “I missed you.” He kissed me.
    “It’s only been three days, East.” I laughed.
    “Three days is too long, when I only get you for thirteen more.” My heart sank at the words he spoke. Thirteen days was nothing. I wanted longer. I wanted him to come with me, but I knew that idea wouldn’t fly.
    “It doesn’t seem like enough.”
    “That’s because it isn’t, babe.”
    “It’s pretty unfair.”
    “My thoughts exactly.” He pulled me closer, kissing me all over. “You smell so fucking good.”
    “Mmm, East—we can’t do this here.”
    “Why not?” he asked between kisses. "It's not like we haven't before."
    Why not? Fuck. I couldn’t think when he was kissing me like that. “What if John shows up?”
    He groaned, pulling back. “Fuck.”
    “Sorry.”
    “It’s fine. If you won’t let me have my way with you, then at least tell me what’s been bothering you.”
    “Nothing.” I stood up abruptly.
    “That is a big fat lie.”
    “No, it’s not.”
    “I’ve known you since you were five years old, Carter. I can spot you lying from a mile away.”
    “Shut up.”
    “You’ve been avoiding me.”
    “No. East, it’s not like that.”
    “It’s because I won’t tell you about my dad, isn’t it?”
    “No.” I narrowed my eyes at him. “But while we’re on that subject, why won’t you talk to me? You know you can trust me, East. With anything.”
    “I just don’t want to fucking talk about it. Why can’t you understand that?”
    “Because! Because I love you! That’s why!” I yelled. I closed my eyes in embarrassment. Did I just fucking tell him I love him?
    “What?”
    Shit.
    “You can’t say that to me, Carter.”
    I opened my eyes and he was close enough to touch, to kiss. “Why not?”
    “Because,” he said desperately, “I might just say it back, and if I do—I won’t let you go again.”
    “Well it’s true, East. I’ve never stopped loving you,” I told him.
    “Fucking Christ.” He took a ragged breath and ran his hands through his hair. “I love you, too. So damn much.”
    Then his lips were on mine. In that moment, nothing else mattered. Nothing but the feeling of East. His touch. His lips. His taste.
    And his butterflies.
    “Come here.”
    I pushed him down on top of the rock, and undid his pants. Climbing into his lap, he shoved my panties aside and pushed inside of me. Thank god I had decided to wear a dress today. “Oh god, East.”
    “Ais, god, you’re driving me crazy,” he whispered breathlessly into my ear.
    “Oh, harder, East. Harder. ”
    Then before I could even realize what was happening, a camera flashed.
    Holy fuck. I froze.
    “Ais?” East was breathing heavily. “What’s wrong?”
    “Shh, stop. Don’t move.” I was going to have a panic attack. John was going to kill me. Then he was going to be fired and I was going to be fired. Fuck.
    “What the hell?” Another flash. And another.
    I pulled my dress down, and Easton got up fast, pulling up his pants. “Just cover your face, East. Come on.” I grabbed his hand and pulled him back through the path.
    He put his head down and followed me. “What’s going on?”
    “Paparazzi.”
    “You got to be fucking kidding me. Can you even see where you’re going?”
    “If you brought a flashlight, now would be the time to tell me.”
    “Yeah, about that.”
    “Right. Thought so.” I led him through the darkness, trying not to fall on my face.
    “I don’t think he’s following