Page 138 of Volatile Obsessions

She came willingly, leaning in closer with heavy-lidded eyes. The briefest of smiles danced on our lips before they fused together softly. Whipping my phone out of my pocket, I accessed the camera with a swipe of my thumb and captured the moment in a single swift tap.

The shutter went off, snapping Lux’s eyes open. “Did you just take a selfie of us.” She was cheesing, prompting me to hum as I nodded.

“I did, yes.”

“So basic,” she quipped.

“Cheesy too, I know. But I want you to remember this.” I pulled up the image and turned the phone for her to see it.

It looked like it belonged in one of those multi-million dollar romance movies—the glimmer in her eyes corroborated it.

“I won’t forget it,” she decreed, leaning in to kiss me once more. “Never.”

After the Ferris wheel, we wandered around the rest of the fair grounds, and rode a few more rides. I suggested we play a few games, too, for the sole purpose of keeping her out longer, but Lux declined graciously, suggesting we go home instead.

I knew exactly what she was getting at, the sly little thing.

Could practically feel the heat emanating off her, slowly but surely unfurling the beast with in me.

“One last picture before we go?” she questioned with a squeeze to my hand as we passed an illuminated gazebo. “You can add it to tonight’s cheesy collection.”

“Do you wanna do the honors this time?” I waggled my eyebrows, leading her up the pathway.

“Your arm is longer,” she pointed out.

“Or, we can have someone else take it.”

Lux seemed to like my suggestion, glancing around us in search of a possible photographer.

“Excuse me?” She released me and approached a young woman with a small lot of children off to the side.”Would you mind taking a quick photo of us in the gazebo?”

The woman nodded pleasantly and took Lux’s phone, instructing her children to stay put as she got into position. On her cue, Lux slipped her arms around my neck and I snaked my own around her waist, dropping my lips to her cheek.

“Got it!” The woman called out, rushing back over to us. “So cute!”

“Thank you!” Lux waved her off, giddily showing me the newest image.

Another silver-screen worthy image.

“That is a good photo,” I agreed, once again living for that genuine megawatt smile of hers. “Send it to me.”

“Then send me the Ferris wheel one,” she concurred, swiping through several screens on her phone as I did the same on mine.

But then suddenly she froze, jutting her neck out on high alert. “Do you hear that?”

“Hear what?” I didn’t hear anything.

“Shhh, listen.”

Still I didn’t hear anything, straining my ears. Until I did. Faint at first, it sounded like…

“Is that a cat?”

“It sounds like a kitten,” Lux squealed, dropping down on her haunches near a cluster of bushes. “Rome, ohmigod, look!”

Curled up beneath the closest bushel was the teeniest kitten I’d ever seen in my life; midnight black coat with bright green irises.

“Are there anymore?” I queried, squinting to see further into the bushes.

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