Page 71 of Caught in the Middle

Cam’s grin spread across his face as he waved whenever she paused to look for their group. She nodded her head in recognition then continued her walk down the beach coming closer to them.

He turned to the other men. “I’ll be back after a bit,” he said in parting, already headed for the shore. He could’ve sworn he heard a joke from Asher about him being whipped with a chuckle from Henry, but he didn’t even care.

He had it bad, and last night’s events only escalated that. He’d felt pathetic this morning as he’d begun counting down how long until he thought Emma might return. The truth was, he wanted to soak up every second with her, whether alone together or exploring this beautiful place with everyone. He didn’t care, he just wanted to spend his time with her, especially since he didn’t know what was to come after the vacation ended.

Hopefully, they’d try to make it work and see how things played out like they hinted at last night. However, it was a conversation they still needed to have in more detail and he didn’t want to wait until the last minute. Instead, he decided he’d ask Emma if they could do a dinner date with just the two of them and talk about the possibilities of exploring a future together before they were overcome with the heat of the moment they seemed to find themselves in around each other.

The thought made him smile as his feet finally stepped out of the water and into the warm sand that sunk around him with each step. She looked radiant, he thought, as she approached in a sun hat, swim cover, and the same sunglasses she’d worn all week.

“Hi there, beautiful. Would I lose some points if I admitted I’ve missed you?” Cam smoothly slipped his arms around her waist, bending his head under the brim of her hat, indulging himself in that sweet smile and delicate floral scent that was her.

Emma tilted her head up and kissed him, her heart frowning at how quickly it began and ended. Later, she assured herself. She’d revel in this amazing man later in the comfort of their privacy, but that didn’t stop her body from leaning into his embrace, welcoming the familiarity of his touch. “No, I like it,” she said.

“In that case, I missed you more than you could imagine.”

She laughed, then looked at him. “Have you always been honest and upfront about how you feel with women?”

His head tilted as he thought about it. “Yeah, I suppose so. I’ve never been the type to lead someone on or keep my mouth shut when I’m crazy about them.”

“Have you been crazy about a lot of them?”

He shook his head. “Nope. Just you,” he said, flicking her nose and earning another laugh.

Emma felt her heart settle back into place, happy with that answer. “Mhmm, sure. I bet that’s what you tell all of us.”

Cam grabbed her sunglasses on both sides and gently slid them off so he could look at her in those dark and intense eyes. He knew she was joking, yet he wanted her to know how he felt. “There've been other women, but there’s never been a you, Emma Cooper, and there never will be. I’m already crazy about you and this is your warning that it’s only going to grow.”

She tried biting down on the ridiculous smile those words caused, but she couldn’t. She saw him eat it up, too. Seeing the way his words mattered to her. She let out a deep breath and grabbed one of his hands. “It feels good to be back,” she said, entwining their fingers.

“To the hotel or with me?” He gave her a wink.

“Both,” she laughed. Then her voice softened. “Let’s go for a walk.”

???

Cam listened intently as Emma explained why it took her longer to get down here than expected, about the email that had been waiting in her inbox. His chest tightened as several emotions fought their way into his heart. The first being pure happiness and pride for her. Some of the others were a bit more selfish.

“It’s a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity,” she sighed, feeling a weight lift off her shoulders now that she voiced the newfound information and opportunity that fell into her lap this afternoon. Well, far from fell and more like presented itself after years of hard work, even if when she applied she hadn’t thought it a real possibility.

“It’s amazing,” Cam said, blown away at what kind of doors Emma had opened for herself. He knew she was talented, had even looked at her website and portfolio as well as the numerous times she’d been tagged online as the photographer from sites and businesses.

They walked a few steps before she spoke again now that it was all out there. “I didn’t think I would get it.”

He looked at her in surprise. “Why not? I’ve looked at your work, you’re amazing. You have the ability to capture emotions and invoke feelings, and I’m not normally one to feel anything by looking at a photo.” He’d been mesmerized by his emotional response to one of her projects on a trip she’d taken to a long-forgotten and run-down part of a city as if it’d become a ghost land.

“I don’t know. I think because whenever I applied to it, it was more out of the chance to challenge myself and do something I hadn’t done before. It wasn’t like I was applying to some big dream I’d always had.”

He thought about that. “You’ve never wanted to see your name listed as the photographer in one of the top publications and magazines?”

She shook her head easily and huffed a laugh. “No.”

“Then what is your dream?”

She gave a small smile. “To experience life, do the things I love, surround myself with good people. It may sound backward considering how much I travel or the number of adventures I find myself on, but I want a simple life and these all give that to me.”

He nodded in understanding. “I get that.” They kept walking. “What are you going to do then? Will you accept it?”

She chewed on her lip as she thought, thankful he waited and didn’t press her for a quick response. It wasn’t every day that her application to be the photographer to join a publication’s writer on a three-month stint would be accepted. Whenever she’d read about it online, realizing that she could apply, she thought it would be amazing to join on this mission to travel across Europe bringing more knowledge and attention to the archeological digs happening in lesser-known areas. The purpose was to update readers and get the attention of others who might be unaware of what discoveries were happening, what went into this field, and hopefully inspire younger generations to tap into any interest this might spark for them. She loved the idea of being a part of that.

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