He puts a small sliver of space between us, but it’s too much space. “I feel like we’re in uncharted territory here. We don’t really know what’s going to happen tomorrow. What might happen if we were to…you know.”
“Consummate the relationship?”
His eyes flutter closed for a second, like I just whispered a litany of dirty words in his ear instead of describing sex in the most absolutely bland way possible. “God, Cam, I don’t know what the answer is here. All we’ve been trying to do since we got here is get back home.”
“And now I’ve gone and broken all the rules.” I infuse my tone with a teasing lilt, trying desperately to lighten the mood, though his words leave a shadow of doubt hovering over me. “Maybe you’re right. It’s probably a good idea to take things slowly, see how some stuff plays out.”
His thumb returns to my cheek, tracing the line of my jaw. “Sometimes you are very wise, Ms. Andrews.”
I scoff. “Excuse me? Sometimes? How about all the time, thank you very much.” I gesture to the couch. “Now, how about we sit down and pretend to watch a movie and make out a little more?”
He chuckles, leaning down to kiss me on the cheek. “Sounds perfect. Let me just run next door to change first.”
I turn my head, capturing his lips with mine. “Don’t take too long.”
Five minutes later we’re curled up on the sofa, which I swear has widened to somehow magically fit us both comfortably. We can’t be in too much trouble with the Heart Springs gods if the furniture is morphing to accommodate us.
I flip on the TV to its one channel, ready to burrow down and not watch whatever sappy movie is playing today, but Ben seems to have other ideas.
“I don’t know what’s going to happen tomorrow, or the next day, or in the long term, sweetheart, but if tonight is all we get, then I want you to know that it’s been you for me from the beginning.” He smooths back a lock of my hair, tucking it behind my ear in a move no one has ever really tried in real life before.
“That is so not true, and we both know it.” I slip my hand under his navy blue hoodie. “You couldn’t stand me when we first met.”
He shrugs with a grin. “You were a pain in the butt, but somehow I knew you were destined to be my pain in the butt.”
I roll my eyes and wrap the string of his sweatshirt around my finger. “I don’t think you would be saying that if we never got stuck here. If our only interaction was our one terrible date.”
“Believe it or not, I’ve had worse.”
“Of course I believe it. Dating is awful.”
He adjusts his position, turning on his side so we’refacing each other on the sofa. “So maybe it’s a good thing we ended up here. If not, I might never have seen you again.”
The thought of that makes me unbearably sad. “I never thought I would be grateful for Heart Springs.”
“Me either.”
“What do you think Mimi is going to do?” I tug a little on the string of his hoodie, needing another reaffirming press of Ben’s lips to mine. “Is she going to kill us for breaking the rules? Is she going to sentence us both to a lifetime of Heart Springs purgatory?”
“Probably.” He kisses me again, deeper this time. “But it’ll be worth it.”
We quit talking then, and I force myself not to worry about what might come tomorrow. The absolute worst that could happen is that I never find my way back home, and really, at this point, the thought doesn’t sound so terrible. I’ve got a job I like, a friend or two, and a man whose lips are currently finding their way down my neck, causing a trail of goose bumps to explode in their wake.
I bring Ben’s lips back to mine, threading my fingers through his soft hair and tugging just gently enough to make him grunt. His tongue teases the seam of my lips and I open for him.
It’s the kind of kiss you feel absolutely everywhere. Heat pools in my belly and I press myself closer into his embrace, needing more contact and more kisses and more Ben. He rolls me flat on my back, his weight sinking down on me like the most perfect blanket. I groan, rolling my hips, searching for more of him. He slides his thigh in between my legs, giving me the smallest measure of relief.
“I want you so badly, sweetheart.” He mutters the words into my skin, his mouth trailing down my neck, nipping at my collarbone. His position shifts and the hard length of him nudges my hip. “I’ve wanted you for so long.”
“I want you too, Ben.” I shamelessly press my aching core to the firm muscle of his thigh. “I need you.”
Our lips come together again, both of us searching for more, for relief.
I break the kiss, letting my hands trail down his chest until my fingers are dancing along the waistband of his gray sweatpants. “I know we just said literally five minutes ago that we should take this slow, but you also said you don’t know what happens tomorrow, so if we only have tonight then maybe…” I’m not going to beg, but I have no problem putting my powers of persuasion to good use if it means getting what I want, and what I want right now is Ben.
A war wages inside the deep brown of his eyes.
He’s on the verge of capitulating, I can see it. Normally this would be the point where I would push just a little bit further, to make sure things go exactly in my direction.
