Worth It (Forbidden Men, #6)(89)

“Impressive,” she said, watching me with a shy yet utterly seductive smile. “I’ve never been able to skip a rock that many times.”

I couldn’t speak as she drew closer. So I nervously shoved my hands into my pockets and soaked her in. She’d gotten a tan and her cheeks looked permanently flushed, with maybe two or three new freckles added to the three she already had. Her top and shorts were something I’d never seen her wear before. They made her legs look longer and her waist smaller. The differences made me uncomfortable. I wanted her to be my same, sweet, amazing City. But then I saw her feet, and she was wearing a pair of sandals she’d worn out here before. So I relaxed.

“Welcome home,” I said. Then I took a breath and admitted, “I missed you.”

Her face lit up as if that was exactly what she’d been waiting to hear, then she dove at me, hugging me hard. I caught her against my chest and wrapped her up in my arms until I pulled her up off her feet, so relieved to be with her again. I buried my nose in her hair and breathed in her familiar scent. It enveloped me, and everything in my world was right again.

“I bet not hardly as much as I missed you,” she argued against my shoulder as she took a big whiff of me too. “I swear, these were the two longest weeks of my life.”

I hadn’t hugged her nearly long enough yet, but I set her back on the dock and forced a cheerful smile. “So…” I demanded. “Tell me everything. I want to hear all about your trip.”

Her forehead wrinkled into a frown. “And I want to kiss my boyfriend hello.” She stretched onto her tiptoes to reach me. “I haven’t seen you in weeks.”

This time, my grin was genuine as I set a finger against her lips. “Exactly. It’s been two of the most miserable f*cking weeks of my life, stuck here without you. When I start kissing you hello, I’m not coming up for air for a good long while. So...we’re talking first.”

“Not coming up for air’s fine by me.” She tried to kiss me again, but I laughed and dodged away from her.

“Woman, stop trying to tempt me.”

She chased after me. “Then give in already.”

“No. I’m trying to be noble here and listen to you tell me about your vacation.”

“Screw noble. We can talk later. I want to make out and maybe revisit a couple bases.”

My body stirred, wanting the same exact thing. But before I gave in and let her have her way, she stumbled and started to tumble toward the water.

“Shit!” I caught her and jerked her against me. She clung to me a moment, breathing hard as she regained her balance. With my hands on her shoulders, I said, “You okay?”

“Yeah. Thank you. I don’t—” She looked down to see what she’d tripped over and blinked in befuddlement at the box wrapped in birthday paper with a sad, mangled bow on top.

I flushed, suddenly embarrassed with my pathetic gift. She was a Bainbridge, used to the best of the best, and I couldn’t even get my lame present wrapped decently.

“What is that?” She let go of me to kneel down and study it as if it were some foreign object.

“What’s it look like?” I had thought the words Happy Birthday splashed all over it would be a dead giveaway. Sitting next to the gift, I grinned at her reaction even as I worried about how disappointed she’d probably be when she opened it.

“It looks like a birthday present.” Eyes wide, she zipped her gaze to me. “For me?”

“Well, you did turn sixteen four days, ago, didn’t you? Or did you lie about that?”

“No, I really did. I just…” Emotional tears filled her eyes as she set her hand against her chest. “I can’t believe you got me a present.”

I frowned, confused. “Why wouldn’t I? It was my girlfriend’s birthday.”

That was one of the things that had upset me most about her absence. I hadn’t been able to see her on her big day. As I swore to myself I’d be present for the next and all the ones after that, she said, “I don’t know. I just wasn’t expecting… You really didn’t have to. Just getting to see you is the best present ever.”

I shrugged, strangely bashful. “Don’t get too worked up. It’s not much. Seriously. I wish I could’ve gotten you something better, or more, but…” I sent her a wince. We both knew I couldn’t afford better or more.

Deep affection filled her gaze. “I have a feeling it’ll be my favorite gift, anyway.” Grabbing it, she tore off the paper.

I drew in a sharp breath, wanting to warn her not to get her hopes up. Shit, I should’ve splurged a little more, gotten some jewelry or— “Oh my God!” Throwing her head back, she laughed as she hugged the book to her chest. “I love it.”

I sighed and batted shredded paper out of my way. “It’s cheesy.”

“That’s why it’s perfect.” After pulling The World’s Greatest Collection of Clean Jokes away from her so she could grin at the cover, she wiggled her eyebrows my way. “I can’t wait to lay some of these jokes on you the next time I see you.”

Neither could I. It was one of the things I looked forward to most. Because it meant more time with her.

“And there’s more?” City went on incredulously as she set the book aside to tug tissue paper from the box so she could see the slippers at the bottom.