Brody's fingers tightened on my wrist and he pulled me a little closer. "And you didn't want to admit that?"
"No," I whispered.
"Why?"
His mouth was less than an inch away. I could feel his breath against my lips.
"Because it's too soon. We've only been officially dating for a few weeks."
His lips brushed mine all too briefly then moved slightly away. "We get to decide what's too soon. And we've known each other for twenty years. It's not like we met for the first time less than a month ago."
"This is different," I argued. "If we move too quickly and realize it was a mistake, there are a lot of people that could be hurt beyond the two of us. Jacks, my brother, my parents. I don't want to screw it all up. I love that you're close to my family and I love Jacks."
"And me?" he prompted, tugging me even closer until my body leaned into his.
My heart picked up and my breathing turned shallow. Shit. I wasn't ready to say this out loud. To him.
Was I?
"Hey," he said. His fingers released my wrist and lifted to my cheek. "Whatever you're feeling, you can always be honest with me. Whether you think I'll want to hear it or not." A smile curved his lips. "And as I recall, you always used to tell me exactly what you thought when we were both teenagers."
"I—" I stopped and licked my lips, my eyes glued to his. "I do love you, Brody, but—"
I didn't get to finish my thought because he kissed me again. It was just as light as the previous caress, but it shut me up.
"I love you, too."
Wait. What?
"What did you say?" I asked.
Brody grinned. "I believe we just declared our love for each other."
I had no idea how to respond to that. I knew I loved Brody. When I was younger, I loved him the way a child loved.
But now it was different.
The love I had for him was deeper. All-encompassing. He was no longer the perfect boy on the pedestal. He was a man with flaws. Who made mistakes.
But he also made me laugh. And I felt safe with him, as I did with my father and brother. Since the moment I'd met him, I sensed that I could tell him anything and he would listen without judgment. He would help me if I needed it.
"So, what did you want to do tonight?" he asked.
I blinked at him, my mind still swirling from everything he'd said.
"Earth to Cameron. Are you in there?"
I scowled at him. "Way to ruin the moment, Broderick."
His grin turned positively wicked. "I wasn't the one standing here drooling."
My fist found his gut, though I kept the contact light. "I changed my mind. You're a jerk. I don't want you here."
He wrapped me in a tight hug, laughing in my ear. "You're a horrible liar."
I groaned when he squeezed me a little tighter the way he used to when we were younger. He'd give me bear hugs so tight that I couldn't breathe.
"Fine," I gasped when he released me and let me drop back on my feet. "I'll let you stay for a little while. But no sleepover. You've ruined it."
"Bet I could change your mind," he murmured into my ear.
The pure promise in his voice made me zone out again. I didn't shake myself out of it until he laughed again.
"We'll see," I replied. "Let's get our drinks and a snack. I DVR'ed a show that I love."
We did all that and curled up together on the couch to watch the show. After about ten minutes of Brody asking me question after question, I stopped the episode and started the first one.
I'd discovered another flaw in Brody Murphy—he ruined movies and TV shows.
But I could live with it.
