It was damned impossible not to like the woman.
I angled an eye at the one next to me. Every cell in my body fisted. Yeah, it was impossible not to like her, too.
“What?” Salem asked, redness hinting at her cheek when she caught me staring.
“You’re so pretty.”
Her lips twitched up along with the faint shyness that I glimpsed every now and again.
This vixen who had so many complex layers. I couldn’t wait to peel back each one.
“Pretty, huh?” It was a soft play from her mouth as she gave me a little check of her hip that hit me in the thigh since she was at least a foot shorter than me.
Rinsing the last plate, I handed it to her then grabbed the dishtowel on the counter to dry my hands. Salem placed it into the dishwasher and shut the door, pushing a button to make it spin to life.
Like she felt me staring, which I most definitely was doing, she turned to look at me. This woman who was making me forget every single thing I knew about myself.
I slipped my palm along the contour of her jaw, tipped it up, murmured, “Beautiful. Meaning of it. Every part. This face and this body and this heart.”
“Jud.” My name was affection. A question. Confusion.
“I’m right here, darlin’,” I promised her.
“I see that.” Then she narrowed those eyes at me. “I thought it was my decision what happened in the morning?”
There was a lilting tease that infiltrated her voice.
“Well, see, gorgeous, I felt some kind of uncertainty on your part on how that was going to go down, so I thought I might nudge you in the right direction.”
Her brow arched. “Right direction?”
“One where the two of us meet.”
Reservations slithered across her skin, that gaze dimming with them, though I could feel the rest of her reaching for me. As if she could sink right in.
I hesitated, then asked, “What Juniper said earlier? About the adventures…”
I eyed her as I asked it, already knowing the answer. Moisture filled that gaze, and she blew out a heavy sigh as she nodded. “It’s what I started telling her when I’d rush to pack our things and we’d leave in the night…that we were going on an adventure.”
My thumb traced her lips, and I tried to keep it together, to rein the stampede that was going to trample my soul. “To keep her from being scared?”
She could barely nod.
“You’re amazing.”
She started to shake her head, to pull away, but I forced her to remain looking at me.
“Need you to promise me one thing.”
Her expression twisted in question. In the trust there was no doubt was hard for her to give.
“Next time you get scared? Next time you want to run? Promise me you’ll run to me.”
“I’m scared every single day, Jud.” Her confession was out on a pained breath.
I took her by both sides of the face. “I have you, Salem. I have you.”
I leaned in, intent on kissing the hell out of her, when the doorbell rang.
Salem pulled back to put three inches between us, though I couldn’t find it in me to let her free of my grip.
Juni raced to the window to peer out through the drape. “Oh, no, it’s your mom and dad, Gage.”
Juni cried it like it was the end of the world.
I couldn’t help but grin. “She is something, Salem. The cutest little thing.”
Tenderness ridged her lips, though her expression rippled with heartache. “I’m sorry if it hurts you, being around her,” she clarified.
My head shook, and I took her hand, kissed her knuckles. “No, baby, she’s a part of you.”
Fuck.
There I went.
Sinking in.
Deeper and deeper.
Salem froze for a beat before she seemed to shake herself out of it and stepped back far enough to break the connection. She glanced at me once as she turned then eased into the living room. I followed close behind.
Juni freed the lock and opened the door wide.
“Gage can’t goes yet, we aren’t done playing our game and he gots to stay and finish because Imma about to win. Girls rule, you know.” All of it had flooded from Juni’s mouth before anyone got the chance to say hello.
Soft affection breezed from Eden’s laughter, and she ran her hand over the top of Gage’s head as she stepped inside. “Oh, well, I’m sorry to interrupt. How about five more minutes, and then we need to get out of their hair.”
“Hair? You aren’t in our hair.” Juni squished up her nose.
So damned cute.
Eden looked our way. Kindness shined from her being.
“Eden, hi,” Salem whispered, going for her friend at the same time Eden moved her way. Eden wrapped her arms around her and hugged her tight.
Trent entered behind, uneasy as usual, eyes darting around like he was assessing for a threat. That unease was shifting into a disbelieving smirk when he saw me hovering in the kitchen like I had the right to be there.