The Wedding Pact Box Set - Denise Grover Swank Page 0,74

She lifted her head and grinned. “Who falls this hard for a guy within twenty-four hours of meeting him?”

“Lots of people fall in love at first sight. My parents did.”

She blinked in surprise. “Your parents fell in love at first sight?”

He grabbed a strand of her hair that brushed over his bare chest. “So they claim. And they were happily married for twenty-one years.”

“Well, this isn’t love at first sight,” she grinned against his lips. “More like lust.” She kissed him with a passion that showed him how much she still wanted him.

Was she right? Was what he was feeling no more than lust? Did he have to put a label on it? He only knew the rapidly approaching wedding spelled a likely end for their new relationship . . . and the extracurricular sleuthing he and Noah were doing amped that “likely” up to a “certainly.”

He was more determined than ever to come clean in the hopes she would forgive him, not that he deserved it. But even Libby had told him Megan wore her heart on her sleeve. Maybe she would understand his desperation. Well, he wasn’t sure how to fix the mess he’d created, but he didn’t need a solution right this minute. While the likelihood of losing her was higher than not, he had a choice to make: he could start mourning his impending loss of her now, or he could spend every minute with her while he could.

He chose the latter.

He rolled her onto her back, and she giggled as he lowered his face to her neck. “So what are your plans, Ms. Vandemeer? Are we going back to your parents’ house?”

“Oh, God, no.”

“So we’re camping under the stars?”

“Unless you have a better idea.”

“I can’t think of a single one.” He pushed up on his elbow. “But we either need to get dressed or cover up with your blanket. Unless you’re a nudist like your gram.”

She laughed. “I’m not, but getting dressed is a waste of time, don’t you think?” The sparkle in her eyes made it impossible not to kiss her.

“See?” she said. “You just proved my point. Besides, this spot can only be accessed from the campsite, and no one’s going to try camping here now that my car’s parked there.”

He grabbed the blanket and spread it across them, glancing back at the trail they’d used to get to the clearing.

“I think we’re safe, Josh,” she teased. “You’re awfully uptight. Maybe Gram’s right. Maybe you are a prude.”

“You realize that sounds like a challenge . . . ?”

She laughed. “Take it as you will. Still, we’re safe from prying eyes. Unless we count the monstrous raccoons.” She cocked an eyebrow. “You don’t happen to have any food in your pockets, do you?”

“Nope.”

“Then we’re good.”

She rolled on her side to face him. “So tell me more about your family. Is it anything like mine?”

“No offense, Megan, but I don’t think there’s any family like yours.”

She laughed. “Fair enough.”

“Why do you let her get to you so much?” Her smile faded, and he was instantly sorry he asked, but he was curious to know. “On the plane you took on that flight attendant without a second thought. Your job is to fight corporations bent on deforestation. Hell, you’ll take on a wild raccoon—” his voice softened, “—but you won’t stand up to your mother.” He tucked a strand of hair behind her ear. “That’s such a contradiction to the woman I’ve gotten to know . . . the woman the rest of the world sees. I just don’t get it.”

She worried her bottom lip with her upper teeth, then looked into his eyes. “It’s not that easy to answer, Josh.”

“Then try.”

She took a deep breath and pushed it out, looking sadder by the millisecond.

“I’m sorry,” he murmured, running his hand down her arm. “It’s none of my business.”

A wry smile twisted her mouth. “That’s not exactly true, is it? My inability to stand up to my mother has gotten you into this strange situation.”

He grinned, leaning in to kiss her. “I kind of like where I am right now.”

She pushed him onto his back and leaned her breasts against his bare chest. He felt himself stirring again—the sight of her bare curves driving him crazy.

“I kind of like where I am right now, too.” She brushed her lips against his. “The funny thing is that she was different when I was a kid. She laughed and had fun. She was a regular mom for the