His deep, rumbling laugh filled the car and turned me into mush. His voice was sexy, and his laugh was too. But when he was really cracking up, that sound made me giddy. I was so focused on him that I wasn’t paying attention to anything else.
“Yooo, you’re funny as shit,” he commented through a chuckle.
“I’m serious!”
“That’s what makes it so funny!”
“Because seriously, how do you show somebody you’re in love?” I jutted my thumb over my shoulder as if the movie were in the backseat. “Because that ain’t it!”
As his laughter died down, he answered, “Being in love to me is anticipating her needs, making sure she’s good, taking care of her,making her life easier.” He slowed to a stop and then looked at me. His eyes fixated on my lips before meeting my gaze again. “Whatever she needs to be good, I got her.”
The air was thick in the SUV, and as we stared at each other, I forgot what question I’d even asked him. But hearing his answer immediately took me back to the night we’d met. He’d answered a similar question the same way. That night, the gleam in his eyes had been a little flirtatious. But, right now, the look was intense. There was something bubbling beneath the surface, and I felt it. It scared me because it wasn’t just raw—it was real.
His tongue slid across his full lips before he broke the silence. “We’re here.”
He turned right, and I stared in awe at my surroundings as we drove down a dirt road. If I didn’t feel so comfortable with him, I would’ve been more alarmed as we traveled deeper into the woods. Finally, the lush green trees opened up to a secluded spot near the river. Directly on the other side, small figures were all over the rocks, on the riverbank, and in the water. They were so far away, they looked like specks, yet they were so loud that they seemed close by.
Lamar pointed across the big body of water. “That’s always beenthespot in the summertime. When I was coming up, it was just the river. We’d ride our bikes over there and play games. It was cool. But now, over that hill is a parking lot where food trucks post up, so even more people show up.” He looked over at me. “Spending the day at the river is one of the few things to do in Spring Hill during the summer.”
“It’s nice out here,” I commented, taking everything in. “Crowded though.”
“You don’t like crowds?”
“Not around here. If I’m at a show or a festival anywhere else in the world, I’m fine. But crowds when I’m in or around Chance…” I shook my head and shuddered. When I met his gaze, my mouth went dry.
Lamar was sexy—that thick build, towering height, and flawless mahogany skin made him physically appealing, and I’d noticed that the moment I met him. But it was his intelligence, his eloquence, andhis commitment to helping others that really captured my attention. He was easy to talk to, and that ease made me open up in a way that I hadn’t felt compelled to do in a long time. The intimacy I felt with him was unlike anything I’d ever encountered.
And that was scary.
“So, there’s nowhere you feel at ease in Chance?” he asked gently.
I swallowed. “My aunt’s house.”
“That’s it?”
“Yeah. There used to be a gazebo behind the library. There was a storm a few years ago. When it was destroyed, they never rebuilt it. Not many people used it, but that gazebo was the only place where I could go to think, read, and relax. It was the only place in town where I felt safe. No one really went out there, but that was my spot,” I explained. “Maybe that’swhyit was my spot.”
He listened thoughtfully, nodding as I came to my realization. “I wish there were more spaces you felt safe.”
I felt so exposed in front of him.
My stomach fluttered.
Clearing my throat, I shifted my gaze across the water and changed the subject. “If that’s where the action is, what’s this side over here?”
“This is whereIcome to think. Kind of like your gazebo.” He did a three-point turn and then parked. Gesturing behind us, he continued. “This was never developed into anything, so it’s out of the way. Stay right here.” He got out of the car and walked around the back. The liftgate opened momentarily and then closed. When he opened the passenger-side door, my eyes went from his outstretched hand to the blanket slung over his arm. I slipped my hand in his as I eyed him suspiciously.
“What are we doing?” I wondered.
“You’ll see. Just be careful,” he murmured while he helped me out of the vehicle. With our hands still clasped, we walked about ten feet in front of his SUV. He held my hand tighter as he guided me down a short stone stairway. “Watch your step.”
His grip on me didn’t loosen until we were on a small landing on the riverbank. A huge stone jutted out, forming a bench. He covered the rock with the blanket and then gestured for me to take a seat.
“Thank you,” I said, staring out at the water.
It was a heavily shaded area, and the water looked shallow. It wouldn’t have been the ideal place to swim or fish or do any of the frolicking that was being done on the other side of the river. But I immediately saw what drew Lamar to it.
When he sat down next to me, I glanced over at him. “It’s peaceful here.”
