Page 71 of Outspoken

“Careful,” she says suddenly, pressing a hand to my stomach to stop me. “There’s a hole.”

I glance at the gravel. Sure enough, I was about to step in a crevice and probably twist my ankle.

Stepping around it, I smile at her. “Now you’re saving me?”

“Just returning the favor,” she says, bumping my hip with hers.

My gaze dances along her gorgeous smile before I force myself to look away.

We keep walking and I watch the shadowy ground more closely for both of us. “I’m usually the one taking care of others.”

She gives me a side glance. “Yeah. You seem like that kind of guy.”

“You’re looking at me like it’s a bad thing.”

Her smile widens and she bites her lower lip. “It’s not. Just don't forget your own needs.”

Her steps become uneven as the shots soak in. She grips my arm tighter for balance, so I slow our pace, pressing a hand to her lower back to guide her.

“I never saw you before,” she tries to articulate, words thick on her tongue. “At these parties. You’re a pleasant surprise.”

She stumbles on a rock, and I keep her from falling. Then we resume our meandering pace. “I don't usually come to places like this,” I say. “Not my scene.”

“Mmm, I love it. Good place for fun and, um, getting your mind off life. I hate life. A lot.”

I think about the guy who grabbed her earlier and my muscles tighten. “What about the men who try to take advantage?”

“Oh, you mean, um…I forget his name. In the kitchen.” She shakes her head. “That doesn't happen much. I have a lot of friends around. And mace. Always mace.”

“Still seems risky.” I’d rather not imagine what could've happened if I wasn't there. What if she fended the guy off, but he found her later after she had more drinks? I understand her brother's concern. I’m glad I found her when I did.

She shrugs and her gaze becomes distant. Lost. Out of the silence, she says softly, “Ever feel like you’re searching for something but don’t know what? That you’ll never find it, no matter how hard you look.”

Her words resonate down to my core. Though I know what I’m searching for, most days it feels impossible to find. It feels like love and my own family will always be just beyond my reach.

I sigh. “I think so.”

She nods as if there's a secret understanding between us. I indulge myself, wrapping my arm around her shoulder to pull her closer. A tiny smile lifts her cheeks.

“You believe in love at first sight?” I ask, too confident that our unspoken understanding will last.

She snort-laughs. “God no. People who say that are dumb.”

I frown, a sour taste in my mouth.Think I misjudged our understanding.

“I believe in lust, you know,” she adds. “Lust at first sight. If you don’t fully know someone, how is that love real? Real love develops slowly. If it even exists. Love doesn’t fix problems.”

“Love exists, and I believe it can happen in an instant.”

She gives me a skeptical look with her sleepy eyes. “Okay.”

We walk around a bend in the path, a wooden bench coming into view. I guide us there, encouraging Amber to sit. When I join her, she sighs into me, resting her head on my shoulder. I put my arm along the back of the bench so she can cuddle closer, and I'm helpless to stop my grin. Feels like I’m playing a dangerous game with all of this touching. I’m digging Amber’s energy and her sense of humor—her presence.

I know this can’t last, but I can enjoy it while it’s here.

Amber rests her hand on my chest, letting it wander. She seems really into my pecs.Glad I worked out this morning.

“It’s weird,” she says. “You put me at ease. I’ve never felt this comfortable with someone I just met.”

---