Rascal (Rascals Book 1)(59)

I reached for her, and I kissed her the way I’d been fantasizing about during these long, lonely nights without her. Her mouth was hot on mine, and I drank her up. I had missed her scent. I had missed her taste. I had missed her.

“I’m so sorry,” I murmured against her lips. “So, so sorry.”

“Don’t do it again,” she whispered back. “I missed you so much.”

“I missed you too,” I told her, feeling the sadness and bitterness lift away.

“Well, this is all very touching,” Sawyer said gruffly, causing both of us to pull away from each other.

I had completely forgotten that we had an audience.

“What Sawyer is trying to say is that we should give the two of you some privacy.” Chase patted Sawyer on the arm. “Like, maybe we’ll go set up camp a mile or so away. Give you some time to talk.”

“And other things,” Sawyer added, not being subtle about it at all.

I saw Alex’s cheeks get red, and I couldn’t help laughing.

“Get out of here,” I ordered them, putting my arm around Alex. I wasn’t going to argue against privacy, especially because now that she was back in my arms, I was thinking of doing exactly what Sawyer had been insinuating.

They left the campsite, hooting and being obnoxious as they did.

Fucking friends. I was damn lucky to have them. Damn lucky that they had forced me to confront my bad attitude and even worse coping mechanisms. If it weren’t for them, I might still be pouting on the lake. I might not have realized that I needed to go to Alex.

Only to discover that she had come to me.

I looked down at her, my attention completely focused on her beautiful face.

“I missed you,” I told her, even though it had already been said. “I was on my way to go win you back, you know.”

“Really?” Alex grinned. “Glad you came to your senses.”

The sun was setting, and the moment could not have been more perfect—her warmth and softness snuggled up against me. I wanted to kiss her and kiss her and kiss her.

“I realized something,” she told me, pulling back a little so she could look up at me.

I lost myself in her eyes for a moment.

“What did you realize?” I asked, once I had found myself again.

She smiled. “I realized that my life isn’t nearly as good if you aren’t in it.”

I felt my heart swell. “I feel the same way,” I told her. “And I know that your career is your priority, and I completely support that. After all the shit I said, I don’t want you to doubt that—I want you to know that I will do everything I can to help you succeed.”

“I just need you by my side,” she told me, reaching up on her tip toes to give me a soft kiss. “Nothing else. Just your support.”

“Well, you’ve got it,” I promised her. “I’m your guy.”

Her smile grew. “I like the way that sounds,” she said, her grin flickering for a moment.

“What is it?” I asked, cupping her chin.

She looked away, but just for a second.

“After my dad left, I never really thought I’d be able to trust men. Or put that trust in relationships or love.” She took a deep breath. “And I thought I’d be fine. I thought I’d have my work and my friends and I’d be fine. But then I met you, and you changed everything.”

“You changed everything for me too,” I told her.

Because I had never known a woman like her. She was special. Extraordinary. And I wanted her. Craved her.

“It’s not easy for me to open up,” Alex admitted, chewing on her bottom lip.

“Me neither,” I confessed. “All this stuff about my dad, well, it’s made me realize that even when I walk away from him, I still allow him to influence me. And that needs to stop.”

Alex nodded. “I know things are complicated, but I do think that he loves you. In his way. But I promise I’ll stay out of it from now on.”

“Thank you,” I told her. “And maybe he does care. He just has really controlling, fucked up ways of showing it.”

“Yes, yes he does,” she agreed.

I released the breath I hadn’t realized I had been holding. It was a lot to confess and get off my chest, but I felt better immediately. Being open and honest with Alex was what was going to make this work.

“I love you,” I told her, just needing her to hear it again and again and again.

She grinned, and this time, her smile was dazzling. “I love you too,” she told me.

The sun was almost gone at that point, and it was starting to get a little cold. I felt her shiver in my arms from the dropping temperature, and I pulled her close. Of course, having her fit as perfectly as she did against my body made me think of other ways that we fit together. My cock responded immediately.

Alex lifted an eyebrow. “Is that a fishing rod in your pocket or are you just happy to see me?”

“Trust me,” I murmured, leaning down to brush a kiss across her lips. “I am very, very happy to see you. And I’d love to show you exactly how happy I am.”

She glanced around. “I suppose we do have the campsite to ourselves.” She gave me a wicked wink. “Want to show me the inside of your tent?”

God, this woman. She made me want to drop to my knees and worship every inch of her. And now, there was no reason I couldn’t.