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“Nuh-uh.” Liam grabbed my hand and tugged me closer, brushing a kiss over my mouth. “Nowwe’re done.”
ChapterSix
LIAM
Even flushed and tired from a long day of hiking, Kennedy was the most beautiful woman I’d ever seen. She looked up from her camera that was sitting on her lap as she scanned through the photographs she’d taken earlier, and she smiled. Something fluttered in my chest. Realizing I was staring, I bent to add a piece of wood to the old-fashioned fireplace. It could get cold out here, and I didn’t want her first memory of spending the night with me to be tainted by something preventable, so I was keeping it nice and toasty.
The hut was rustic, with a stainless steel counter running along the length of one wall, three sets of bunk beds along another two walls, and the fireplace in the center of the room. A wooden table sat in front of the only window which overlooked a tussocked area that had been golden in the dying light of day but was now mostly hidden from view. Even inside, we could hear the gurgle of the Castle River, although it was at least a hundred meters away.
When we’d arrived earlier, we’d used the river to clean off the worst of the sweat and changed into fresh clothes. I wasn’t accustomed to seeing Kennedy in merino tights and a thermal singlet, but she looked adorable. Shadows played across her face from the light cast by the candles. We’d eaten a dinner of freeze-dried pasta and powdered soup, and the sky had darkened outside. I’d been keeping an eye out for any hikers who might arrive later in the evening, but at this point, it was reasonably safe to say we were alone for the night.
I prowled to the low bunk bed Kennedy was sitting on and sprawled along the mattress, wriggling until my head was on her lap.
She glanced down at me. “Is this your subtle way of saying you want my attention?”
“Subtlety is overrated.”
She switched her camera off and set it aside, then sifted her fingers through my hair. I leaned into the touch, loving the way her fingertips felt against my scalp.
“I’ve had a really nice day.” Her voice was soft and warm. “Thanks for bringing me here. It’s a special place.”
My heart jumped happily. “I’m glad you like it.”
Zoe had never been much for the outdoors. Perhaps that should have been a warning that she wouldn’t be happy in Destiny Falls long term, but I’d dismissed it.
Kennedy made a contented sound that zapped straight to my cock. I shut my eyes and tried to think of rock climbing, which was completely unsexy, to bring my thickening erection under control.
“I like Destiny Falls,” she continued, the repetitive motion of her fingers through my hair, calming me. “I’ve always felt like I was missing something, but I didn’t know what.” Her thumbs paused at my temples and began to massage them. “Here, I don’t feel that.” I could hear the smile in her voice and opened my eyes so I could see the beautiful curve of those plump pink lips. “I’m beginning to think that maybe I’ve found the place I’m meant to be.”
Bubbles of joy fizzed inside me, and I found myself holding my breath. Did she mean what I thought she did? Was she saying that she might want to stay here even after her gap year was over? I bit my lip. It was too much to hope for, but I desperately wanted it to be true. I hated the idea of saying goodbye to her at the end of the year, even though I knew I couldn’t follow her back to L.A. City living wasn’t for me—and L.A. was a city that represented the worst of everything. Was there a chance I could have the best of both worlds?
“Yeah?” I asked, aiming for nonchalance and failing.
“Yeah.”
She eased my head off her lap and lay down so we were side by side with her facing me. She looked apprehensive but determined. I turned gooey inside.
“What do you think of that?” she asked.
I wrapped an arm around her and kissed the top of her head. “I think that would be amazing.” I took a deep breath, knowing I needed to tell her exactly what had happened with Zoe, so she’d understand why this was such a big deal to me. “You know how I mentioned my ex?”
She stiffened. “The one who left?” Her tone was wary.
“I never realized she wanted out of Destiny Falls,” I admitted. “It completely blindsided me when she was just gone one day.”
“Wait.” She raised herself up on her elbow. “She didn’t say anything first? She just left?”
“Yep.”
Her eyes narrowed and flashed dangerously. “That’s awful! You must have been devastated.”
I did a weird half-shrug thing because yeah, at the time, I’d been pretty broken up, but now that I had Kennedy, I didn’t feel so raw from Zoe leaving, and I didn’t want to give her any reason to doubt my feelings for her. “Anyway, it means a lot to hear you say you think you might have found your place because I’ve been so worried you might take off like she did and decide you don’t see a future here. Sincemyfuture is here, that would mean we couldn’t be together, and I’d miss you so badly.”
Kennedy dipped her head to kiss me, her eyelashes fluttering as her eyes closed. Her breath whispered against my skin. “I see my future with you. If that doesn’t, you know, scare you away. Otherwise, I can totally play it cool.”
I erased the distance between us once, twice, then again. She tasted intoxicating. Like the forest, with a hint of mint from her toothpaste, and a sweetness underlying it that was all Kennedy. “What scares me is the thought of you leaving.”
“You don’t need to worry about that.”
