“Don’t do anything I wouldn’t.” Nash grins at me.
“So nothing’s off-limits,” I reply in a bored tone, making him laugh out loud and put an arm around my shoulder to pull me in.
“Missed you, dickhead.”
“Missed you too, idiot,” I mutter before he lets go of me, and I grab my crutch, getting out of the car.
She’s waiting for me.
I close the car door, and North honks two times before they drive off. I’m left standing a few feet from the woman of my dreams. Hobbling over to her, I feel myself involuntarily grinning from ear to ear.
She’s smiling nervously at me, her body language telling me she’s anxious as fuck.
Adorable.
“Your lips look so lonely. Would they want to meet mine?” I grin at her, and she giggles softly. Finally, I’m standing in front of her, reaching out to cup her cheek with my free hand, leaning in to peck her lips. “Hey, Boo.”
“Hey, Casper,” she whispers back. “I-I prepared a whole speech about how I’m so glad to have you back and that I arranged the first date we dreamed about, but now I’m second-guessing myself. Maybe you wanted to go home after so long, see the house, and here I am, dragging you out here and keeping you another day away from the bed you missed so much.”
I laugh, leaning in to kiss her on her oh-so-soft lips once more. A way-too-short kiss again, but I have to reassure her first. She’s trembling under my touch.
“Wherever you are is home, Slo. I wanted to get toyou,” I whisper, kissing her nose and making her smile.
“Here I am,” she whispers, bringing her arms around my neck. She holds me to her, pressing her body to mine, and it’s like coming home.
I can feel her warmth.
It still blows my mind.
“Here we are,” I mumble, searching her eyes before I lean down to kiss her once more, longer this time, trying to let her feel all I’m feeling for her.
Immortal love.
She breaks the kiss too soon and takes my free hand, guiding me slowly down to the bonfire in front of Van-essa. There are two camping chairs in front of the fire, and she motions me to sit in one.
She opens two beers for us and hands me one before sitting in the other chair. It’s silent. The only sounds are the waves, the crackling fire, and the low hum of “Afterglow” by Ed Sheeran from the radio.
The firelight illuminates the side of her face while she looks out at the ocean, and I’m mesmerized by her beauty.
“You’re staring, Casper.” Sloan smiles before she sips her beer, only now looking back at me.
“Fuck yes, I’m staring. You look beautiful tonight. You always do,” I tell her honestly, then watch her cheeks tinge red.
Fucking adorable.
She taps her knee, and I can’t help but smile to myself about how nervous she is. We were together so many times, mostly alone, and right now, she acts as if it was the first time.
Well, technically, it is.
“The stars are coming out,” she observes, looking up at the sky before standing. “I brought your camera. I’ve no idea if the Milky Way is around anywhere, but you could try—” She startsas she walks past me, but I reach out and grab her hips, pulling her into my lap.
“I don’t give a fuck about the camera,” I tell her softly, letting my thumb stroke over her bottom lip, which stayed slightly open after her gasp of surprise at my move. I lean in to kiss her birthmark, nose, and other cheek. “The only thing I want to capture is your lips.” I’m about to lean in and do that when she giggles, making me stop and raise an eyebrow at her.
“That one was bad.” She giggles softly once more.
I grin at her, my fingers threading through her hair while I pull her head back slightly. “Shut up,” I murmur, leaning in and pressing my lips to hers.
I think I’ve already kissed her a million times since I woke up but never like this.
