Page 60 of Heart of Stone
“Alright. You’ve teased me for long enough with the promise of dessert,” I declared after he’d gotten the fire started. “What are my options?”
“Banana boats or campfire cones.”
Surprise washed over me, my jaw falling open.
Reid laughed. “What’s that look about?”
“For a guy who doesn’t like campfires, you sure know how to make one special. And considering I’m a girl who loves campfires and doesn’t have a clue what those choices are, I’m wondering if you’ve been holding out on me.”
Laughter spilled out of him again as he pulled out what he’d brought with him. “Banana boats are precisely that. We’ll take a banana, slice it in half, and top it with whatever you like. Chocolate, peanut butter, strawberries, nuts. There are endlessoptions. Then we’ll wrap them in foil and heat them over the fire.”
My mouth watered.
“The campfire cones are a little twist on s’mores, I guess. I brought ice cream cones that we can fill with mini marshmallows and chocolate chips, if you want to go traditional. We can also switch it up and put some fruit and chocolate inside. It’s really up to you. Either way, you’re looking at ten minutes after we’ve assembled whatever we decide on for it to be ready.”
I licked my lips, belatedly noticing Reid’s gaze dropping to them. “I’m convinced that temptation is one of your many talents. I don’t know which I want.”
“Why choose? We can do both.”
I perked up, my excitement apparent. “Really?”
Still amused by me, Reid laughed. “Yes, Natalia. You can have whatever you want.”
I tried not to assume there was any innuendo in those words, but when he spoke with that voice, it wasn’t like I could avoid it.
For the next few minutes, Reid and I assembled our treats and wrapped them in foil. Once we had them heating over the fire, I felt compelled to be honest with him. “I know we haven’t had our desserts yet, but I need to tell you something.”
Concern littered his features. “What’s going on?”
Tears welled in my eyes, and my throat grew tight. “This has been the most wonderful day I’ve had in a very long time. I don’t know how to thank you.”
Relief swept in, and he smiled at me. “You don’t need to thank me. It’s been a great day for me, too.”
I swiped at a rogue tear and gave him a nod.
For a few beats, we simply stared at one another, something passing between us in our prolonged stares.
Reid finally broke the silence. “It wouldn’t be awkward, you know?”
I had not a clue what he was talking about. “What wouldn’t?”
He hesitated for just a second. “If you crawled into my lap and hugged me.”
The crackling fire was the only thing dulling the sound of the blood rushing in my ears. I hadn’t mentioned anything about crawling into his lap, but that didn’t mean I wasn’t appreciative of the invitation. I nervously bit my lip.
And a moment later, I crawled into his lap.
Reid’s arms came around me, holding me tight against him, as I hugged him and inhaled the scent of him.
When I loosened my hold, which happened much sooner than I would have liked, my eyes met his.
“We’ve got ten minutes.”
“What?”
The muscle twitched in his jaw. “Before dinner, we had twenty minutes to kill, and you asked me to do the work by talking to you.”
Understanding dawned. “So, you want me to spend the next ten minutes talking to you?”
