Page 84 of Hot Summer

Maybe they could talk about it when they left. When they were shut in Cas’s room at home, no cameras or recording devices in sight.

“The height of romance,” Ada said, laughing. “You must really like me.”

“I do,” Cas admitted. Her voice nearly cracked, nearly revealed just how much she meant those words, but she wrestled back a bit of control at the last second.

Though maybe she hadn’t if the way Ada’s features immediately softened was to be believed.

Ada spread her fingers over Cas’s ribs, raising goose bumps across Cas’s exposed skin. Cas shivered, and the smile on Ada’s lips widened, became that saucy, powerful little smirk Cas was already in love with.

In like with. In like with.

“I really like you, too,” Ada said. She then went quiet for a moment, her expression contemplative.

“You know,” she said, gaze flicking down to watch the progress of her fingers as they traced up and down Cas’s forearm, “if they send you out of here, I’d leave with you.”

“Would you?”

It was reckless and vulnerable, asking that question.

“Yeah,” Ada whispered softly. Cas leaned forward and pressed her forehead against Ada’s, desperate for one last moment of contact. One last press of Ada’s skin against hers. “I’m not going to stay here if you’re not here.”

Cas laughed. “You might. What if you get a better offer?”

Ada pinched Cas’s hip. “I already have the best one.”

Cas leaned down and pressed another kiss to Ada’s lips, a firm press that led to another, softer, lingering pass.

“They could always try to make you stay. Imagine Chloe emerging from the beach hut, full of righteous fury. She’d try to drag you back by the hair.”

“Maybe I’d like that.”

Cas laughed again. “If I’d known you were into hair pulling, we could’ve had a lot more fun last night.”

“I had plenty of fun,” Ada said. Her cheeks were pink, but her words were sure.

“I did, too,” Cas said.

“It’ll be nice to be out of here, though. The villa,” Ada clarified, “not the retreat.”

“Yeah.” As she said it, Cas could almost see it. The pair of them walking out of the villa together, hand in hand. Sitting next to each other on the flight home. Kicking her bedroom door closed, half their clothes already on the floor. Taking Ada to her favorite coffee shop down the street, walking along the canal with her, kissing her under the streetlamps on their way home.

In three weeks’ time, it would all happen. They just needed to last three more weeks.

Ada turned to look at her, tilting her head back a little so she could make eye contact. “Isn’t it wild to think, like, we didn’t know each other at all five weeks ago. And now the idea of being apart is so sad.”

“I guess that’s what happens when you’re trapped together,” Cas said.

“It’s more than just that, though—”

One of their phones beeped from the bedside table and Cas swore before snuggling back into Ada’s neck.

Ada laughed. “I don’t think that’s going to work.”

As though determined to prove her point, the phone beeped again.

“All right.” Ada slid her arms from around Cas and, resisting Cas’s attempts to pull her back into bed, rolled over to grab her phone.

“ ‘Cas and Ada, we hope you enjoyed your evening in the retreat. Please gather your things and return to the villa.’ ” Ada scanned the next message and then looked back at Cas, wide grin on her face. “The second text says, ‘The lovers have a little surprise for when you return.’ ”

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