Page 28 of Two Is Better Than One

Their breathing caused their bodies to flex and move, and Casey had the sensation that he wanted to absorb her. If he could only absorb her into his own body, then she'd be so much easier to protect. He held onto her, thankful that she initiated this contact. She leaned up, close enough to whisper to him. Her voice came out softly and uncertainly.

"Casey, would you kiss me?"

Casey kissed her deeply. From the instant their mouths touched, he opened his mouth to hers. She seemed nervous and insecure, and Casey took control. Summer responded by melting in his arms. She kissed him back, but it was Casey's kiss. He knew his cousin was in the next room, so he moved silently, but Casey kissed her like a… he couldn't think of what… he… he was lost in it.

He and Summer had gone all day with absolutely no physical contact. They had been in front of others and had maintained a completely professional relationship.

Casey was not being a professional, currently.

He was not here for the job.

He liked Summer. He thought he might even love her. He held her, not wanting to ever let her go again. Her lips were soft and perfect, and her kiss was like honey. The two of them held onto each other tightly as they kissed. Two or three minutes passed while they silently, sweetly, softly but passionately connected in the hallway.

Casey pulled back and looked at Summer's perfect face before kissing her lips several more times. He pulled back, staring into her soft blue eyes, which were brimming with tears.

"Are you okay? Is this okay?" he whispered.

"Yes. I just care."

"You care about what?"

"You. Everything. About you. Your arm. You're just healing it, and now you're going back to work. I think about you getting hurt. I care. I'm scared that I care." She touched the edge of his face.

"I won't get hurt, but I like that you care. I care too. We don't need to be scared that we care. It's fine."

They stayed there in each other's arms for what must've been a few minutes.

"I'm going back out there," he said. "If I don't, they'll wonder about us."

"Okay," she said. "I'm going in the bedroom for a minute, and we can come out separately to play it off."

She pulled away, and Casey held her there, stopping her. She glanced at him curiously.

"I care," he assured her.

Summer smiled and kissed him for saying that. "I care more."

The two of them silently broke apart and Casey opened and closed the bathroom door before heading back to the living room. His cousin and Allie were nowhere in plain sight, but it only took a few seconds to find them on the balcony. Casey could see them through the window. Allie was sitting in a chair with her arms wrapped around her knees and she was talking to AJ who was standing at the edge of the balcony, looking over.

Casey was buzzed from the kiss. His body was humming like he had just been in a high-speed chase. This was bad. He had never felt this way about a woman.

Casey went through the motions of getting his cousin and going home, but he had been around Summer all afternoon, and by the time he got to kiss her, he felt like he was about to explode.

***

Casey and AJ went over to Casey's dad's house because Max had a large home with a pool and food, and the guys wanted to unwind.

Max had invited everyone over for dinner, so Casey's brothers, Caleb and Charlie, and their respective families would be there. The house was full of family when they arrived. Charlie and Hope had a two-year-old and a newborn, Caleb was there with his wife, Chloe, and the boys ate and swam and recounted stories of the unusual day spent at Vincent Mann's mansion.

Caleb and Chloe both had different stories of Vincent, just from living in Miami and knowing people. Casey and AJ, after going to Vincent's house, confirmed that the crazy stories must have been true.

"What about those women?" Caleb asked after they had the chance to catch up. "The sisters. The twins."

"What about them?" Casey asked.

"Are you interested in either of them? You guys sure do talk about them a lot."

"I was thinking that, too," Chloe chimed in, nodding.

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