“What are you doing?” she whispers as she ducks, but then peers over the top of one of the bushes.
“Meet me tonight. After lights out.” I have no idea where that came from or why I said it. I just want to spend more time with her.
“What? We can’t.” She peeks again, watching the group as they move further away.
“Meet me by the lake. Tonight.” I plead with both my eyes and my tone.
She bites her lip as her eyes skim over my face, and a small lopsided smile appears. “I’ll try.”
“Yeah?” I reply with more excitement than I should.
“I said I’ll try,” she presses her palm to my chest as she replies playfully. My hand folds over the top of hers, keeping her in place as my eyes roam over the face I’ve been obsessing over since I first laid eyes on it.
I wrap my fingers around the back of her neck and pull her face close to mine. Our lips create a channel between our bodies, as the mountain air moves between us both. I look into her gorgeous, chocolate eyes and back down at her lips, pausing to breathe her in. No one has ever made me feel like she does. Feral, desperate, so goddamn needy.
I press my lips to hers and she purses hers against mine. It’s awkward for a moment until we both part our lips and our tongues collide in perfect rhythm. My heart is pounding out of my chest and I feel the thumping all the way to my bones.
I’ve kissed a few girls, butnothinghas ever felt like this.
“Wow,” she whispers as we pull apart. My eyes are still closed, living the dream that is all Mimi.
“Mimi?” a voice calls out, ripping us out of the moment.
Shane steps into our line of sight and peers down the pathway we are hidden behind.
His eyebrows hit his hairline when he sees us together before his head snaps back to check if anyone else is near.
“Come on,” he waves, “they’re counting heads.”
Our legs shuffle to keep up as we duck through and catch up to everyone just in time.
“Go clean up. Dinner’s in thirty, then we’ll have a little time before lights out.” The camp leader finishes, then everyone goes different directions as Shane gives us the stank eye with a smile.
I turn to Mimi.
“Meet me by the lake. Tonight.” I step backwards as I remind her.
“That’s a bad idea,” she whisper-yells back.
“Are you backing out of a challenge?” I hold my fist in my palm, challenging her to rock, paper, scissors.
She immediately matches and we battle.
My scissors cut her paper.
The glare she pins on me could rival Hades.
I can’t help but smile.
“An hour after lights out. By the lake.” I turn and head the other direction, not giving her a chance to respond.
17
NAOMI
Present Day
“And how does that make you feel?” Penny asks before she takes a bite of her blueberry pancakes.
