“So you’ll just quit before we even get started?”
“I just don’t want to make another mistake again, especially not with you.”
“Nobody is perfect, Reese. Not me. Not you. Remember that. But that doesn’t mean that if we were together it would be a mistake. Mistakes can be a good thing sometimes. It’s how we learn and grow as a person. Yes, you made a lot of them in the past, but look how far you’ve come in eighteen months. I know it’s not been easy for you. In fact, I can’t even imagine how much courage it took to stop drinking.”
“My courage to change doesn’t erase all my drunken regrets.”
“So you think you don’t deserve happiness?”
Her fingernails dig into my back. “I’ve done so many stupid things.”
“You’ve done good things too. Do those not count?”
She shrugs, completely relaxed against me.
“They should.” I scoop her hair from her face and tilt her chin up. “And they do.”
I’m almost too scared to ask, but the question bubbles out of me before I can stop it.
“Do you think kissing me was a mistake?”
“Everything I do is a mistake,” she snaps, more at herself than me. The words are sharp enough to wound.
Leaning back, I scan her red-rimmed eyes, still glossy from unshed tears. And I realize it’s not me she’s yelling at. There’s some other battle she’s waging, fighting alone as she always does, and she’s lashing out at the only target near her.Me.
“Our kiss wasn’t a mistake. It’s been a long time coming. I know you want to push me away, but I’m not budging. Whatever the problem is, we can work it out together.”
“How are you so sure?”
“Because nothing has felt more right than you.” I press my lips into hers, a quick kiss that feels wrong to end so early. “That’s not a mistake.” I swoop in again, reveling in the softness of her lips on mine for a second before pulling back. “Also not a mistake.”
Her lips twitch as she fights a smile. “Maybe you should check one more time.”
“Happy to.”
This time she meets me halfway, her hands flat on my back, guiding me closer. I let her take control and wait those excruciating seconds until her mouth finally claims mine, warm and confident in her choice.
I follow her lead, matching her kiss for kiss, as I tremble at her gentle touch. When she whispers my name, I break, gathering her to me with a breathy groan. I thread my fingers into her hair, the damp strands clinging to my skin. My lips sizzle against hers as I fight the instinct to deepen the kiss, worried I’ll scare her away.
Because the last thing I want is for this moment to end.
Really, what’s the rush to return home anyway?Hereis where I want to stay. In this moment with her. Rocosa, LA, and all my responsibilities fade into the background, unimportant. Nothing else matters but this woman in my arms.
Well, her and oxygen . . .
With a gasp, we break apart, desperate for air. My mind is still whirling, lost in sensations. She stares up at me, just as stunned as I am. How could I feel so much from a simple kiss?
“Now that one? Perfection.”
She laughs, that haunted look absent from her expression. “We better not press our luck.”
When she shifts back, I let her, hating the cool air where she once was.
“Thanks,” she says.
“Feeling better?”
“About us? Yes. About this camper?” She turns in my arms, scowling at the broken dinette table. “Not so much.”
