Page 97

JAMES

I have a lot of cleanup to do, is all,

and we open at 5:00 a.m. every day.

ANNIE

(standing)

Can I help with dishes? I really don’t

mind.

JAMES

It’s fine. I like doing dishes. They

help clear my head.

Chapter 17

Ellie

We burst into the cabin in a flurry of giggles, adrenaline rushing from the close call and quick escape. My heart is pounding in my ears and all my limbs are tingling. I feel like I can take on the world. Mariah is flushed pink and she has the widest smile on her face I’ve ever seen. She plops her purse down, spilling its spicy contents on the floor.

“You were amazing!” I shout.

“No,youwere amazing!” She grins, matching my energy.

I grip her forearms. “You acted, Mariah—you really did it!”

Her hands grab my elbows, her bright eyes sparkling with excitement. “Yeah, but you snuck around in there and planted all the pranks and didn’t even get caught.”

“But you managed to get his phone!”

“That’s nothing compared to the eggs. How the hell did you find live eggs in such a short amount of time?”

I purse my lips. “I got them from the grocery store. They’re unfertilized.”

Mariah’s eyes widen. “You mean he’s going to waste hours of time keeping a bunch of eggs warm that will never hatch?”

“Yup!”

“Genius.”

“I couldn’t have done it without you. You’re the best teammate ever.” I squeeze her tighter, my heart pounding faster.

“Wearethe best team, aren’t we?” she says, her voice softening, the excitement in her eyes shifting to something else. I can’t place the look, can’t find the words to describe it, but I can feel it. My body reacts instinctively, stilling my thoughts while simultaneously causing them to race. Everything goes quiet, fading into the background, until it’s just me and her.

I follow the pull in the base of my belly, releasing Mariah’s forearms and taking her waist instead. I look from the twinkling gleam in her eye down to her plump, parted lips.

We pause here, breath intermingling, static sparking between us, the moment heavy with anticipation—with want, withneed.

Mariah closes the gap between us, and the swift movement brings us together. Her lips are soft, softer than anything I have ever felt. The way she kisses me, moulding her lips to mine, brings a low involuntary hum from my throat.

Her hands release my arms and find their way to my back, deft fingers tracing the line of my shoulder blades beneath my shirt, while my own hands move lower to her hips. We step closer, craving nearness, as our lips continue their gentle, slow exploration.

Her tongue licks across my bottom lip once, and I don’t react quickly enough before it returns to her mouth. I follow her lead, my tongue grazing her lips, asking for her to come back. She obliges, and when our tongues meet in a tentative dance, my knees weaken and a throb begins to build between my legs.