I couldn’t hear what Reardon said, but I heard Dillon laugh in response, so I figured they were ribbing Gabe, even though he wasn’t there to hear it.
As we walked through the woods, the sweet smell of wildflowers and budding bushes filled the air, and I could feel my mind and body loosen with each step. It was a beautiful day, and I was excited to see where Gabe was taking me.
“It’s funny,” I began, my thoughts jumbling out of my mouth. “I never imagined I’d be here when I told my sister I’d take her place at camp. I mean, obviously I knew I’d be here, as in at the camp, but the thought of meeting someone, and having the connection that I have with you, never even crossed my mind.”
When I realized what I’d said out loud, I stumbled. Literally.
Gabe’s hand reached out to catch me and we stopped, turning toward each other. I kept my head down, afraid that I’d been presumptuous and said too much.
Our connection … What if he didn’t see it that way? Gosh, sometimes I wondered how it was possible I was in my thirties, when I often felt like an awkward teen.
“Hey,” Gabe prodded, bringing his finger under my chin and lifting, so I was forced to face him. “I feel the same way.”
I felt the smile bloom across my face at his words, and the tension in my gut eased. Gabe lowered his head and kissed me again, but this time it was m
ore than a simple brush of the lips. He was firm, insistent, so I opened my mouth to him and allowed us both to be swept away by the budding emotions we were feeling.
I clutched his hips as he deepened the kiss, worried my knees were going to buckle and I’d tumble to the ground.
“Mmmm,” he groaned deliciously as he pulled away. He made sure I was steady, then took my hand and asked, “All good?”
I nodded, still a little dazzled by the effective lip lock, and we turned to continue down the path, my hand still secured in his.
Chapter Fifteen ~ Gabe
I was in unchartered territory.
There was a warmth in my chest, a fire in my belly, and I couldn’t stop smiling.
If the guys were with us, I knew they’d be eating this shit up, but after Zoey’s admission, I doubt even they could ruin this feeling.
Was it contentment?
Happiness?
Hope?
I wasn’t sure. Maybe it was a combination of all three.
I did know, though, that with the way I was feeling, and things were progressing, that I had to tell Zoey the truth about who I was and what I’d done in the past. The omission was beginning to feel like a lie, and I wasn’t comfortable with that. I wanted this feeling to last, and in order for that to happen, I figured I needed to be completely honest. I just hope she’d understand my reasons and not feel betrayed in some way.
I’d been with plenty of women who’d react badly … loudly … violently, if I kept anything from them, but for some reason, I thought Zoey was different.
I guess I’d find out soon.
We were about to break through the trees and get our first glimpse of the waterfall, so I trained my eyes on Zoey, eager to see her reaction. She didn’t disappoint.
Her eyes widened as she gasped, and pure pleasure spread across her face. The hand I wasn’t holding came to her chest to rest over her heart and she murmured, “It’s amazing.”
“This is one of my favorite places in the world,” I admitted, causing her attention to turn to me.
“I can see why.”
I gave her hand a playful tug and said, “C’mon,” then took off at a jog.
She laughed as I pulled her, a sweet tinkling sound that made me smile. It was a new laugh, one I hadn’t heard before, and I wondered what other things about her I’d still had yet to discover.
I stopped once we got to the edge of the pool of water at the base of the waterfall. Rocks surrounded the rest of the area, so with the fall in our front, and the forest at our backs, it was like we were in our own private paradise.