It was utterly blissful, until the world barged in.
“Hey, Krista, you back here?” Kit’s voice rang out. “Thought we could talk about Taco Tuesday. I know it’s not for like, another eleven days or whatever, but—” She stopped dead in her tracks.
Krista jolted upright, nearly tumbling off the couch.
Joe exhaled a low curse, running a hand through his hair as he sat back.
“Sorry!” Kit shouted again, footsteps already retreating. “I didn’t see anything! I’m blind! Totally blind! Carry on. Or don’t. Oh my God.”
Krista buried her face against Joe’s shoulder, half laughing, half mortified. Her skin still buzzed, her heart still racing. When she finally looked up, his dark eyes met hers. The moment was broken. But the truth was there, undeniable.
She’d never wanted anyone the way she wanted him. He felt the same way.
And even though he was leaving soon, even though she knew better than to fall for him…
It looked like he was falling too.
SIXTEEN
JOE
Friday, Day One of the Summer Swap
Joe dragged a hand over his face and tried to shake off the memory of last night as his car rolled into the nature reserve lot. Early morning twilight draped Maple Falls in soft purples and gold. The stars were still scattered overhead, but beginning to give way to the rising sun.
Today was officially day one of the swap, and Joe had barely slept. If they hadn’t previously agreed to meet at sunrise for an early morning photography shoot and meditation session, he might’ve stayed in bed. Not that he’d get any rest.
Every time he closed his eyes, Krista was there—pressed against him at the firepit, her mouth on his, his fingers sliding beneath her shorts. He’d replayed that moment over and over until the sun began hinting at the horizon, memories twisting into a longer fantasy.
If they hadn’t been interrupted…
She would’ve kept kissing him. It would’ve been soft at first, then hungry, her hips rocking into his hand. He would’ve pushed her shorts aside, slipping his fingersdeeper, feeling her warmth, the way she tightened around him when she got close. He could practically hear the breathy and desperate sounds she would’ve made.
He would’ve stroked her until she shattered against him, her whole body trembling as she came apart.
And afterward? He would’ve laid her out beneath him, and pushed into her slow and deep. He would’ve held her hips, kissed her throat, and thrust into her until she clenched around him all over again, moaning his name like a prayer.
Instead…Kit. Kit and her “I’m blind! Totally blind!” routine.
He spotted Krista before she noticed him. She stood near the trailhead, hugging a travel mug to her chest, her breath forming little clouds in the cool morning air. A soft cream sweater was half tucked into high-waisted leggings that hugged her hips and thighs and made his pulse trip. Her hair was loosely braided, a few strands escaping around her face. She looked sun-kissed, gorgeous—and completely unaware of how badly he still wanted her right now.
She waved when she saw him. “Morning! You ready?”
He was. Just not in the way she meant.
“Yeah,” he managed, grabbing his gear. “Trail’s supposed to open into a clearing with a perfect view of the lake. Should have a few moments to catch the sunrise before it hits.”
“This swap of ours is allowing me to see more of Maple Falls than I ever thought to look for,” Joe added as they walked.
“Honestly, I sometimes forget how beautiful it is. It’s been a good lesson, slowing down, seeing it all through your eyes.”
“Ah, so are you saying I’m a good teacher?”
“You’re good at a lot of things,” Krista replied with a wink.
They continued to talk easily about his travels, vacations she’d someday like to take, before shifting into an easy silence. The surrounding woods fell quiet with soft birdsong and damp earth beneath their boots. There were five minutes leftin the hike, tops, but long enough for him to replay fragments of her laugh, her gasp, the way she’d moved against him.
Krista looked over her shoulder. “You okay?”
