Page 6 of Curves and Waves

I chuckled. "Yeah, wow."

She pulled back slightly, searching my face. "How long?"

"How long what?"

"How long have you felt this way?"

I considered the question. "Honestly? I'm not sure. It feels like forever. But I think I really realized it that day at the lake."

Zoe's brow furrowed. "The cliff jumping day?"

I nodded. "When you came up out of the water, laughing and so alive, I knew I wanted to make you look like that every day for the rest of my life."

She blushed, ducking her head. "Why didn't you say anything?"

"Why didn't you?" I countered.

"I asked first," she said, poking me in the chest.

I caught her hand, lacing our fingers together. "I was scared," I admitted. "You're Jake's sister. My best friend's sister. It felt wrong and I didn't think you saw me that way."

Zoe snorted. "Are you kidding? I've been pining after you since I was fifteen."

The thought of teenage Zoe harboring a crush on me brought a grin to my face. "Fifteen, huh? Was that before or after your goth phase?"

She groaned, burying her face in my chest. "Oh God, don't remind me. I can't believe you remember that."

I laughed, wrapping my arms around her. "Are you kidding? How could I forget? You in all that black eyeliner, trying to look tough, it was adorable."

Zoe pulled back, glaring up at me. "I was not adorable. I was dark and mysterious."

"You were five foot nothing and tripped over your own combat boots," I teased.

She swatted at me, but I caught her hand, pulling her close again. As our laughter faded, the reality of the situation settled over us.

"So," Zoe said softly. "What now?"

It was a good question. One I didn't have a clear answer to. "I don't know," I admitted. "This is new territory for both of us."

She nodded, chewing on her lower lip. The sight was distracting, and before I could stop myself, I was kissing her again.

This kiss was different from the first. Slower, deeper, filled with years of pent-up longing. Zoe pressed closer, her body molding against mine in a way that made my head spin.

I backed her up against the wall, lifting her easily. She wrapped her legs around my waist, and I groaned at the contact. "God, Zo..."

She smiled against my lips. "Too much?"

"Not enough," I growled, trailing kisses down her neck.

Zoe's head fell back, giving me better access. "Caleb," she breathed. "Wait."

It took every ounce of willpower I had, but I pulled back, looking at her questioningly.

"We should slow down," she said, her voice shaky. "This is a lot. And we need to tell Jake."

The mention of my best friend was like a bucket of cold water. I set Zoe down gently, taking a step back. "You're right. I'm sorry, I got carried away."

She smoothed down her dress, her cheeks flushed. "Don't apologize. I was a very willing participant."

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