Page 121 of Always Meant for You
“You’re quiet,” she says.
“I’m just thinking.”
“Maybe you require a distraction.”
Her hand trails down my stomach and lands at my belt. She doesn’t say anything more, but I can see it in her eyes. She’s testing how far thisdistractioncan go.
I drink her in. “You’re dangerous, Mabel Muldowney.”
Her gaze darkens. “And yet, here you are.”
I kiss her slowly. “And here I am with the smartest girl in town.”
She glances toward the board. “The pink number changed.”
“It did.”
“It always ticks up by one each day. Does it ever go down?”
“No.”
She narrows her gaze. “Will you ever tell me what it means?”
“How about I tell you this.”
I press my lips to hers and kiss her again.
I take my time, and she hums into it, letting me lead. I tilt her chin and deepen the kiss. I slide my hand through her hair, keeping her close while my mouth claims hers again, longer this time. I kiss her until her fingers bunch at my chest and her breath becomes uneven.
I pull back and cup her face. “I used to think about kissing you. Even when I told myself it could never happen. Even when I tried to stop wanting you.”
“And now?” she purrs.
“Now I wake up with you in my arms, and I’m happy. So damned happy. I forgot what that felt like.”
“Cal,” she says gently, tears in her eyes.
“You’re incredible, Mabel. You’ve built a community online in a matter of days,” I say, nodding to her phone on the desk.“You used to only talk about faraway places. Now you’re asking about soil density and crop rotation.”
“I still care about seeing the world,” she says. “And I haven’t stopped loving vintage couture clothing.”
“I know. But I feel like you’re seeing this town for what it could be. That maybe it’s not somewhere to escape from.”
I know I’m treading into dangerous territory. I know her passport is still in her purse.
Her eyes soften. “Elverna is special. I’m discovering that again.”
Her words are a balm to my heart.
I don’t ask if she’ll stay. Not yet. Not this morning.
But I will . . . soon.
I can make her happy here. I know I can.
She yawns, leaning into me.
I press a kiss beneath her earlobe. “You’re not allowed to fall asleep on me. We’ve got a big day ahead.”
