“Why not just play on the jungle gym at the park? If you’re going to go rock climbing, go rock climbing.”
Her brown eyes widened with understanding, as if a lightbulb had just gone off in her head. “Now I get it,” Leah said. “You’re a total adrenalin junkie.”
“Can’t argue with the truth,” Caleb returned.
“I like that.” Her eyes dropped to his lips.
There was an air of electricity that pulse between them; a charge that filled the space surrounding them. Caleb wondered what she would do if he closed the space between them and connected his mouth with hers. It seemed so natural, like the obvious next step.
But it wasn’t. It only seemed that way to him because, in his mind, they’d already made it past several of those normal relationship steps. He had to keep reminding himself that reality was very different from the fantasy he’d built up in his head.
“Okay, what other adventures have we experienced in our make-believe relationship?” Caleb asked her.
Those eyes lit up again. “What about zip-lining in Jamaica? Is it okay if we’ve done that once too?”
“You mean you’ve never been zip-lining in Jamaica?” Caleb asked incredulously.
“You have?”
“No,” he answered in that same incredulous tone before allowing a smile to break out across his face.
Leah playfully slapped his arm, but before she could pull her hand away, Caleb caught and held it. When he spoke, he made sure his voice was deliberately serious.
“If zip-lining in Jamaica is something you’ve always wanted, you shouldn’t let anything stop you.” His voice lowered. “I would love to be the one to take you on these adventures, Leah. Just say the word, and I’m there.”
That charge returned to the air, hotter and brighter than before. Her eyes connected with his and held. Caleb could see her chest rising and falling with the shallow breaths she took as her eyes dipped to his lips.
One second. That’s all it would take for him to lean forward and press his lips to hers. To finally experience what he’d dreamt about for the past year.
With a start, Leah’s head reared back and she jerked her hand away from his. She jumped up from the bench.
“I…uh…I think we have enough to get us through the mixer tonight,” she said. She pointed to the horizon. “The mixer starts at sundown. We should make our way over there.”
She quickly left the gazebo.
Caleb stared at her retreating form for several moments, wondering if he’d done himself more damage than good, but he couldn’t just sit idly by anymore. Not after discovering that she was no longer engaged.
He wanted her for himself.
He’d had a thing for this woman from the very first morning he’d walked into his brand new backyard and found her firm backside up in the air as she picked herbs from his garden.
But he had to be careful. He didn’t want to set himself up as a rebound guy. He knew he would never be satisfied with being the one who soothed her ego and got her ready for the next guy who came along. He wanted tobethat next guy. He wanted to be the only guy.
He would have to figure out a way to make that happen. He had to.
