Free My Beautiful (The Beautiful Series) by Alicia Rae Page B

pieces here and there that were different and unique.
    For my sixteenth birthday, my mom had given me canvases of some of my favorite photographs that I had taken with my first camera. After we woke up this morning, Kyle had already claimed that we were taking all of those with us, and I’d agreed. They were equally striking and important to me, too.
    Kyle walked over and sat on my bed. I made a few notes of what I’d be taking with me or storing until I was ready. I put a few small items that I planned to keep off to the side. I definitely wanted a few pieces of furniture, some books, most of my photos, and other random keepsakes.
    “So,” Kyle said, pulling me out of my thoughts, “am I the first guy to come into your room?”
    I turned to look at him. He was lying down on my bed with his legs crossed at his ankles, and his arms were propped behind his head on a pillow.
    “Yes.” I laughed.
    He patted the spot next to him. “Come sit. You’ve had an eventful morning. Take a quick breather before your session with Jeanine.”
    “Oh, that’s right.” I let out an unsteady breath.
    I did need to unwind a bit before Jeanine and I talked. I felt like my nerves were already strung out. I’d stayed busy with one thing after another since I’d gotten here.
    “I need a vacation,” I huffed more to myself. I walked over to the bed and curled up next to him.
    His body was warm and inviting. He put his arm around my shoulder and nuzzled closer. “And where do you want to go?” Kyle softly asked.
    I pondered for a moment, thinking of all the possibilities. Specific places didn’t exactly pique my interests. I had certain requirements. “Anywhere that is warm, sunny, and has a quiet beach,” I said, voicing my dreams.
    “You live on a beach.” He chuckled and kissed my cheek. “But I could go for a quiet beach.”
    His hand ran up and down my back in a soothing rhythm. It was slowly relaxing me. I could feel some of the tension leaving my body. A few moments of downtime sounded better and better with each passing second.
    “Exactly,” I answered. “If you could pick anywhere in the world to visit, where would it be?
    “Hmm,” Kyle pondered out loud as he twisted a strand of my hair between his fingers. “I do love a good beach. It’s why I chose to stay in the cottage after all, but I also love the mountains, too.”
    Turning on my side, I settled my right leg over his as he dropped the strand of hair he’d been playing with. His thumb started to make small circles on the corner of my shoulder as we made eye contact. Those gorgeous brownish-green eyes, which I adored to no end, looked at me affectionately.
    “Which mountains would you like to visit?” I wanted to know more about his interests and about him in general.
    “Well, I’ve already been to Mount Diablo in California,” he said while continuing to rub my skin. “I will take you there someday. It has one of the most magnificent sunsets you could possibly imagine.” He paused for a second. “But if we’re going to travel somewhere new, I’d like to take you to Canada.”
    “Canada?” I tried to recall the mountain destinations there.
    “Yep.” He grinned. “I have wanted to visit the Canadian Rockies since I was a kid. In Boy Scouts, we studied mountains all over the world. Kids in my troop always talked about visiting Niagara Falls.”
    I watched him intently. “But not you?” With every passing moment of our conversation, I was starting to see a new side of him. I suddenly found myself wanting to ask more and more questions.
    “Nope.” His handsome grin broadened. “I wanted to go to the mountains and see glaciers, canyons, and ice fields.”
    I looked over his shoulders and chest before meeting his eyes again. I nodded. “I could see you being a mountain boy with your Boy Scout and Army training,” I joked lightheartedly.
    Kyle let out a laugh. “Mountain boy?” He quirked a brow at me and lifted his hand to rub along the