“I would be better than that to you,” Caleb whispered.
In this moment, there was nothing that seemed more natural than joining her lips with his. Leah snaked her fingers around his neck and tugged, pulling until she could join her mouth with his.
The poignant tenderness in that first gentle brush of Caleb’s lips awakened something deep inside her, something Leah had not realized had been dormant. His touch was so light, so delicate, so attentive. Desire whisked through her bloodstream, warming her from the inside out, quickly blossoming into a seductive craving that screamed for more of him.
But Caleb seemed content with the slow and gentle pace he’d set. There was no rush, no pressure. Instead, Leah was the one who took the lead, tentatively licking at the seam of his lips, coaxing his mouth to open. An aching groan rumbled from somewhere deep in Caleb’s chest as he relented, parting his lips and driving his tongue into her mouth.
The effect of his ultimate surrender to the moment was devastating. He stroked his tongue with uninhabited abandon, plunging into her mouth over and over again. Sensation ruled Leah’s every thought, compelling her to deepen the kiss, to press against him, to seek out the hard contours of his body. She trailed her fingers along Caleb’s midriff and then up to his chest, savoring the feel of his taut muscles.
The sound of approaching footsteps jerked Leah out of the heady sensual fog she’d entered the moment Caleb’s lips touched hers. She pulled away from him just as the storeowner rounded the corner.
“Do you need any help?” the woman asked with a gentle smile. Her eyes widened as they darted from Leah to Caleb.
Leah’s heart pounded against the walls of her chest. Her breaths came out in embarrassingly shallow pants.
“Is everything okay?” the storeowner asked.
“Uh, yes,” Leah said. She picked up a ceramic dish from the shelf and handed it to the owner. “I’ll take this.”
“Excellent choice. The potter is a local.” She turned the plate over. “He signs the back of each of his pieces. I’ll ring this up for you at the front of the store.”
As soon as they were alone again, Leah turned to Caleb, but she didn’t get a chance to speak. He pressed his mouth to hers again with a swift kiss.
“Later,” was all he said before taking her hand and guiding her to the checkout counter.
Leah’s heart continued to beat like a tambourine as she waited for the storeowner to wrap up her new purchase. She couldn’t even remember what the dish looked like. Her mind’s entire focus remained on that ridiculously erotic kiss she’d just shared with her next-door neighbor.
Goodness!
She couldn’t remember the last time she’d been so affected by a man’s kiss. It was the care she’d felt in Caleb’s every movement, the consideration that came through with every gentle brush of his lips. That kiss had not been about his needs; he was concerned with hers. How could she help but fall for him?
It’s too soon.
Her mind practically screamed the words. Leah knew it would be best to listen to her inner voice, but the more time she spent with Caleb, the harder it was to heed the warning.
* * *
Caleb trailedhis fingers along Leah’s bare shoulders, gliding them back and forth over her smooth skin.
“I think I should move to the mountains,” she whispered from where her head rested against his chest.
After dinner at Boone’s, a local eatery in the small town of Briarsted, they’d returned to Camp Firefly Falls and took up residence on the cabin’s back porch, facing the mountains. The clear night and the moon’s soft glow illuminated the majestic formations, providing a glorious view for anyone smart enough to stop and appreciate their beauty.
“I’d consider it,” Caleb said. “Although for years I’ve had my heart set on moving to Georgia.”
“To your grandparents?” Leah asked.
His chin brushed the top of her head when he nodded. “They owned about a hundred acres down there. Most of it was uninhabitable, but there was enough to sell to a group of developers who wanted to design a subdivision for city dwellers seeking a little country living. My grandparents held on to enough to give each of us grandkids a nice piece of land. I plan to retire there.”
“That won’t be for a while yet though, right?”
Caleb’s pause was long enough to rouse Leah from her resting position. She twisted in his lap and looked up at him. Despite the dimness, she could see the seriousness in his expression.
“Caleb?”
“You’re right,” he said. “It won’t be for a while. But for the past few months, I’ve been considering moving on.”
Leah couldn’t hide her shock even if she tried. “Why?” she asked.
