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“Duh,” she said, poking him in the side.
He doubled over and hit his head on the wall of the cave behind her. “Ouch.”
She cringed. She hadn’t meant for him to get hurt. “Sorry.”
He rubbed his forehead. “Be nice,” he hissed, then smiled, betraying his teasing.
“Why did you make me come back here? I don’t have to hide.I’mnot famous.”
His jaw dropped. “What? You’d leave me?”
She knew he was just being silly, but a tiny thrill went through her anyway, to think he wanted her with him.
“Not forever,” she said, teasing him back.
He leaned toward her. He was so close to her now she could feel his breath on her face and the heat from his body. “Don’t leave me, Remi.” His face grew serious, as did his tone. “I’d miss you too much.”
She didn’t want to read anything into what he was saying, but she couldn’t help it. These were the words she’d longed to hear. The things he whispered to her in her dreams. Her throat swelled and she had a hard time breathing, but maybe it was because every inhale brought with it the distinct smell of Colton’s cologne mixed with the salty ocean water. It was a heady smell, and it made her knees go weak.
Noise from the other part of the cave snapped her out of her fantasy. They stood in silence while the girls discovered the next room, the one with the tide pool.
Remi bit her lower lip. “Do you think they’ll find us?” she whispered.
He leaned close to her ear. “I don’t think so. We’re pretty hidden from view.”
His words washed over her like cold water, reminding her how alone they were. Alone, and so very, very close. Her gaze involuntarily snapped to his lips, which were now just inches from hers. They looked soft. Why was she thinking about his lips all of a sudden? Shouldn’t she be more worried that the girls in the other room would find him and accost him like the teens in the parking lot?
“Can I ask you something?”
Remi wasn’t sure what he’d said at first, her brain taking a moment to catch up. She’d been concentrating on the teens in the other room. But once she realized he was waiting for her to answer, she nodded. “Sure.”
“Are you in love?”
The bottom of her stomach dropped and she gasped. “What?!” she shrieked. She clamped her lips together and slapped both hands over her mouth. She hadn’t meant to say it so loudly. She waited to see if the girls in the other room would come running to them, but luckily they were making enough noise of their own they didn’t seem to notice her outburst.
Her legs wobbled as she tried to back up from Colton, but she was already pressed up against the cavern wall. She couldn’t get air into her lungs, not with him so close to her, his smell enveloping her.
Was she in love? Of course she was. She was in love withhim. Did he know? He couldn’t, could he? Had it been obvious? Her mind spun trying to think of a way to figure out what he knew. “What do you mean?” she whispered.
His eyebrows knit together. “You said you left your wedding because you were in love with another man.”
Had she said that? Maybe not outright, but she’d implied it. This was all her fault. If she’d just played it cool and hadn’t blurted out how she’d been thinking of Colton, he wouldn’t be questioning her right now. She had to fix this. She shook her head. “It’s not like that. Forget I even said that. My words got messed up.” The lie came out so easily, she almost believed it herself.
He leaned his arm against the wall behind her. “You’re not in love with someone?”
She swallowed. Hard. “I didn’t marry Tavon because I wasn’t in love withhim. I didn’t deserve to be in a marriage that didn’t offer me everything a marriage should.” She stared into Colton’s steel gray eyes, willing him to understand. Leaving Tavon had been the best thing for her. For Tavon as well. It really wasn’t about Colton. At least, that was what she was trying to convince herself.
Colton let out a breath. “I’m so relieved.”
“You are?” What did he mean by that? Why would he be relieved?
“Yes.” He stared at her, his gaze intensifying.
“Why?” She really didn’t understand what he was trying to say.
“Because…” He paused as the noise from the girls grew louder.
Her gaze flickered to the mouth of the room they were in, but no one came in.
