Chapter Fifteen

She didn’t push him away.

Or seal her lips together in shock.

She didn’t shout, “What the hell are you doing?” or knee him in the groin.

No.

She took. And then she gave back. Fisting her hands in his shirt. Moving her luscious mouth against his. Letting him sweep his tongue inside with barely a coax.

Jesus, she tasted good. Like cupcakes and sunshine. Like nothing he’d ever tasted before, her lips so soft and arousing and pliable, that this had to be a slice of heaven.

His body wanted more. Wanted everything.

He abruptly pulled back. Took a step waayy back. He’d not asked for permission. Or inched his way closer so she had time to retreat. He’d been so overcome with desire for her—for gorgeous and cheerful Reese—that he hadn’t given a second thought to crushing his mouth to hers.

“Shit. I’m sorry,” he said, noting a well-kissed Reese was even more beautiful. He stifled a groan. “I don’t know what came over me.” Except I’ve been craving your mouth for months.

She blinked, stunned or swept away or pissed at him, he wasn’t sure.

“I got caught up in the moment. It won’t happen again.”

She covered her mouth with her hand. Stayed silent. Time slowed.

“Please say something. Tell me I didn’t just ruin us.” His heart beat an unsteady rhythm and his cheeks burned hot with shame.

“It won’t?” she asked softly.

“Was that a question or a statement? I couldn’t tell.” He swallowed thickly, shifted from foot to foot. “I’m being tortured here, Reese.”

That seemed to get her out of her stupor. She blinked and his forever friend returned. “It was a question, but there’s no need to answer it. We both know it’s been weird between us, so let’s just forget it ever happened.”

“Right. Okay. Again, I’m sorry.” Despite his apology, a part of him—a big part—wanted to step forward and kiss her a second time. Throw caution in the lake and feel those electrifying sensations all over again.

“Okay,” she echoed, gaining her full voice back. “And no need to apologize. I got caught up, too. It was a mistake we won’t let happen again.” She blew out a breath. “We should probably start back.” She motioned over her shoulder toward his bike.

Best mistake ever. And damn it. She was retreating. Putting space between them.

“Sure. Nice job on the rock skipping.” He took her elbow to help steady her as they walked over the rocks to their shoes.

“Thanks. It was fun.”

A few minutes later they hit the road. He slowed his speed on the way home. Not enough for her to notice, he didn’t think, but enough to give him a few extra minutes with her on the bike, her body pressed against his.

The vibe had changed, and he knew once they got home, he wouldn’t see her for the rest of the day. For the best, he told himself. They needed time to disengage from their amazing kiss. A kiss Cam didn’t regret, not even a little. He now knew what it felt like to be that close to her, to taste her and feel her melt against him.

They passed through the small town of Windsong and he almost pulled over to buy her another cupcake, this time from Baked on Main. He wanted—no, needed—to get them back to normal, but watching her lick frosting from her lips would in no way help curb his attraction to her.

Too soon they arrived at his parents’ house. He cut the engine and parked in front of the garage just as it opened. Nash stood inside. “Thought I heard you,” he said, his eyes widening when he saw Reese was with him.

She slid off the bike, took off her helmet and shook out her hair.

“Aren’t you a sight for sore eyes,” Nash said to Reese, watching her way too closely for Cam’s liking.

She flashed his brother a smile.

“What are you doing lurking in the garage?” Cam asked, stepping in front of Reese to take her helmet. Not to block her from his brother’s view. She gazed up at him on the hand-off, and damn if that didn’t make his jeans feel tighter.

“I’m not lurking. I was grabbing Mom another gallon of milk out of the fridge. Do yourselves a favor and don’t go anywhere near the kitchen.” The milk dangled from Nash’s pinky finger.

“Why?” Reese asked, breaking eye contact to peer around him. “Is she okay?”

“She’s been baking all day.”

Cam put their helmets into cubbies, then walked the bike to its normal parking spot. “She’s planning to hit you up for some help,” he told Reese.

“I’ll go check on her.” She took off his leather jacket and handed it to him. “Thanks for the ride and everything else.”

He looked at her in surprise. Everything?

And then she blew his mind by saying, “Even that.”

“What is she talking about?” Nash asked as soon as she’d left the garage.

“Rock skipping,” he said nonchalantly. He had no intention of telling his brother they’d kissed. Not at this moment, anyway. He still had to process it himself. Apparently he hadn’t blown it as much as he thought he had.

Nash narrowed his eyes and then shook his head. “Bro, I hope you know what you’re doing.”

“I do.” He didn’t. And by the look on his brother’s face, Nash knew the truth, too.

…

“One hot fudge sundae for my darling goddaughter and one for me,” Pixie said, placing the tray holding the sundaes on the coffee table. “These are one food item I can’t screw up.” She handed Reese a glass bowl filled with vanilla ice cream, hot fudge, pieces of Anzac biscuit, whipped cream, and rainbow sprinkles.

“Looks yummy.” She took a spoonful. “Tastes yummy, too.”

“Sure does,” Pixie agreed around a mouthful.

They were in their pajamas, Chris Hemsworth was frozen on the TV screen where they’d paused the movie Rush, and their faces were covered in a creamy pea-green face mask that promised to leave them glowing tomorrow. They’d already given each other pedicures and wore matching pink polish on their toes.

The lights were dimmed and they each had a plush blanket to curl up with.

“I could eat ice cream at every meal,” Reese said.

“I could eat your mom’s panko crusted chicken.”

“That’s one of my favorite dishes of hers.”

“It’s really unfair that her cooking skills never rubbed off on me. We’ve been best friends forever, lived together for four years in college, then three years during law school, and still nada.”

Reese chuckled. “She told me she tried to write a cookbook when I was little.”

Pixie put her bowl down on the serving tray. “That’s right. She’d cook while you were at school, tweaking recipes and trying to come up with new ingredients.”

Reese pictured her mom in the kitchen, always in a brightly colored apron and ready with something delicious for Reese to taste. Nancy Resnick had given up her career as a contracts administrator after adopting Reese, choosing instead to be Room Mom and chauffeur and PTA president. Pixie had done similar, quitting her job in the DA’s office to devote her full attention to three young boys who’d lost everything.

“I’m going to suggest she finds her notes and recipes and tries again,” Reese said.

“I think she’s already doing that,” Pixie whispered like it was confidential.

“She is?” Reese put her sundae down on the tray. “I can’t believe she didn’t tell me!”

“She’s going to. It really isn’t a secret. I think she wants to show you rather than tell you and then submit it to you.”

“Submit it to me?”

Pixie’s features softened in that motherly way of hers. “As an author seeking representation.”

Reese blinked back tears. Her mom wanted to be her first client. Not that she was anywhere close to even junior agent status yet.

“If you decide it’s what you want to keep doing.”

With her constant changing of jobs, her parents had never pressured her to pick one and stick with it. They wished happiness for her above anything else, and believed she’d eventually find her calling. Pixie wished the same. How Reese got so lucky to have an amazingly supportive mom and godmother, she’d never know, but she was eternally grateful.

“I think it is. I love it, Pix. But I don’t think I’d be allowed to represent a family member.”

“That could be true,” she agreed. “I’m glad you’re enjoying the job so much. I’ve never seen you look so confident or happy.” She stood. “Come on. It’s time to steam.”

Reese carried the tray with their empty dishes to the kitchen while Pixie filled two bowls with hot water and orange slices. They sat at the small dining table and both positioned their face above a bowl with a towel over their head for a homemade steaming.

“This feels nice,” Reese said into the bowl.

“It’s supposed to soften our skin and open our pores.”

As minutes passed in comfortable silence, Reese’s mind went right back to where she’d been trying to avoid: the kiss with Cam. Correction: the spectacular kiss with Cam. Her best friend! The man she couldn’t live without and now she knew he kissed like a freaking rock star. She’d told him it was a mistake and she meant it. They couldn’t go there. Not when there was so much more on the line than just the relationship between the two of them.

Confusion, guilt, and what-ifs swamped her, and she needed to talk about it.

Hidden under the safety of the towel, Reese felt brave enough to make mention of her feelings for Cam. “Cam and I had a moment today, at Clear Lake.”

“A good one or a bad one?” Pixie asked.

“Both?” Please understand what I’m saying.

“I thought I noticed something different between you two.”

Reese relaxed slightly. Her godmother got it. Whether or not she liked what she’d observed…

“I don’t know what to do,” Reese said, barely above a whisper.

Pixie sighed. This was obviously hard for her, too, and Reese wished she could rewind the past thirty seconds. She should have stayed quiet and called Melissa later.

“I’m sorry,” Reese said.

“You have no reason to be sorry. You and Cam… I love you both very much and all I want is for you both to be happy. I’m not entirely surprised you’re having moments, but I do worry because of how close our families are.”

Moments. They’d had many, and Pixie noticed. Nash, too. Probably Gael and Paul.

“We do, too, which is why there won’t be any more.” She hoped. It was super hard to believe what she’d just told Pixie, but she had the best intentions.

“Okay, I think we’re done,” Pixie said, thankfully releasing Reese from her burden and returning to the task at hand.

They lifted up at the same time, took one look at each other…and cracked up. “It’s melting off your face,” Reese said, giggling.

“Yours is too. Let’s take a picture to send to your mom.”

Reese grabbed her phone, holding the towel under her chin so she didn’t drip anywhere.

“Cheese!” they said at the same time, their heads bent toward each other and talk of Cam thankfully behind them.

Definitely one of her best Gotcha Days ever, thanks to her second family. Which was why she could never cross the line and kiss Cam again, even though she would never, ever forget the way he’d made her feel.

Like she was floating on air. Like she mattered more than anything.