He nods, setting down his own wineglass on the coffee table. “Ever since we had our talk with Mimi. I don’t know what else there is for us to do, Cam. From my perspective, you’ve more than fulfilled all three of your tasks.”
“And yet, we’re still here.”
“We’re still here.”
I swirl the dark-colored liquid in my glass. “And how do you feel about that?” It’s obvious fishing, but I don’t much care.
He takes in a long breath, taking my wineglass from me and setting it next to his. He shifts so he’s fully facing me, taking my hands in his. “I think I would be okay with it.”
I release a breath I didn’t realize I was holding.
He continues on, probably interpreting my confusion for anger. “Hear me out. I know how important it is for you to go home, and I want that for you, I really do.”
“But?” My voice is little more than a whisper.
“But I think a part of me would rather stay here with you than risk going home and never being with you again.”
Before, Ben had managed to put a whole lot of cracks in the hard shell around my heart. But with those words, he takes a sledgehammer to the remaining glass, destroying the barrier and leaving me open and raw. It should feel vulnerable, and scary as fuck, to be so exposed, but with my heart safely in Ben’s hands, I know there’s no chance of it being damaged.
“I love you.”
It’s the first time either of us has ever said it, plain and straightforward and cutting right to the heart of it.
His chocolate eyes lighten, and he takes my face in his hands. “I love you too, sweetheart.”
His lips brush over mine in the softest, sweetest kiss, and I lean into it. Lean into him.
He tucks a strand of hair behind my ears. “It feels good to finally say that out loud.”
“It does.” I shift on the sofa, turning so my legs drapeover his lap. “I do still want to find a way for us to get home, Ben. But if it doesn’t happen, if we are stuck here forever, then I know I can be totally happy being stuck here with you.”
“Are you sure? What about your job, your family?”
“I guess let’s worry about that later. I know for sure I’ve fulfilled the love task. We can look at my other two tasks and see if there’s something we’re missing.” I smooth away the wrinkles on his forehead with my finger. “What about your job and your family?”
He frowns. “I would miss them, of course; I can’t lie about that.” Ben shakes his head. “But that’s a problem for tomorrow.” He shifts my weight in his lap so I’m straddling him, one of my thighs tucked on either side of his.
We both wear jeans and thick sweaters and yet the heat of him burns through my clothes, warming me to my core.
“Tonight there’s only one thing that matters.”
I rope my arms around his neck. “And what’s that?”
“You love me.”
“I do.”
“And I love you.” Ben dots a kiss on my right cheek, then my left, then my forehead, then the tip of my nose. “I’ve never said those words to anyone else.”
“Me neither.” I twine my fingers through his hair. “And I truly mean it, Ben. I’ve never felt this way about anyone before.” I know then that any doubts I had about Ben’s feelings for me are unfounded. He’s never given me any reason to not trust him, and even though it’s scary and foreign, I do trust him. With my whole, formerly ice-cold heart.
His forehead falls to mine. “I want to make love to you tonight, Cam.”
Said by any other man in any other circumstance, I would have groaned at the cheesiness of the sentiment. But here, with him, I want nothing more than to lose ourselves in each other.
He presses a lingering kiss to the side of my throat. “I want to feel what it’s like to be buried inside you.” His lips trail up to my jaw, tracing over the smooth skin with little nips of his teeth. “I want to make you scream out my name.”
“Jesus, Ben. Where have you been keeping all this dirty talk?”
