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."
