Page 84 of Cross the Line
‘I think Chava and Mark might already know,’ I joke in an attempt to lighten the quickly darkened mood.
That drags a soft laugh out of her. ‘You might be on to something,’ she plays along, but she quickly grows serious again. ‘I don’t think I can keep this from Grace and Chantal either. They’ll figure me out in no time.’
‘So, seems like Oakley will be the only one out of the loop.’ I sigh. I don’t like it, but I get it. If anyone’s going to try to convince us not to be together, it’s him, and we don’t need that kind of influence this early on.
‘Yeah.’ Willow wets her lips, the wheels turning in her head. ‘We can’t hide it from him for too long, though. What if . . . What if we tell him right after Alisha’s wedding? That’s two weeks from now.’ She waits until I nod before continuing. ‘We can take that time to figure out how we want to handle going public. Plus, that’s at the end of my contract with you and Argonaut.’
She’s right. But I don’t want to think about what things will look like when her contract’s up and she’s not by my side at all times. Then again, when she’s not my employee, what we’re doing won’t be so frowned upon.
‘Okay,’ I agree, tugging her close to me again. ‘Looks like we’re going to be sneaking around for a while. You up for it?’
She braces a palm on my chest as she hovers over me. Even in the low light of the bedside lamp, I can see the caramel sliver in her eye. Her perfect imperfection.
‘If it means I get to be with you,’ she says, ‘then I’m up for anything.’
I slide my fingers up her neck and bury them in the tendrils of hair at the back of her head. ‘Hey. I love you.’
Relief flickers across her face. ‘So that wasn’t an accidental, heat-of-the-moment thing?’
‘Not in the slightest. You?’
‘Nope. I meant it.’ She purses her lips, like she’s considering telling me a secret. ‘I think I’ve been in love with you for most of my life.’ It’s a vulnerable admission, but she eases the seriousness by teasing, ‘About time you caught up.’
She can joke all she wants, but she’s right. It took me too fucking long to see what was in front of me and run toward her.
But at least we’ve made it here. I just hope we can stay.
——
The first things I notice when I wake, before I’ve even opened my eyes, are the scent of sweet vanilla and the warmth of Willow’s body seeping into mine.
I can tell she’s awake, even though her back is to me and she’s trying to keep her movements small and limited. She’s always been a restless sleeper. I remember how she would end up out of her sleeping bag or halfway across the tent floor when our families went camping together. Clearly, nothing has changed over the years, though now I’m worried she does it because she’s uncomfortable. I can’t imagine staying in one spot for very long is easy on her body – especially after the multiple rounds I put her through last night.
‘I know you’re awake,’ I mumble against her bare shoulder.
She stills at my words and turns her head a little, though she doesn’t look back at me. ‘I didn’t mean to wake you,’ she whispers. ‘I’m sorry.’
‘Mm, don’t apologize.’ I sweep her hair out of the way and kiss the nape of her neck, revelling in the shiver it sends through her. ‘I don’t want to miss a moment with you.’
She shifts a little more toward me, and this time, I can see her smile. ‘Do you go to sleep at night with all these lines planned?’
I grin against her skin in return. ‘Want to hear another?’ When she nods, I whisper, ‘I’m convinced the gods dropped you right in my path.’
‘Ooh, good one,’ she says, showing me those dimples. ‘What Bollywood movie is that from?’
I laugh, my face already aching from the width of my smile and the pure fucking joy she inspires in me. ‘If you find out, let me know.’ I kiss her neck again, and this time I’m rewarded with a contented sigh from her. ‘But I mean it. I think this was always meant to happen.’
‘What, falling into bed together?’ she jokes, rolling onto her back and squinting up at me sleepily.
‘And everything that led up to it.’ I punctuate the theory with a kiss on the corner of her jaw. ‘How we needed help from each other. The time we’ve spent together because of it.’ My lips drift to her collarbone. ‘How close we’ve been able to grow without being questioned about it.’ I flick my tongue across the fluttering pulse point at the base of her throat. ‘It was all perfect. Like it was written in the stars.’
‘Written in the stars, huh?’
‘Pure fate. Kismet. Red string and all that.’
‘And you believe in it?’
‘Considering you’re in my arms right now, I have to.’
