“I love you,” he said. “You’re amazing. I’m sorry that I was such an idiot earlier.”
He had thought that saying those three words would be more difficult, but they slipped out as if he had been wanting to say them for weeks now. He realized, with a jolt, that he had. He’d just been too dense to realize it. Now that it had come out, a wave of relief washed over him, followed by nervousness. He had never been this open with someone before, especially someone he cared about, someone he wanted to share the rest of his life with. But he was in love with Amber, and she needed to know. He just hoped that she felt the same.
Amber blinked, as if surprised by the declaration. At first, he wondered if he had overstepped, if he had made a mistake. But then, she smiled up at him.
“I love you, too,” she said.
Cillian grinned, letting out a breath he hadn’t realized he’d been holding. He pulled her toward him, not caring that he was covered in grime or that they were in the middle of a camp with a smoldering tent less than a hundred yards away. All that mattered in the moment was Amber, that she was okay, that she was with him, and that she loved him.
They kissed again, and the world around them seemed to melt away. Without realizing what he was doing, his hand slid up her thigh to grasp her waist. His other hand snaked around to the small of her back, tugging her closer. She leaned in, responding to his touch, sucking in a breath, her lips never leaving his. He could have stayed like that for hours, and a primal need burst into life inside him, a craving he knew only Amber could satiate. He held her tighter, letting that need for her consume him. It didn’t matter where they were or what had happened that evening. All that mattered was her lips, her body, against his own.
A loud cough brought them back to reality. Cillian broke away, his hands still resting on Amber’s waist. Franco was standing in the tent’s entrance, holding the flap with one hand and watching with raised eyebrows and a smirk playing on his lips.
“Glad the two of you have made up now,” he said. “But we’ve got a few things to take care of here, so we do kind of need you to help out, Cillian.”
“You guys can do it on your own,” Cillian said with a wave of his hand, eyes barely leaving Amber. “I’ve got other things that I need to take care of at the moment.”
“Right,” Franco said, drawing out the word. “Don’t take this the wrong way, but I don’t think Camden is going to go for that excuse.”
Cillian shrugged, getting to his feet and holding out his hand to help Amber up. He took her wrist, his thumb brushing her skin, and tugged her close, wanting to be as close to her as possible. He didn’t want her to ever leave his side again.
“Tough,” Cillian said. “He can chew me out tomorrow.”
Franco raised an eyebrow. It looked as though he was considering arguing, but one look at Cillian’s stubborn expression seemed to warn him against it. He shrugged.
“Your funeral,” he said, then disappeared.
Alone again, Cillian tugged Amber back to him, his lips pressing against hers once more. She pressed against him, wrapping slender arms around him, as if she wanted him in that moment as much as he wanted her.
“Guys,” Franco called back over his shoulder. “You can do that later.”
Groaning, Cillian broke away. Amber looked up at him, seeming to hold back her bubbling laughter. Her eyes danced with playful amusement as she finally slipped away from him, not without obvious reluctance.
“We’re going to keep getting scolded if we stall,” she said.
“I’m okay with that,” Cillian said with a raised eyebrow.
“Cillian!” Camden’s voice came from somewhere in the distance. “I know what you two are doing. Get over here.”
Cillian rolled his eyes. Amber giggled, not bothering to hide her amusement.
“Come on,” he said, his hand wrapping around Amber’s shoulder. She leaned against him. “Let me see what Camden’s being so bossy about, then let’s go home.”
She smiled up at him. “Sounds good,” she murmured.
Chapter 22 - Amber
The sun shone down, peeking through the clouds and warming the earth where it peered through an autumn canopy.
“Come on,” Amber called, twisting to look behind her at Cillian, who trudged a few steps behind. “You’re so slow.”
He raised an eyebrow, smirking as they continued their ascent up the trail. “Maybe I’m just enjoying the view,” he said. His eyes flicked down to her ass, then back up, that smirk growing wider, making him even more attractive than usual. “And it’s a great view.”
She clicked her tongue. “Behave,” she teased, though she couldn’t keep her own smirk off her face.
He shrugged. “I’m just saying it’s nice. There aren’t many views I’d rather have right now.”
Rolling her eyes, she turned and continued hiking up the mountain. She inhaled the autumn smells of the forest, the crisp air that heralded the coming winter. A slight breeze swept through the trees, and she zipped up her lightweight jacket as she moved.
