She glances at our joined hands, then back at me. “It’s perfect.”
I don’t know if it’s because I’m naturally nocturnal, or if my vision is just better at night, but out here in the moonlight, Cami looks like she’s glowing. It’s as if there is a halo of light surrounding her.
“Did you have a good time?”
“I had a great time! I still can’t believe I met Celeste Bonacoeur. She’s so beautiful.”
“Not as beautiful as you.” Her cheeks fill with pink color.
She looks down at the ground. “How about you? Did you have a good time?”
“Yeah.” The timbre of my voice is low and gravely. “I had the best time.”
I don’t bother to mention that I suffered the most delicious form of torture for most of the night. Being so close to Camilla in public, holding her, touching her, feeling her move against me while I breathed in her scent, was absolutely perfect.Pretendingthat she’s my girl, not only for her parents’ benefit, but for mine, whileknowingshe’s not, that’s where the torture comes in.
“You’re very quiet.” Her tone is almost playful.
“Just thinking.” I smile, so that she knows there’s nothing bad in my thoughts.
I understand now what everyone is talking about. Why my friends are preoccupied with their girls and want me to find someone, too. Why Erik pushed so hard for me not to miss out on this. But I was too dumb to see it, and every day that passes brings me one day closer to my decade of guardianship. A decade that Camila will live her life in animation, moving on and forgetting about me. And I’ll have to suffer a front row seat to watch it all play out.
“No.” She says out of nowhere.
“No, what?” Please don’t let me have voiced any of my thoughts. Especially not the ones of her naked body writhing beneath me.
“No. It wouldn’t be terrible if you want tonight to be a real date. In fact, I can’t think of a better first date.”
A sun begins to rise in my chest. “First date? As in, you want more dates? I mean with me?”
“Yes, with you.” She giggles, and the sound is intoxicating. “If that’s your way of asking if I want to be your girlfriend, Mr. Flint, the answer is yes.”
I stop walking and face her. “You’re serious?”
She nods with a beautiful smile. Looking in her eyes, I’m lost. From the moment I saw her, Camilla became my world. But now, I have every reason for her to be. My crooked index finger strokes her cheek as I dip my head down to capture her lips with mine. My fingers tangle in her hair as her mouth opens for me. Careful not to hurt her, I stroke my tongue against hers gently, but my restraint withers away like a ribbon of smoke as she holds me tighter and deepens the kiss.
Using every bit of self-control I have, I break away from the kiss. “Easy, Cami. You don’t want to get me too riled up out here.”
Her face drops, and her eyes change. Before the kiss, they twinkled; now they look like they’re glistening with tears.
“Forget it.” She takes a few steps away, but I’m quick to catch up.
Reaching for her arm, I turn her back to face me. “What’s wrong?”
“If you’re embarrassed to kiss me in public—”
“Who said I’m embarrassed?”
“You just did.”
“Embarrassed? I never said that. I don’t think there was a prouder guy in there tonight. I was with the most beautiful, sexiest, albeit at times prickly woman in there.”
“So now I’m prickly?”
“At this moment, yes. But when you relax and aren’t trying to pick a fight or find a reason not to like me,” I pull her in my arms. “You’re the most astounding woman I’ve ever seen, and all I want to do is make you happy.” I give her a chaste kiss on the lips.
“Then why did you pull away from the kiss?”
“Because,” I kiss her neck and behind her ear until I hear her moan. “I don’t want to lose control.” My hands drop to her ass, pressing her against me. “Do you feel that?” Slowly, I thrust my hips into her. “This is what you’ve been doing to me all night. I’m not embarrassed. I just don’t want to go too fast.”
