Chapter Eight
The beach glittered with tiny bursts of light.
Night had fallen—their last night at the lake—and the group had brought drinks and sparklers to the beach to celebrate.
Unlike the others, Juliette wasn’t sad to see their vacation end.
She’d had enough of sharing a house with so many people.
She was ready to go home, and besides, she lived within walking distance of a lake.
Sure, it was smaller than this one and didn’t have an island at its center, but it was enough.
Or it had been, until today. Because her lake—and her home—were missing one thing: Morgan’s smile.
Morgan’s dimples. Morgan’s light. Morgan found beauty in places Juliette never thought to look.
Case in point, Juliette spotted her crouched on the beach near the water’s edge, photographing a sparkler that she’d stuck in the sand.
Juliette approached, any thoughts of arriving unannounced spoiled as Roux ran ahead of her to plant a big sloppy kiss on Morgan’s cheek.
Juliette wished she were the one kissing Morgan.
Of course, she was the one who’d backpedaled when they nearly kissed in the tent earlier, but she’d spent the rest of the afternoon filled with regret.
She was on the beach now not to play with sparklers but to make amends. Hoping for the chance to see Morgan again after tonight . . . if that was what Morgan wanted too. Juliette was still terrified of getting hurt, but she was equally scared of what it would feel like to never see Morgan again.
Morgan looked up at her, a smile flickering across her face as the sparkler cast her in sizzling splashes of light, revealing her dimples. The sparkler faded to a glowing ember as Juliette approached. “Hi.”
“Hi yourself. Take a walk with me?” Juliette extended a hand.
Morgan gripped it, allowing Juliette to tug her to her feet. “Where to?”
Juliette gestured vaguely into the darkness.
She just wanted privacy from the group. Morgan fell into step beside her, barefoot on the pale sand.
She’d showered and changed into jean shorts and a gauzy pink top.
Roux trotted ahead and picked up a stick, then turned and ran back to show off his prize.
“Quel joli baton, Roux,” Juliette told him, then glanced at Morgan, who had a blank look on her face. “Sorry. I have a habit of speaking to him in French. It’s a great stick he found, isn’t it? He loves the praise.”
Morgan grinned. “A very nice stick, Roux. Good job, buddy.”
Roux pranced, tail up and wagging, preening at their praise.
They reached the far edge of the beach, where the man-made sand ended and nature claimed the shoreline.
Thick trees provided a canopy overhead while the lake glistened to their left.
Laughter and conversation echoed from the group behind them, and the air held the lemony scent of citronella to keep the mosquitos at bay.
Something splashed in the water—probably a fish. Juliette looked around for her dog.
“Roux,” she called. He trotted back to her, and she rewarded him with a cookie before pushing a button on his collar to turn on its LED light. It gleamed a bright orange, transforming him into a glowing beacon in the night.
“Oh,” Morgan said with a startled laugh.
“Now I won’t lose him in the dark.” She looked at Morgan, nerves prickling through her system. How to say what she needed to say?
“Do me a favor?” Morgan asked before she could find the words.
Juliette nodded. “Of course.”
“There’s a shot I’ve been wanting to try.” Morgan held up an unlit sparkler. “Once I light this, will you pose with it like you’re blowing on a dandelion?”
Juliette nodded, immediately envisioning what Morgan had described.
It sounded unique and beautiful. She watched as Morgan lit the sparkler, then she reached for it, breath catching in her throat as her fingers brushed against Morgan’s.
Juliette held the sparkler in front of her face, feeling the occasional sting of sparks as they hit her fingers.
As her eyes held Morgan’s through the bursts of light, she felt that same sting in her stomach, sparks bursting through her system with a heat and intensity she hadn’t experienced in so long, she’d almost forgotten what it felt like.
She couldn’t remember the last time she’d craved more than just the taste of a woman’s lips or the feel of their bodies pressed together.
With Morgan, she craved that and more. So much more. Every cell in Juliette’s body ached with yearning . . . including her heart.
The click of a shutter almost made her jump. Morgan had lifted her camera and snapped a picture of Juliette looking at her through the haze of sparks snapping between them.
“Not quite the shot I was after, but . . . wow.” Morgan stepped closer, turning the camera around so Juliette was looking at the viewfinder.
With effort, she dragged her gaze from Morgan’s face to the little screen illuminated in her hands.
There she saw her own face, and . . . wow indeed.
The sparkler took up the middle of the screen, sparks dancing from its central flame in vibrant oranges and yellows.
Juliette’s face was visible behind it, cast in deep shadow with occasional splashes of light.
It gave her an ethereal vibe that she had to admit was enchanting.
“It’s a gorgeous shot,” Juliette said softly.
“. . . of a gorgeous woman,” Morgan murmured.
Juliette leaned in, and this time there wasn’t a dog between them. She hadn’t said any of the things she needed to say—not yet, at least—but right now, this felt like the best thing in the world. Her lips met Morgan’s with a heat that rivaled all the sparklers on the beach.