“Come on,” I said. “We can try the next bridge.”
“No.” Juliette grabbed both my hands and backed up, pulling me with her.
Curious at her insistence, I followed her lead, giving her control while still making sure she didn’t trip over anything behind her. She continued until she was all the way into their space, then she shocked me further by releasing my hands to run her hands up my arms, over my shoulders, and into my hair. Her back arched and her chest pressed against mine, then she kissed me with a deep, open-mouthed kiss and a loud moan.
I complied with her demand, kissing her back thoroughly before I broke away to nuzzle her neck with a whisper. “Whatcha doing, baby?”
She pulled my head down and nipped my earlobe, then whispered back, “I’m not leaving just so they can keep sitting here, feeding crackers to the fish. It’s bad for the fish.”
Fuck, she was funny. I held Juliette tight and threw my head back in a laugh, loving the way she laughed with me, her body shaking against mine.
“What the hell,” the girl muttered as she threw another cracker into the water and got to her feet, the boy right behind her.
Juliette and I laughed harder as they glared at us and stormed away. Our eyes caught and we dissolved into hysterics. Juliette dropped her head against me, and when she pulled it up, her honey gold eyes landed on mine again. My laughter died inmy chest. A thousand feelings rushed into its place, flooding me with warmth.
“Juls,” I breathed, cradling her head in my hands and bringing her mouth to mine.
“You don’t think that was crazy?” Juliette asked in between kisses.
“Crazy in the best way. I like seeing that side of you.”
Juliette smiled at me with pure joy radiating out from her, and my chest ached with the amount of happiness and love that filled it. I couldn’t contain it any longer. “I like every side of you, baby. Actually, I more than like you, Juls. I think I’m falling for you.”
Her eyes widened and her mouth dropped open then quickly closed again like she was trying to say something but couldn’t get the words out.
I slid my hand along her jaw and held her while my lips gently captured hers. I tried to show her just how much I loved her, and I felt her give the same back to me.
She broke the kiss but didn’t pull away. “Me too,” she whispered against my lips.
18
Juliette
Istretched, cracking my eyes open to the best wake-up call ever—Dylan gently kissing my cheeks and eyelids.
I needed to get up from my nap. I could tell from the gray hue of the room that evening, and therefore our plans with Dylan’s friends, was approaching, but I felt like a pile of goo that had melted into the bed. I couldn’t move. I was too comfortable and too happy to allow the moment to end. I snuggled closer to Dylan.
“Wake up, baby,” he whispered.
“I don’t want to. I was having the best dream where I was frolicking through wildflowers with you.”
“That’s not just a dream, Juls. We did that.”
“It had to be a dream. I don’t hike or frolic.”
“You do now that you have an incredible boyfriend who loves to hold your hand and hike and frolic with you.”
“I don’t think you frolic, either.”
“Only with you.”
“I’m the luckiest girl in the world.”
“I’m the lucky one. You’re amazing.”
I squeezed Dylan, snuggling in closer.
“Are you still tired, Juls? We can just stay in and take it easy tonight if you’d rather?”