Page 78 of Close Knit

The heat between my thighs multiplies. My heart beats wildly and loud enough that I’m sure he can hear it.

I trace the tear’s path on his skin. Cameron straightens beside me. He swipes at the wetness on his cheeks. “For fuck’s sake,” he groans, his voice low and sleepy.

I let out an awkward laugh.

“Hey,” I say, trying to keep things light. “At least now you can admit this is almost as good as an orgasm. Or, you know, if anyone asks if you’ve cried during a movie, you can say yes.”

“Yeah, that’ll definitely help during my family’s game of Never Have I Ever. Though I doubt it’ll make me the winner.”

“How does someone even win at Never Have I Ever?”

“I can show you now,” he says, swinging a leg onto the couch and stretching his arm across the back. It’s muscular and strong.

My insides flutter. “You want to play?” I pause the movie.

“Yes. The rules are that for everything you’ve done, you eat one of my movie snacks.”

I cringe at the plate of veggies. “That’s devious.” He smirks in a challenge. “Fine. But if I have to eat rabbit food, you have to eat one of my gummy bears.”

“I haven’t had something sweet in my mouth in months.”

My insides turn to lava. “Worried you’ll like it?”

He flexes his beautifully scarred fingers and swollen knuckles over his black jeans. “You have no idea.”

This is pure torture. Every interaction with him lately has been mind-blowing. When we agreed to be friends, I thought I could handle it. His frosty greeting when we met again made me believe I could resist temptation. But getting to know him has done the one thing I feared most—it’s made me really like him. A lot.

Maybe my sister is right, and I’m just a hopeless romantic with zero ability to keep things casual.

But Cameron Hastings has ignited my life in ways I never imagined. All those adventure-less years seem like ancient history when we’re on a Yes Year spree, whether I’m racing his car down the coast, playing undercover laser tag, or biking through Hyde Park wrapped in sweaters and coats.

Everything about him makes me want to sayYes, Yes, Yes. My body is screamingPlease, Please, Please.

“Well, you first,” I whisper.

“Never have I ever…” He scans the room. “Made someone a gift.”

I pick the least offensive of his snacks: an apple slice. “You’re just trying to make me eat this, aren’t you?”

“No idea what you mean.” He grins, watching me as I crunch on the apple while biting into my Cadbury bar, so it’s like I’m eating a chocolate-covered apple.

“Never have I ever kissed someone in the rain.” I bite my lip, thinking about his body pressing over me on his car hood. Is that too obvious? Who cares.

He pops a gummy bear into his mouth, chewing slowly. “This thing tastes like rubber.”

“Douse anything in sugar, and I’ll put it in my mouth.” His pupils widen. “I mean, I like sugar. Tell me about this rain kiss of yours,” I say awkwardly, hoping he’ll change the subject.

“My first kiss was in the rain,” Cameron says.

“Really?”

“I was sixteen. She played on the girls’ football team,” he says, a nostalgic smile playing on his lips. “We were finishing practice, and it started raining. Everyone ran for cover except her. She was laughing, spinning in the rain.”

A pang of jealousy mixed with longing strikes me. “And then?”

“I had no clue how to talk to girls back then,” he admits. “Told her she’d ruin her cleats. She called me a smartass and punched my arm. Then, I kissed her.”

So what he’s saying is that if I punch him, he’ll be more likely to kiss me.

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