Chapter 25 Cateline #2
“Brought the family along this year. They’ll stay in our camper during the Enduro, but I promised them a pool, so we came a few days early.”
“Aw, you’re such a family man. Good for you.”
“I hear your brother is out for the count. Getting married?” Andrew’s eyes land on me and all traces of intimidation are gone. He looks at me kindly, with respect, much unlike the way Cain did. “And you too, by the looks of it?”
“Yes, meet Cateline. The future Mrs. Wolfe,” Connor says politely, carrying on with the charade. Perhaps he’ll be at the wedding tomorrow. I don’t know what Enduro means. I’ll have to look it up later.
Andrew and I exchange pleasantries.
“Leaving the chase and entering marriage will be the best decision you ever made, man. Chelsea will be happy to see you, too and meet you, Cateline. By the way, we’re expecting baby number four.”
“Will you be at the wedding too?” I have no idea what to expect from Cain’s wedding. In case things go wrong, maybe I can befriend Chelsea and take shelter in the camper.
“Cain’s? Oh, not a chance. No offense, Connor.”
“None taken. Wouldn’t endure it either if I didn’t have to,” he answers with no trace of sarcasm.
“No, we’ll see you the next day. Game on, friends!” They bump fists and Andrew continues to the lobby.
I follow Connor as he carries our bags down the hall and opens the door, then sets them on the table. He closes the door behind us. It’s a modest room and not necessarily a place I’d expect a famous football player to stay.
“Is this mine or yours?”
“Mine or your what?” he asks.
“Room,” I say simply.
“It’s our room. Remember, we share things now.” He laughs.
I must look stricken because he grips my upper arms.
“And there are two beds. Don’t worry. The place is booked and the nearest alternative definitely has bugs. I want to get tomorrow over as quickly as possible, so I didn’t want to stay too far away.”
I swallow thickly, meeting his copper eyes.
His lips quirk. “I trust you brought your robe and bunny slippers.”
I playfully whack him. “I trust you brought something to cover your backside.”
“Oh, come on. Everyone loves #BruiserButt. Even you, Cateline.” He smirks.
My jaw trembles slightly.
“I didn’t want to lose our reservation, so we checked in early, but we’re not settling in just yet. Come on. There’s something I want to show you.”
He takes my hand and leads me back the way we came. We get in the Jeep and drive out of the small town and toward the woods.
“Where are you taking me?”
“You’ll love it.”
Hearing him use the word love does something to me inside. I’ll love it like I loved the Blue Ridge Burger or how I do not love him?
My heart hiccups. “Ouch.” But that wasn’t why that word escaped my mouth.
Connor turns to me. “Are you okay?”
“Me? Oh, yeah. I’m fine. Just, um. Nothing. It wasn’t anything.”
Just a sharp poke in the ribs. It was the truth calling loud and clear.
I think I do not not love Connor Wolfe.
We drive through the woods until we reach a clearing. Connor spins in a circle before cutting the Jeep’s engine. Taking my hand, we walk toward the center of a field. The stars are clear and the moon is a mere crescent.
“Okay, close your eyes.”
“Um, are you going to summon wolves or something?”
He chuckles. “Definitely not. You’re safe. Trust me. This is going to be cool. We just have to be quiet and still. They should be coming back by now.”
From behind, Connor’s arms wrap around me. I can practically rest my chin on his forearm. I feel snug, like he’ll protect me from anything.
“Okay, open your eyes,” he whispers.
I do and then blink a few times as little specks of light wink in and out of focus. Glowing greenish-yellow points of light dot the field in every direction.
“What are they?”
“They’re fireflies, and if you look carefully, you may even see a blue one. They’re good luck.”
I sink back into his arms as we watch nature’s light show all around us. My body relaxes in the fresh, dewy night air and in this man’s arms. I was wrong about Connor. He’s surprised me in the best of ways.
His voice drawls to me like mist over water, like in a dream. “I’ve been thinking a lot. Turns out that I’m the luckiest man in the world.”
I crane my head to see Connor’s copper eyes spark, and ask, “Why’s that?”
“Because of right now. Because of this. You.”
“Now? This? Me?”
He takes my hand and twists me to face him. “I happen to know you’re a very good dancer. Care to teach me a move or two?”
“You already took a ballet lesson.”
His lips twitch at the corners. “I mean ballroom dancing, the kind you might use at a wedding.”
I think I got an accurate read on Connor’s brother and I doubt we’ll be attending a wedding reception with a ballroom. “How do you know I can dance?”
He scrunches his nose as if he’s not buying my demure reply.
I grip his back and join our hands and then begin to move, but before we get more than a few steps in, Connor takes the lead like he’s been doing this all his life.
“Wait a minute, I thought you wanted lessons.”
He winks. “I catch on quickly...and maybe I know a thing or two. I just wanted an excuse to dance with you.”
“Oh, yeah, what other secrets do you have, Mr. Wolfe?”
“Plenty, Miss Berghier. Plenty.” Connor’s feet go still.
So does the world. The air, the fireflies, and my heart stops as he leans in. I can’t help but watch his eyes and his lips, anticipating what’s about to happen. Telling myself I should stop it, but not wanting to. Not at all.
Connor’s hands find their way to the pins in my bun and he starts to pull them loose. My head and shoulders relax as he runs his fingers through my hair.
I let out an exhale I’ve been holding onto for years.
Connor’s nose nuzzles my neck. His breath whispers across my skin before I blink my eyes shut.
His lips find mine and I see sparks behind my eyes, fireflies. The blue ones. His mouth and my mouth dance together as if they’d choreographed the moves without our knowing. The rhythm is easy, light, fun. I can’t help but smile, breaking the kiss for one moment.
Our gazes catch and his grin is as wide as mine, like now we share a secret. Then our mouths crash together again.
The tempo changes, it’s stronger now, more insistent, leading to the crescendo of the ballet.
The big moment when desires and expectations the audience didn’t know they had are met with triumphant leaps and spins.
Only, this dance, this kiss, is all our own.
It’s for an audience of two and we know it.
It’s just us.
The kiss deepens, goes to unexpected places that make me curious, filled with longing for more, another kiss and another, like stepping stones into a future when our lips meeting is a sure thing. A promise.
Connor’s fingers find mine and they lace together before smoothing along my back and cupping the nape of my neck. He kisses me once, twice, three times, marking me as wanted, wonderful, and his.
My hands do their own exploring and his muscles are more than I imagined. He is, too. Not a big brute with bad manners. Not a bad-boy football player with a cocky attitude. Connor is wanted, wonderful, and at least in this enchanted field filled with fireflies, he’s mine too.
Breathless, we part and he hugs me with his strong, capable arms, reminding me of one of the many trees surrounding us. Rooted, meaning we’re together and he’s not going anywhere.
Our gazes meet to confirm what just happened. He wears a smirk. My cheeks are pink from his stubble and letting down my guard, being free with him.
Hand in hand, we walk back to the Jeep.
I’ve spent hours dancing without any breaks, but nothing has ever made me as weak in the knees as kissing Connor Wolfe.