I shiver at the rawness in his voice. His lips trail down my jaw, to the corner of my mouth, lingering like he can’t get enough.
Then he pulls back suddenly, chest heaving.“Okay,” he mutters, voice rough.“Time to stop.”
My breath catches.“Why?”
He grins, wicked and boyish all at once.“Because I brought sandwiches from the deli. And I actually want you to eat before I lose every ounce of restraint.”
I laugh, shaky, and take the sandwich he hands me. The first bite is so good I can’t help the tiny moan that slips out.
Cas freezes. His gaze drops to my lips, heat sparking in his eyes.
“You make that noise again, Sunset,” he warns, voice rough,“and I’ll forget patience.”
My cheeks flame.“Oh.”
“Yeah, oh.” He smirks, eyes blazing.“Finish your food, Penny. Right now, you look so damn tempting it’s taking every ounce of control I’ve got.”
Before I can reply, the breeze shifts. Clouds roll in, heavy and dark, dimming the sunlight. A low rumble echoes across the mountains.
Cas glances up at the sky, smirking.“Looks like rain.”
The words are barely out when the heavens open.
We scramble to shove the food back into the basket, laughing as fat drops pelt us. The rain soaks through my dress in seconds, my hair plastering to my face. Cas fights to row us back, but I throw my head back and laugh harder, loving the wildness, the freedom of the storm.
When I glance back at him, he’s not rowing anymore. He’s just watching me. Watching like I’m the storm itself.
“You…” His voice is rough, reverent.“I’ve never seen anything more breathtaking.”
He rises, crossing the space in one stride. With deliberate slowness, he lifts his Stetson from his head and settles it onto mine. It’s far too big, the brim dripping with rain, shading my eyes. But the way he looks at me, like I’m a miracle, makes me feel like I wear it better than I think.
“You’re so damn beautiful, Penny,” he murmurs, voice rough as gravel.“Dancing in the storm like you own it.”
Before I can answer, his hand finds mine, tugging me up. He hums softly, the familiar tune of our song,she’s my kind of rain, and twirls me right there on the rocking boat.
My breath catches as he pulls me against his chest, moving slow and steady while thunder crashes overhead. Rain pours down, soaking us, but all I feel is him: his warmth, his strength, his heartbeat pressed against mine.
He sings the last words, and then his mouth is on mine, searing, hungry. The world disappears. No storm. No lake. Justhim.
I melt as he lowers me onto the drenched cushions, tugging the folded blanket free and spreading it beneath me in one smooth motion. It’s damp at the edges, but I don’t care. Neither of us does. We’re already lost.
His weight hovers above me, lips brushing mine again and again, softer this time, reverent. His hand laces with mine, pinning it gently beside my head as if to say I belong to him and him alone.
"Look at you,” he murmurs against my mouth.“Flushed, freckles glowing, hair wet and fanning out like fire. I wish I were a painter… so I could capture you like this and keep you forever."
By the time the storm breaks, streaks of gold light scatter across the lake. We lie tangled, laughing breathlessly, soaked to the skin on the rocking boat, the blanket half-sliding into the water. The cushions are drenched, hair plastered to my cheeks, but I don’t care. None of it matters. It’s ours.
Eventually Cas shifts, brushing a wet curl from my face.“C’mon, Sunset. Let’s get you warm.”
He pulls me up, steadying me as the boat wobbles, and rows us back with sure, strong strokes. I watch him in silence, chest still fluttering, body still humming from his kisses. The storm’s passed, but I swear the air still crackles around us.
When we reach the dock, he jumps out first, tying the rope with practiced hands before lifting me out like I weigh nothing. My soaked dress clings to me, the night air cool against my skin. I shiver, and immediately he hugs me to him before steering me toward the truck.
Inside, he digs behind the seat and pulls out a hoodie.“It’ll drown you,” he says with a crooked grin,“but I like you in my clothes.”
Warmth blooms in my chest as I pull off my wet dress and tug the hoodie over my head. Cas has his back to me, giving me a moment of privacy, and I can’t help but notice how big it feels on me, sleeves swallowing my hands, the hem grazing my thighs.
It smells like him: pine, rain, Cas. My head spins a little, heart racing.
