Page 66 of The Summer Intern

"I'm really stressed," I admitted, my voice sounding foreign to my own ears—low, uncertain, stripped of its usual defensive edge.I swallowed hard before adding, "We don't have much time left."

Matt's arm tightened around me, and he shifted to face me more directly.I kept my eyes fixed on the dying fire, afraid of what he might see if I met his gaze.His hand slid from my shoulder to the small of my back, the heat of his palm seeping through my sweater.

"Look at me," he said softly.

I reluctantly dragged my eyes from the embers to his face.The faint orange glow caught the angles of his features—the straight line of his nose, the curve of his cheekbones, the fullness of his lower lip.His blue eyes looked almost black in the low light, but I could still see the softness in them.

"We have tonight," he said, his hand giving a gentle squeeze at the small of my back."And there's no point in losing what tonight could be while worrying about tomorrow.Live in the moment, and trust that it'll work out."

Something in his words—their simplicity, their certainty—cracked something open inside me.I felt raw, exposed, my carefully constructed walls crumbling like sand castles at high tide.My vision blurred, and I realized with horror that my eyes were glistening with unshed tears.

Fuck that.I would not cry.Not over this.Not over him."What if I can't trust?"

"It's enough for now."

"That's some grade-A bullshit, Blackstone," I managed, but my voice cracked traitorously."Enough for now?What about next week?September?When I'm back in Oregon and you're—"

"Hey," he interrupted, both hands now framing my face, forcing me to maintain eye contact."One day at a time.If we're meant to be, we'll find our way to each other, no matter the obstacles."

His thumbs brushed lightly over my cheekbones, and I could feel the calluses on his hands—rough from years of outdoor work, familiar now against my skin.I'd memorized those hands, their strength, and surprising gentleness.His trust that we'd be okay was as comforting as it was insane, and I didn't know which to react to.

A wave of want crashed through me, fierce and desperate.If time was running out, I'd take what I could get.

Before I could second-guess myself, I moved in one fluid motion, uncurling from my hunched position and climbing onto his lap.My knees settled on either side of his thighs, the wooden bench creaking beneath our shifted weight.The new position put us eye to eye, my hands finding purchase on his broad shoulders for balance.

Matt's surprise lasted only a second before his hands found my hips, steadying me.

"Casey," he breathed, his eyes widening slightly.

"Shut up," I muttered, and leaned in to kiss him.

Our lips met with a familiar spark—static from the dry air, but it jolted me, nonetheless.What started as a forceful press softened almost as Matt responded, his mouth moving against mine with practiced ease.He tasted faintly of the marshmallows from earlier s'mores and something else uniquely him.I inhaled sharply through my nose, unwilling to break the contact even for breath.

Matt's hands slid from my hips to my lower back, drawing me closer until our chests pressed together.The heat between us rivaled the dying fire, each point of contact sending sparks along my nerve endings.My fingers tangled in his hair, pulling it free from its man bun to spill around his shoulders.The soft strands twined around my fingers as I deepened the kiss, my tongue sliding against his in a rhythm we'd perfected over stolen moments throughout the summer.

A small, desperate sound escaped my throat—humiliating in its neediness, but I was beyond caring.I rolled my hips forward, creating delicious friction between us.Matt groaned in response, the sound vibrating against my lips.

He broke the kiss, his breathing ragged against my cheek."Casey, we're still in the open," he whispered, but his hands belied his concern, sliding down to cup my ass and pull me even tighter against him.

"Everyone's gone," I gasped, glancing quickly around the deserted fire pit.The camp had gone silent, the lights in the dorms dimmed for the night.Even the usual night sounds—counselors making rounds, the occasional giggling camper sneaking to the bathroom—seemed distant and muffled."No one's coming back here."

"You're killing me," Matt muttered, but he didn't push me away.Instead, his grip on my ass tightened, his fingers digging into the muscle through my jeans with a possessiveness that made my breath catch.

I rocked against him again, feeling him harden beneath me.His head fell back, exposing the column of his throat.I couldn't resist leaning in to press my lips there, tasting salt and feeling his pulse hammer against my tongue.

"God, Casey," he groaned, one hand sliding up under my sweater to splay across my lower back, skin to skin.His palm felt like a brand, marking me."Keep this up and I'm going to fuck you right here."

His words, rough with desire, sent a shiver up my spine that had nothing to do with the night air.The image they conjured—Matt laying me down on the bench, or maybe on the ground beside the dying fire, our bodies moving together under the stars—made me dizzy with want.

"Maybe that's what I'm after," I challenged, pulling back just enough to see his face.

In the faint glow of the embers, his expression was a complex mix of desire and something deeper, something that made my stomach flip in a way that wasn't entirely comfortable.His eyes searched mine, looking past the bravado to the vulnerability beneath.

"I want you," he said, the words sending a fresh wave of heat through me."Fuck, Casey, you know I do.Always.But not as a distraction.Not as a way to avoid talking about what's really bothering you."

I slumped against him, burying my face in the crook of his neck.His arms wrapped around me, holding me close in a way that felt more intimate than the grinding of our bodies had been moments before.

"I hate that you know me," I mumbled against his skin.

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