Page 20 of The Perfect Love

I groan. “Ugh. Now I have to take up murdering people? Impossible standards.”

She laughs, and God, I love that sound. Even if the way it pierces my soul scares me.

She throws her legs up on my lap, making herself comfortable in the corner of the couch.

“Is being a footrest another standard I have to live up to?”

“No, but it’s a plus.” She looks around the lake house. “I guess I could give you a bonus point or two for having such a sweet house, especially with the lake view.”

“Even if it’s not technically my house?”

She smirks. “We’ll ignore that.”

“Didn’t get enough good views growing up in Birch Lake?”

She briefly mentioned her hometown earlier, but she didn’t say much else about it.

“Birch Lake isn’t as big as this one, and our house wasn’t on the water, though I spent every summer by the lake.”

“With your friends?”

Her lips pull flat for a half a second, then she shakes her head. “No. With my dad and his family. They own a campground and cabin rental company. I spent most of my time riding around in a golf cart with my dad or my uncle—who is more like a big brother to me.”

“We camped a few times at Birch Lake when I was a kid. Mom loved vacationing there because it was close to home, but still felt far away. The first year, I had my heart set on tent camping, but it was this disastrous trip because it poured most of the time. The tent leaked. My mom wasn’t thrilled, so the next few years we went, my dad rented a cabin instead.”

Her brows lift. “Do you remember the name of the campground? There are a few, so I’ll try not to be too offended if it wasn’t ours.”

“Oh crap. What was it called? I can remember the sign. It had big yellow letters with a beaver, I think?”

She laughs. “Birch’s Cozy Cabins. And yes, the sign has a beaver. We call him Buddy.”

She’s smiling, but I’m… I don’t know what I am. Shocked, but in a good way. We camped there every year until I was ten, then everything changed. And Chelsea’s family owns that company. She was there.

“Do you think we ever saw each other? Played together?”

Her eyes find mine. “I don’t know. I snuck off to the playground whenever I could.” She tilts her head. “But I feel like I would’ve remembered you.”

I get a big dumbass smile on my face when she says that. “Why do you say that?”

“Because you’re memorable. Your smile. Your charm. Those eyes. I swear, I’ve never seen eyes that dark before.” Then she rests her hand on my arm. “And this. I would’ve remembered this. How I feel when I’m around you.”

I lean in closer. “And how do you feel?”

“Crazy. Wild. Like me again.” I don’t understand what that means, but I don’t have time to figure it out before she continues. “My heart’s beating out of my chest. I—”

“Chelsea…” My voice is low and gravelly.

Before I know what’s happening, she’s straddling my lap, her fingers curling through my hair, her gorgeous face only centimeters from mine.

Her breaths are sharp and uneven. For a second, she doesn’t move, but then her lips are on mine, andfuck.

Fuck, fuck, fuck.

If I thought I felt a connection before, it’s a thousand times stronger now. Her lips feel like they belong on mine. Forever.

I run my hands up her back, still letting her take the lead, but when she skims her tongue over my bottom lip, it’s all over.

I push my tongue into her mouth, and I’m officially a goner. Rest in peace me. I’ve died and am currently in heaven, surrounded by a curvy goddess who makes me forget everything else and feel like I used to.

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