Worth It All(69)

“No.”

“You sure?” He peeked over at her, thinking maybe she answered too quickly. “If she needs anything, Hannah will call us and we’ll be up the hill in two minutes or Stephen will walk her down.”

“I’m fine. It’s good. I’m glad she stayed.”

He pulled her to a stop and searched her eyes to see if she was really okay. Deciding she was, he slid his hands down and around her lower back. “I’m glad she stayed too.”

“Oh, is that why you were all for the sleepover?” she teased.

“No.” He kissed along her jaw. “I was going to do this anyway, it’s just going to be faster now.” He tipped her face up to his for a kiss, loving the way she kissed him back and knowing it had to be quick and light or they wouldn’t make it to the cabin.

“Was it weird having me here?”

“No. Absolutely not.” He hugged her against him. “If anything, it made it better.”

“So you’re glad you came?”

“Absolutely. A very good decision,” he added against her lips. “And about to get even better.” He took her hand and started walking again, eager to get to the cabin and kiss more than her lips.

“I love it here. It’s magical, something right out of a storybook.”

He agreed, but thought mostly the magic was her.

“I was always jealous of the kids at school and their vacations to the beach or the mountains.”

“I can’t see you being jealous.”

“I was. Not for the places, just the trips, the time. Riding in a car, asking, ‘Are we there yet?’ ”

“You never did that?”

“No. The only time I packed my stuff was when the landlord pounded on the door, threatening to throw us out. I’m not sure he ever would have, but I went through a phase of keeping my stuff in a trash bag beside my bed. Like…”

“Like what?”

“Like he might come any minute and throw us out into the night.” She shook her head at herself like she’d been silly. “I survived.”

“You did more than survive.” He brought her fingers to his lips. “And you know, you always shrug when you try to brush things off. Like you don’t want me to know it bothers you.”

She shrugged, and they shared a small laugh, but even in the quiet, he could feel she had more to say. They went a little further before she finally spoke.

“I don’t ever want Casey to feel like that, like the rug is about to be pulled out from under her. I never want Casey to know that fear of having no home, or to have to take her mom’s boyfriend’s half-eaten sandwich out of the garbage and put it in her lunchbox.”

Fuck. “Paige, I would never let that happen.”

“But, I can’t let that happen.” She pulled him to a stop. “I have to make sure it doesn’t, and I’m so afraid if I step off the line, I might go too far and never find it again.”

“And am I off the line?” That was his fear. That she would think of him as too big of a risk. That she’d walk away from what they could have.

“I don’t know. I don’t know what I can do here, with us. I don’t know what I can be and I don’t want to hurt you. I think—”

“Don’t.” He put his finger over her lips and curled his other hand around her neck, knowing she needed control like others needed air. “Don’t think. Just be with me. That’s all you need to do. You don’t have to know anything or decide anything. One day at a time. Nothing else will change. You’re not stepping off the line.

“No decisions. Nothing will change. You’ll work, you’ll go to school. You’ll stick to your plan. But don’t run away from what we have because you’re afraid. Or because of someone else’s mistakes.”

Her eyes searched his and he waited for what seemed like forever for her to agree. “Okay.”

Letting out a relieved sigh, he lowered his mouth to hers. After a long, lingering kiss, he lowered himself in front of her. “Get on.”

She did and he carried her the short distance left to the cabin. They made their way laughing, and he was grateful he could still make her laugh after the sudden strike of uncertainty he’d just seen in her eyes. His stumble up the steps had more to do with her teeth on his ear than him carrying her.

Paige got off his back in a slow, sensual slide, but he could still feel her body pressed against him. Her hands crept under his shirt and around to his stomach. His hand froze on the door to the cabin when her fingertips skimmed the waistband of his jeans. Thank God she was anxious, because he was desperate.