Page 62 of Under My Skin

Cameron: Looking for someone to lie under the stars with tonight?

Me: Hmmmmm. That depends. Does he have the deepest brown eyes and sexiest body to ever come through Brantley Falls?

Cameron: He does indeed. Man, this guy sounds like a Greek god.

Me: Oh, he is. He’s who they model the statues after. Literal perfection.

Cameron: If you’re not careful, my ego is going to get too big, Lizzie.

Me: Good. Maybe it matches the size of other things.

Cameron: Lizzie…

Me: Lol. Are the girls already asleep?

Cameron: Completely dead to the world. Meet me in five?

Me: Yes.

I run inside, brush my teeth, and double-check my look in the mirror. I don’t want to look like I’m trying too hard, but I also don’t want to look like I’m not trying enough. Not that I think he’ll care. Not after this morning.

I grab the blanket and head outside to the big oak tree that has come to mean so much more to me in the past couple of weeks.

Cameron is already leaning against the tree, looking like he just walked off the cover of a magazine—which isn’t hard for him, since he has indeed been on the cover of several. He smiles at me, and I’m instantly wondering how I got this lucky.

And then I decide to quit questioning it and just enjoy it.

Enjoyhim.

“Hi,” I squeak out.

“Hey.” He walks up to me and takes the blanket before wrapping his free hand around my neck to draw me toward him for a deep, toe-curling kiss. When he releases me, I sway on my feet, so he wraps his arm around my waist to steady me. “It feels good to know just a kiss from me can do that to you. Unless you’ve been drinking and are a little tipsy?” He laughs.

“Completely sober. It’s all you,” I say, going up on my tiptoes and running my lips along his jaw. His quick intake of breath makes me smile. Knowing I can get this kind of reaction out of him is something else. A girl could get high on this kind of power if she’s not careful.

Cameron backs up and spreads the blanket out so we can both lie down. Maybe it’s autopilot or just me being unsure of myself, but I lie down on my back a foot away from him like on all those nights we shared before.

“What are you doing?” he asks, confused.

“Lying down. Why?”

He pulls me over to him and wraps his arm around my back so my front is flush against his side and chest. “Get over here. I want you as close as possible.”

I run my hand up his chest and take a big inhale of him. I wish I could bottle up the way he smells.

“Do you know how bad I wanted to lie just like this with you on those nights we were out here together?”

“I can imagine, actually.” I reply. “Even though I probably wanted it more. I was worried I wouldn’t be able to come out here alone anymore without you. Like it would be too painful if you weren’t here.”

Cameron kisses the top of my head and rubs his hand up and down my back comfortingly. “Never. You don’t have to worry about that, Lizzie,” he whispers.

We sit in silence for a few minutes, just savoring being wrapped up in each other instead of tiptoeing around our feelings. It seems like so long ago that we were last on this blanket under the stars, talking about everything and anything, but in reality it was just days ago. We’ve gone through so much in such a short amount of time.

“How’d it go telling the girls? Is our relationship over before it even really began?” I go for a light tone, playing my comment off as a joke, but inside I’m genuinely worried about his answer. If Addy and Mackenzie don’t support their dad and me being together, then whatever we have is done. I would never expect Cameron to go against his kids, and I wouldn’t be able to live with myself if I ever caused problems between them.

He laughs, and the knot in my stomach starts to untwist. “Not even close. They acted like they already knew. They’re thrilled by the idea of me and you together. I’m actually pretty sure that they love you more than me.” He squeezes my side, and I can’t help burrowing further into his chest.

“My parents had a similar reaction. I don’t think we were as inconspicuous as we thought we were.”

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