“Come here,” he says, sitting down on the waiting blanket and opening his arms.
I settle between his legs, leaning back against him hesitantly at first—and then his arms come around me, firm and warm and grounding. His chest molds to my back, broad and solid. His thighs bracket mine, his breath brushes the side of my neck, and suddenly any evidence of chill has left my skin.
I close my eyes just long enough to let myself feel what it’s like to be held by someone who isn’t going anywhere. The sound of the falls wraps around us. Cam’s hand slides to my hip, his thumb tracing a lazy circle—gentle, mindless affection.
“You okay?” he asks quietly.
It’s such a simple question. It shouldn’t make my throat tighten. “Yeah,” I lie. “Just…thinking.”
“Dangerous,” he teases.
I elbow him lightly, but I’m still pressed against him, still breathing him in, still drowning in the quiet safety of being held.
“What are you thinking about?” he asks into my hair.
“You’re going to make me say it?”
“Mmhmm.” His chin hooks over my shoulder. “I want to know.”
God. He’s going to be the end of me.
I stare at the rippling surface of the water, gathering the courage to be even a little honest. “I don’t…do things like this. I don’t let myself...”
“Let yourself what?”
“Be…soft,” I say finally.
His arms tighten subtly around me. “How does it feel?”
“Freeing.” The word hits somewhere deep, somewhere neglected. I swallow hard. “I don’t really know how else to say it.”
I turn my face, and he meets me halfway—not with a kiss, but with his forehead against my temple. It’s tender and intimate in a way that feels almost more dangerous than what we were doing in the water.
He’s quiet for a while, thumb still stroking my hip, his other hand resting over my stomach with a warmth that settles the frantic parts of me. My eyes sting. My heart stumbles. And for a moment, with the falls roaring in the distance and Cam holdingme like he’ll never let me go, I let myself lean back just a little more, feel him just a little deeper, and breathe in the possibility of forever.
Chapter forty-three
Cam
The walk back to the truck has a different feeling than the walk in. She's calm in a way that I rarely see in her. Kate’s fingers catch mine somewhere between the grass and the gravel. At first it’s light, but then she tightens her grip like she decided she doesn’t want to let go.
I knew when I told her I love her that she wasn’t going to say it back. I just couldn’t go on pretending I wasn’t. And I know she’s on her way there, and I’ll patiently wait to hear her tell me those words.
When we reach the truck, I open her door. She steps onto the running board and pauses, looking back at me over her shoulder.No walls—just this open, warm look that hits straight in the damn chest.
And that does something to me.
“Thank you for tonight,” she says.
“We can make nights like this happen any time you want,” I assure her.
She slips inside, and I shut the door gently, trying to get a hold of myself as I circle around. The blanket and bag go in the back seat, but all I can think about is the water beading on her skin, the taste of strawberry on her lips, the feel of her body wrapped around mine.
By the time I slide into the driver’s seat, she’s already watching me. Not shy. Just…waiting to see what I’ll do next.
I reach for the ignition, but halfway there my hand stops. A thick, electric stillness fills the cab, settling heavy on my skin. I can’t think past it. Don’t want to.
I turn toward her fully. She doesn’t move, but her lips part in the smallest, quickest inhale, like she already knows I’m not starting this engine.
