“Not really a type,” he said. “Just a person.”
Her heart thumped against her rib cage so loudly he could probably hear it. If there had been a marching band nearby, it could’ve been the drum line. It pounded and crashed—an ocean of force—and everything else faded away.
“You don’t mean . . . ?” Me? Her mind finished the sentence and followed it up with Please mean me.
“I do mean . . .”
And then he did something she would relive every single day until the day she died. He brought his free hand to her face, and for a brief moment she saw a flicker of indecision.
Kiss me. Kiss me. Kiss me. Her mind pleaded with him as she inched ever so slightly closer, not wanting to spook him but very much wanting to communicate her willingness to participate in whatever it was he was thinking of doing.
He wouldn’t make grand proclamations, and that was fine by her, as long as she was able to feel the warmth of his skin underneath her fingertips.
Her hand wound up and around his wrist, and then, ever so gently, he brought his mouth to hers. His kiss was soft and gentle at first, and her mind shot off fireworks to mark the occasion.
Was this really happening? She opened her eyes slightly, just to be sure she wasn’t dreaming, and there he was—in all his gorgeousness, kissing her in earnest. She quickly closed her eyes again and let herself get lost in him. She laced her hands around his neck and inhaled his scent as his kiss grew deeper and more intense.
“Louisa.” The whisper of her name pulled her back years, back to simpler times when there was nothing between them but magic and light and all good things. Could they get back to that? Were they back to it now?
She drew in a breath as her tongue swept lightly along his bottom lip. He shivered, pulling her closer, kissing her so deeply it was as if he couldn’t get enough—as if there wasn’t enough of her to satisfy him. The sun shone brighter as she drank him in, and she was sure if she didn’t pull away, her entire body would light on fire. She was not sure, however, that she would even care.
When he finally broke away from her, they were both breathless and she wanted to start that entire scene from the beginning just for the chance to do it all over again.
“You’re really good at that,” he said.
“So are you.” She smiled at him as his face turned serious, and a feeling of dread washed over her. Was this when he told her that kiss was a huge mistake?
“McKenzie Palmer, really?”
She laughed and gave him a shove, certain that no day would ever be as perfect as today had turned out to be. And also certain she wouldn’t survive if she didn’t get to kiss him again this very moment.
“I thought you still hated me,” she said quietly, unsure how to process this sudden change in their relationship.
“I never hated you, Lou,” he said.
She let out a slow breath. “You maybe did a little.”
He kept his gaze fixed on hers. “Yeah, maybe a little.”
She looked down, but he hooked one finger underneath her chin and raised her face back toward him. “That was a joke.”
“Does that mean you forgive me?” She heard the desperation in her own voice, but she didn’t care about pretenses. She needed him to forgive her like she needed oxygen.
He pulled her in and held her close to his chest. She didn’t squirm or move, and for a long time she didn’t even breathe. She simply let herself be held.
“I’m so sorry.” Her voice broke and he leaned back, meeting her gaze.
“It wasn’t your fault, Louisa,” he said.
“That’s not what I asked you,” she said.
His stare was so deep, so intense, she thought it might buckle her knees.
“I forgive you.” He brushed her hair away from her face.
“You do?”
“You’re forgiven.”
She let out an exhale so emotionally charged it might’ve crackled the air between them. “Thank you.”
He kissed her again with the urgency of a man who was feeling the same thing she felt. When they parted and made their way back to the regatta, the only complaint Louisa had was that they couldn’t stay on that beach for the rest of the day.
She loved him. He at least liked her. His kisses turned her entire body to molten lava.
And he forgave her.
All was right with the world.
CHAPTER THIRTY-FOUR
WHEN CODY AND LOUISA RETURNED TO THE YACHT CLUB, they exited the boat hand in hand. He couldn’t help it—he didn’t want to let her go.
Maybe it was foolish, but he didn’t care. He couldn’t shake the idea that he had to at least give it a try with her. She was so different, so full of life. How could he not?
“So you and McKenzie were never a thing?” she asked as they spotted the winners of the race celebrating under a tent.
“Nope.”
“But she obviously liked you.”
“Well, who doesn’t?” He grinned at her, and she rolled her eyes. “I spent some time with her, but it didn’t take. Turns out, it’s hard to convince yourself to fall for someone when you’ve already given your heart away.”
She stopped then and looked at him. “Cody, is this crazy?”
He shrugged. “I hope so.”
She gave his arm a shove. “I’m serious.”
“I don’t have any answers here, but I’m pretty sure ‘crazy’ would be ignoring the way I feel about you.”
Her cheeks turned pink, and he resisted the urge to kiss her again. It wasn’t easy. Now that he’d tasted her, it was all he could think of.
“Miss Chambers?”
They turned and found Jackson’s parents standing behind them. Louisa straightened and smoothed her hair back. “Hello, Mr. and Mrs. Wirth.”
“Please, call me Deborah,” she said.
“Deborah.”
The older woman glanced at Cody and managed a polite smile. “We just wanted to thank you. The work you’ve done to make this event happen—it’s astounding.”
Louisa’s face brightened. “It was our pleasure, really.” She reached over and touched Deborah’s arm, squeezed it gently, and it amazed Cody how comfortable she was connecting with people. How did that come so easily to her?
He half listened as Louisa chatted—something about asking Deborah if she or Manny would like to say a few words before awards were handed out—but mostly he was focused on her. Her eyes flickered so brightly as she seemed to forget everyone else around them and paid attention only to the two people standing in front of her.
When they walked away, Louisa glanced at him, brow quirked in confusion. “What’s wrong?”
He shook his head. “You have no idea how good you are at this.”
Her laugh sounded nervous. “At what?”
“At your job,” he said. “It’s more than just work for you, isn’t it?”
“Well, yeah. That was the whole reason I started this business. I wanted to make a difference in people’s lives. To create experiences for them. I never expected to be planning a fundraiser like this, but it suits me, I think.”
“Yeah, it really does.”
Her eyes scanned the crowd, then landed on her parents, across the lawn. “I wonder if they’ll ever think so.”