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“Me too,” she said quietly, flicking him an uncertain look. “I know we sort of mentioned PDAs the other day on the beach, but we didn’t really finish the conversation, because, well, you know.”
He did know. They didn’t finish the conversation because he’d kissed her.
She stopped walking and turned to look at him. “I’m confused because there are lots of things I’d do as your friend, so I’m not sure when it crosses the line and becomes coupley. I mean, I could say, the friend limit is like something you would do with Callum, but beyond that is no go territory.”
“Ah, no, because I’ve never snuggled with Callum during a raging storm.”
“Yeah, see, I don’t know where the boundaries are,” she said on a sigh.
“Me neither. I don’t know what you want.”
“I want to not have to second guess every time I touch you that I’m overstepping.”
“Then don’t.”
She tilted her head, eyeing him uncertainly. “Don’t second guess? Or don’t touch you?”
“Don’t second guess.”
“Oh, okay.” Her smile had his heart stuttering in his chest. “So, just, you know,” she stepped up to him, “I can do this….” She linked her fingers with his, tilting her face up to press a soft, whispery kiss to his lips. “Whenever I want?”
“Mm hmm.”
She kissed him again, but then she frowned.
“What is it?”
“It’s not what we agreed to, that’s all.”
“What did we agree to, then?”
“Friends with benefits.”
“See, I wasn’t aware that friends with benefits excluded touching each other in pubic.”
“Oh, right.” She chewed her lip doubtfully. “Was it just a rule I made up?”
“I think it might have been, yeah.”
“So, it doesn’t bother you? Us holding hands, cuddling and whatnot, in public?”
“Far from it.” He slipped his arms around her waist. “Although, that depends on what you mean by whatnot.”
“Hmm,” she said as he kissed her, sliding her hands under his coat, kissing him deeply. Content, she pulled back abruptly as he slid his hands down to her bottom. “Well, I’m sure glad we got that sorted out!” She beamed at him, slipping her hand in his and turning back the way they’d come.
“You’re a torment,”
“I know.”
As they continued northward from Bombala, the landscape changed. The mountain ash of the lowlands slowly gave way to the snow gums and mountain plum pines of the Snowy Mountains. The first smatterings of snow grew steadily larger, until the world became a silvery white dreamland, the gum trees shrouded in crystal snow, the bark of fallen logs stark brown against the pristine white. It was impossible not to feel enthralled by its beauty or respond to Billy’s cries of astonished excitement at his first sight of snow.
They had one last stop, at Jindabyne, for groceries. William and Juniper headed into the store, then Callum made a sudden decision to go in too. As he quickly jumped out of the van without a word, Mikayla looked at Rafe inquiringly, but he just shrugged. It wasn’t long before the reason for his behavior was made clear. Juniper, William and Callum were all standing at the checkout counter, clearly having a pretty heated discussion.
“Would you look at that,” Leah said from the back seat. “Two uber rich guys arguing about who’s going to pay a two-hundred-dollar grocery bill.”
“But William, I organized the weekend, soIshould pay.” Mikayla said in a pretty good imitation of Callum’s gruff voice.
“But Callum, I have a much bigger bank account, soIshould pay.” Leah’s impersonation of William’s slightly preppy schoolboy accent wasn’t too bad, either.
