The laugh that comes out of me is louder than I expected, and for a second, I wish we had longer than the summer.
“Stop looking at me like that,” he says.
“Not sure what you’re referring to.”
“Looking at me like you want me to be dessert.”
He stretches his leg out, and his ankle rests against mine. The contact is purposeful, and I don’t dodge his touch.
“Would that be so bad?” I ask.
That boyish grin returns. “Not at all.”
The moon rises while we finish eating. When our to-go boxes are empty with the only thing left being the cheesecake.
“I’m stuffed,” I whisper, placing my hand on my belly.
Carter reaches behind him and plugs in the twinkle lights strung up above. The view from up here is different from my room. From this balcony, the whole Atlantic opens up as far as the eye can see. The roof below has a few mismatched shingles, and the gutter sags where the bracket rusted through. From the beach, those things are invisible, but up here, every patch is visible.
“Cheesecake?” he asks.
“We should save it for later,” I tell him. “I don’t think I can take another bite of anything.”
He agrees and moves the boxes into his small fridge. “We’ll reconvene later for dessert.”
“Deal.”
Heat runs along my entire left side, where he’s close. The light in my grandma’s house clicks on, and I instantly tense.
“I should go,” I say.
“Should you?”
“You can’t respond with a question.”
“I can’t?”
“Grr. Thank you for dinner. It was great,” I say, standing. “Maybe we can do this again sometime?”
His arm wraps around my waist, and he pulls me down. I fall onto his lap, knees on either side of his thighs.
“I want that.”
His mouth finds mine, and he tastes like sweet wine. My fingers grip the back of the chair so I can better steady myself. Carter kisses me deeper, and I groan against him.
“I lose myself when I’m with you.”
“Good,” he says.
Scruff drags across my jaw, and I nearly gasp at the sensation. He moves to the spot below my ear, and my hips roll into him before I can think about it. He’s hard underneath me, and every point of contact is a reminder of what his mouth did this morning and what we could do right now. My breath comes out shaky against his temple, and I press my forehead to his.
“I really should go,” I say against his lips. “My grandmother is still awake, and I’m afraid she has binoculars.”
Carter bursts into laughter, and then his smile fades. “You’re serious?”
“Yes!” I steal another kiss. “She’s already suspicious. If she hears fun, she’ll be in our business. You don’t want that, I promise.”
My fingers trace the line of his jaw, and I lift his chin, forcing him to look into my eyes. “We have to be more careful,” I whisper.
