She laughed and tossed him a grin. “Yep! What can I say? I love walking in the water.”
“I fell in love with you that morning.”
Mal jerked, the water splashing loudly against her calves, and stared at him wide-eyed. “What?” she half cried, half whispered.
He cleared his throat. He probably shouldn’t have said it so bluntly, but it just came out that way. “I fell in love with you,” he repeated. He offered a small, unapologetic shrug, smiling warmly and watching her.
She was frozen as she stood in the water, watching him. Waiting.
“I’m in love with you,” he said simply. “I’ve been in love with you this whole time. I haven’t said anything because I know how crazy it is, and I was afraid it was all one-sided and I couldn’t risk you running off when I feel this way and–”
“It’s not one-sided.”
He stopped—his heart and his words and his breath all at once. He stared at her, something intense and burning growing within him.
Mal shook her head, swallowing. “It’s not one-sided,” she said again, much quieter.
Before he knew what he was doing, he marched into the water, reaching for her face, and kissed her hard. Her arms twined tightly around his neck, her lips parting instantly, returning his kiss with a fire of her own. She clung to him, desperate and frantic as he was, her feet no longer touching the ground as he held her.
He couldn’t feel enough, couldn’t breathe enough. Everything was solely and completely drawn up in Mal, in loving her, in the heady rush of delight in knowing that the insanity of his feelings was matched in her. They kissed deeply, tasting each other as if for the first and last time, again and again, as if it would never be enough.
It would never be enough.
Then their kisses became softer, more tender, searching and comforting and soothing. Grazing passes of lips, settling and unsettling all at once. Hunter shifted his mouth to capture her lips fiercely, drawing a ragged whimper from her that made something primal growl in victory within him.
After a few breathless moments, whistles, applause, and catcalls reached their ears, their older friends at the pavilion having a perfect view of them.
Mal broke off gently, laughing low and sensual and sending his blood racing. He managed to laugh too, still breathless and on fire. He touched his forehead to hers, wrapping his arms around her tightly with a long overdue sigh of relief.
The noise from the pavilion faded, and Mal suddenly pulled back with a groan.
“What?” he asked in surprise, keeping his arms locked around her.
“I have to go back to the Hen House tonight,” she moaned, making a face. “And you have to go to Stag Night.”
He’d forgotten all about that, which showed how important it was. He shook his head. “I don’t care. I’m staying right here with you.”
Hunter leaned in and kissed her again, gentling his touch and doing his level best to tempt her into staying. She curled a hand around his neck, toying with his hair, and he faintly wondered just who was doing the tempting now.
She eventually forced herself away from him, stepping out of his hold, and let the night breeze come between them. “You have to,” she scolded, sounding winded, much to his delight. “And I have to. If it were anybody else, I wouldn’t care, but it’s Tom and Jenna. We have to,” she repeated firmly.
And he knew she was right. He put his hands on his hips and tried his best to calm his breathing, giving her a crooked smile. “You are going to drive me crazy, you know that?”
She tilted her head impishly. “In a good way?”
“The best,” he assured her.
She gave him a curtsy and smiled, holding out her hand. “Walk me back?”
His grin spread, and he took her hand, kissed it, then tugged her against him for one brief, searing kiss. “Fine,” he growled, chuckling at her sudden panting. “But if I’m grumpy tomorrow, I’m blaming you.”
Mal shuddered and released a tiny moan, making him laugh again. He intertwined their fingers again and slowly, very slowly, they walked out of the water and toward the Hen House.
ChapterFifteen
She was going to be late to the breakfast, but she couldn’t exactly be mad about that. Technically, it didn’t start until nine, and it was only ten to. But considering she was the photographer, she should have been there way before now to take pictures of the spreads and everything else. Hopefully, Taryn and Dan were on top of things and had started already.
It wasn’t exactly her fault she would be late, either.