Page 104 of Cougar

“Mmm,” I purr. “I love your surprises.”

He chuckles. “Not that, naughty girl—well that, too, but I really do have a surprise for you.”

“Okay. Give me twenty minutes. I need to change.”

“Wear something cool. We’re gonna be outside.”

“Okay.” Hanging up, I hurry into my closet and strip out of my typical yoga pants and T-shirt combo before pulling a maxi dress from the hanger and slipping it over my head. Going into the bathroom, I pull my hair into a messy bun and swipe on some deodorant before slipping on a pair of sandals.

Cam is waiting at the front door when I pull into the driveway. He’s barefoot and dressed in a pair of basketball shorts and a T-shirt, with a Tampa Bay Thunder baseball cap flipped backward on his head. My stomach dips with nervous excitement as he comes down the driveway and opens my door for me. “Hey, babe.” I’ve decided I’m okay with him calling me babe. It’s sweet.

“Hi,” I say as he leans in and kisses me chastely on the lips. He takes my hand and helps me out of the car, then leads me inside. “You’re awfully excited about this surprise.”

“Not the surprise. Just you,” he replies, and my heart skips a beat.He’s so sweet.

I follow Cam through the sliding doors and out onto the patio. He passes me a stemless wineglass filled halfway with wine, then grabs the folded blanket from the table and tucks it under his arm. He picks up an unopened beer in one hand, then clasps my hand in his free one.

“Cameron, are we having a picnic on the beach?” I croon.

“We’re having a drink on the beach.” He shakes out the blanket and drapes it over the sand before we sit down in the middle. “We can stay out here until the sun goes down or the mosquitoes eat us alive.”

I snort a laugh. Florida mosquitoes are the worst.

The sun is setting and I’ve finished my glass of wine. Setting my glass to the side, I lie down with my head in Cam’s lap.

“Are you happy?” he asks as he twirls my hair around his fingers.

“I am,” I chirp.

“Are you happy with me?”

I tilt my head back. “Surprisingly, yes.” I grin.

Cam rolls his eyes. “Thanks a lot.”

“I didn’t mean it like that.” I laugh. “I just never realized you were so good at this.”

“At what?” He smirks.

“This. Us. You’re so sweet.”

“Shhh.” He turns his head from side to side. “Don’t say that so loud. You’ll ruin my bad boy reputation.”

“There’s nothing bad about you, Cam. You….” I pause and bite down on my bottom lip to keep from babbling.

“What?”

“It’ll sound silly if I say it out loud.”

“Tell me.” He jiggles his legs under my head.

I let out a laugh. “Okay. Okay.” I press my hand over his heart. “You give me butterflies.”

He stills under my hand. “What did you say?” he whispers.

I frown. “I said you give me butterflies.”

The next thing I know, Cam is hovering over me. “I love you, Emerson. I know you’re not ready for it, but I can’t keep it to myself anymore. I know you love me, too. I can see it in the way you look at me. But you’re afraid. I won’t push you, but it’s happening. We’re in love. You know it. I know it. And it’s just a matter of time before everyone else knows it.”

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