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I nodded. “More than I think I could ever tell you. Certainly more than I ever expected.”
There was a brief moment of silence as she searched my features. “I think I knew from the start that you were somebody extraordinary. For a while, I was caught up in believing I could have been making a mistake and wondering why I would put myself in that position again. I felt like I was spiraling out of control, falling with no place to go. You quickly proved to me you were a safe place to land. I think it was happening for a while beforehand, but I think it was the day you took me to do the pottery that I realized what was happening. Because that was the day I wanted to be able to give you my whole heart to bring back to Hawaii with you. I love you, too, Griffin. I’ve loved you for a long time now.”
At that, I didn’t know what I could possibly say.
We’d both said what we needed to, so I did the only thing that felt right in that moment. Framing her face in my hands, I lifted my head from the pillow and touched my lips to hers.
Consumed by our feelings, Indy and I kissed each other for a long time.
When I pulled back, I said, “It feels so good to have you in my arms again, sugar. I’ve missed you so much.”
“I know. I’m just worried.”
I wrapped my arms around her body and asked, “About what?”
Shaking her head slightly, she answered, “I don’t think ten days is going to be enough to get all that I’m going to need to last for three more months.”
We’d already discussed that, too, and I couldn’t say I disagreed. I’d made certain I didn’t have anything else planned during the time Indy was going to be here. I wanted us to have every possible second we could with each other, because after she left, it was going to be another three months of having to be separated from one another again. The idea of being without her again forced me to tighten my hold on her.
There wasn’t anything I wouldn’t give to have her stay here with me. Unfortunately, she’d already said she’d never move to Hawaii, and I didn’t think she’d consider it temporarily, either.
“We’re going to pack as much fun into these next ten days as we can muster up,” I promised her.
“What are we going to do?”
“I’ll show you some really beautiful spots, and we’ll go snorkeling. We can have some lazy days on the beach and go swimming. And we’ll eat tons of food and have lots of sex.”
Indy’s face lit up. “That all sounds wonderful. But there’s one other thing I was hoping we could do.”
“You name it, and we’ll do it.”
“I want to see you surf.”
That surprised me. I knew Indy wasn’t much of a daredevil, so I hadn’t even considered surfing. To know she wanted to watch me do it made something swell in my chest. “Really?”
She nodded. “Of course. While it’s not officially my job, you always show an interest in my photography. I want to do the same with you and your surfing. I want to see you doing the thing that makes you happy the way my photography makes me happy.”
I couldn’t stop myself from kissing her again. “I’ll make sure I work that into one of these days.”
It was then Indy’s stomach growled.
I laughed. “Hungry?”
“You made me work up an appetite,” she reasoned, quick to defend herself.
Smiling at her and taking her with me, I sat up in the bed. “Since you’re not keen on leaving the house today, let’s head to the kitchen and see what we can find you.”
“Look at you already fulfilling all of my wishes,” she marveled.
Sending a lifted brow her way, I countered, “Brace yourself, Indy. I’m just getting started.”
At that, holding her in my arms, I walked to the kitchen. And Indy and I spent the rest of the day getting reacquainted with one another after all that time apart.
TWENTY-TWO
Indy
“It’s officially less than a month now. You’ve got to be so excited.”
