He furrowed his brow. “It would be even harder for you. I want to be honest with you, so you know what you would be getting into.”
She tilted her head. “Hard how?”
He needed to word this delicately. “Girls like guys in bands. There will always be girls around, girls who will flirt with me and try to make you jealous. Try to hurt you. But you’d have to trust me. I’m not interested in any of them.”
A year ago, he’d have laughed if someone were to tell him he wouldn’t care about the girls the band drew to their gigs. The girls who looked at him with the hunger that fueled his passion. But now, he knew if he were to pursue his music without her, it would mean nothing. He didn’t want to go back to the way he was before, falling into bed with any girl he came across.
She listened carefully.
“I’m interested in you.” Slowly, his gaze wandered down her body. “And the way you look, there will be plenty of other guys interested in you. What will you do when they tell you how amazing you look?”
She tightened her arms around his waist. “I’ll say thank you.”
He ran his hand down her back. “What about when they tell you how sexy you are?”
She smiled.
AJ pressed further. “When they ask you to come home with them?”
She pulled away to look at him. “What should I tell them?”
AJ filled his voice with all the feelings inside of him. “Tell them you’re in love with me.”
Her answer was quick. “I will.”
Something like helium filled him. He might have floated away if her arms didn’t hold him so securely. “You will?”
“If you tell all those girls you’re in love with me.” The way she said it, he knew she was only half joking.
He leveled his gaze at her. “I will. I am. I love you, Cassie. Only you.”
She looked out over the sea. “It’s awfully lonely, being out in that big wide ocean all alone.”
“It’s the same up here. Too much world to be in by myself.”
“Then it’s good we found each other.”
The waves crashed to shore, the breeze blew around them, but AJ and Cassie held tight.
***
AJ packed up the Caprice for the weekend trip to Orlando. “Are you sure it’s OK to take the car? I hate to leave you stranded.”
Grandpa drew Grandma to his side. “Go ahead, AJ. Your grandmother and I will take pleasure in being marooned.”
Deidre smiled and kissed Grandpa’s cheek.
Cassie grabbed AJ’s hand in excitement, a contagious excitement that got under AJ’s skin. Man, he couldn’t wait to get started. They had so much to do.
His grandparents stood in the driveway as AJ put a bag in the trunk. He shut it and saw the bumper sticker: Have you hugged a mermaid today?
He smiled at Cassie and opened the car door.
###
About the Author
Cate Masters has made beautiful central Pennsylvania her home, but she’ll always be a Jersey girl at heart. Most days, she can be found in her lair, concocting a magical brew of contemporary, historical, and fantasy/paranormal stories with her cat Chairman Maiow and dog Lily as company. Look for her at http://catemasters.blogspot.com and in strange nooks and far-flung corners of the web.
Cate loves to hear from readers. Email her at: [email protected]
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