The corner flower shop that always smelled like her favorite tulips.
And the brownstone Dad never left.
Home is where I can’t escape the ache of missing her…still.
Where every memory whispers loudly that love can vanish in a heartbeat.
We walk the last stretch to the bluff in comfortable silence, the sky fading from lilac to deep indigo. When we reach the top, the crowd has thinned to a scattering of couples and families on blankets. Knox drops the pie plates onto the grass and pulls me between his knees as he sits, arms looping easily around my waist.
Boats bob in Crystal Cove harbor, lights mirrored on the water, swaying gently like they’re breathing with the tide. From up here, pier lights shimmer in pale amber, a buoy’s distant toll drifting on the breeze, threaded with bursts of laughter from the boardwalk. Knox’s arms tighten around my waist, warmth wrapping around me like a blanket, chasing back the cool night air. I lean into him, letting his steady hold eclipse the world around us.
“I’ve heard a ton about your grandparents, but you don’t talk much about your mom and dad,” I say, tilting my head just enough to catch his profile. “And if you don’t want to, I get it. No real life. Scout’s honor.”
A slow breath leaves him, heat brushing my shoulder. “Lost my dad in a car accident when I was in my twenties. My mom, she’s the best. Sharp as a tack, funny without even trying, and she’s got this way of making everyone feel like they belong. About three years ago, she sold my childhood home and moved in with my grandparents, the same ones who gave me the house here. Mom says she’s just helping them out, but I think she likes having two people to boss around. And they let her.”
“Sorry about your dad,” I say, tracing a slow circle on his forearm with my thumb. “And I think I’d like your mom. Your grandparents, too.”
“You would, and they’d be crazy about you,” he says with a quiet certainty that sinks into me. “Losing my dad was hard. We were close. I think that’s why I’ve taken a liking to Mont, my business partner. Older, wiser. He’s filled in that gap without even knowing it.”
“Wait.” The memory clicks into place, ardent and wicked all at once. “Is this the same business partner who told you to hook up with a woman in her twenties, like I did?”
Knox’s mouth curves, slow and guilty. “Yep.”
I can’t help the grin tugging at mine. “Then I like him already.”
And I do. Which sucks. Becausetemporarydoesn’t come with introductions, or family dinners, or meeting the people who made this incredible man who he is.
Up above, fireworks burst over Crystal Cove harbor, painting the sky in shimmering variations of red and gold.
Knox’s fingers tighten around mine, his thumb sweeping across my skin, a delicate touch that manages to light me up more than the explosions overhead.
Another firework blooms, and I turn to kiss him. The sound of the crowd, the crack of fireworks, the rush of my own heartbeat all blur until it’s just him, thumb still brushing over my hand, steady and warm.
“So,” I say, a smirk playing on my lips, “think we’ll need that pie later?”
“Absolutely,” he says, eyes glinting. “Though I can think of something sweeter I’d rather eat.”
His lips brush mine again, and the moment hangs suspended, weightless, unwilling to let us go.
We part slowly, like our mouths still have something left to say. His breath lingers on my lips, the soft graze of his stubble still hot against my skin, while sounds of the crowd and fireworks seep back in.
For a moment, I let the light play over him, sharp lines softened in the glow, eyes catching fire for a heartbeat before the dark swallows it again.
Knox is the type of man you read about in romance novels—dreamy, hot, thoughtful, smart, amazing in bed—the once-in-a-lifetime kind.
And of course, I’m the brilliant mastermind behind these stupid fling rules: no real life, no strings, no falling in love.
So I either buckle up and ride this summer bubble to the end.
Or wager my heart, betting the memory of him will be worth the ache.
CHAPTER 19
Knox
I’ve kissed Cami more in the last two weeks than I’ve kissed anyone in my entire life, and I’m still starving for more.
We made out at the fireworks show.
