feeling like a first date to
something more. We laugh and joke together with such ease, if you didn't know
it, you could easily believe we had been together for months, if not longer. He
keeps his hand in mine the entire day, only letting go when I run forward,
excited to see something new. It feels good. It feels scary as hell. It feels
right.
Every time he looks at me, my heart
flutters in my chest and I have to remind myself to breathe again. There is
just something about his eyes. They hold so much emotion in their stormy gray
depths. He looks at me, focusing solely on me, and the entire world melts away.
No matter what I try, I can't break contact. He holds me prisoner. I am his
willing captive. Truthfully, it scares the living hell out of me, but I refuse
to run away from whatever the future holds for us. I deserve this.
“Have you ever ridden a camel?” Lucas asks
me, snapping me out of my thoughts.
“A what? A camel? No.” Saying I am
confused would be an understatement. He sees the perplexed look on my face and
laughs a deep, throaty laugh that causes chills to break out along my skin
despite the hot as Hades temperature outside.
“Come on. You have to try it! And then we
can go and get some dinner.” I am still peering at him speculatively when he
pulls me through the gate labeled Camel rides . I can't believe this is a
thing. Like, people actually climb up on the backs on the camels and ride them?
Seriously? He pulls me forward, tossing two tickets to the attendant at the
booth, and then we wait as the camels are brought forward.
“Together or separate? The attendant asks,
and Lucas looks at me questioningly. I shrug my shoulders, even though I am
about to crawl out of my skin I am so nervous.
“Together,” he states, and I don't know if
I am relieved or worried. I guess a little of both, really. I'm relieved that I
won’t have to be up on one of these things alone, but I'm really worried
because I won't be up on one of these things alone. I'll be with Lucas. Close.
Too Close. I don't know if I can handle this.
The attendant carries a ladder in his
hands, setting it next to the camel the other attendant is holding the reins
to. He gestures for me to come forward, and I do on shaking legs. He explains
that I need to climb to the top step and then put my left foot in the stirrup
and sling my right leg over. I follow his directions perfectly, and before I
know it, I am sitting seven feet off the ground . . . on a camel's back.
Moments later, Lucas swings up directly behind me, and all thoughts of the
camel disappear, replaced by other much more delicious thoughts. Like how his
chest feels pressed against my back and how his arms circle my waist, cocooning
me in his embrace from both sides as he holds the reins. I feel his legs brush
against mine, and I think I am going to faint. I squeeze Everly closer as the
camel shakes beneath us, and for the first time in I don’t how long, I pray. Please,
God, don’t let me faint .
Breathe, Charlee.
Breathe.
In.
Out.
In.
Out.
The guy on the ground moves the ladder out
the way, and the camel takes a bumpy step forward, followed by another. I rock
back into Lucas. I can feel the warmth of his skin burn through my clothes and into
my skin. My breath is coming in shallow pants that I can't seem to control.
“This is fun, right?” His breath tickles
my ear as he whispers against it. I glance down at my hands, sure that they are
shaking. They aren't, but I am. On the inside, my whole body is trembling
uncontrollably.
“Yes. Yes, it is,” I reply breathlessly.
What is he doing to me? I am not this person.
He reaches forward and brushes a loose
hair back away from my neck. His finger barely touches my skin, and yet I feel
like he just electrocuted me. My body is on fire. His hand curves around
Everly’s head, caressing it gently before trailing down her soft cheek. That
sweet gesture is my undoing. It’s one thing to make me feel wanted and desired,
but
something more. We laugh and joke together with such ease, if you didn't know
it, you could easily believe we had been together for months, if not longer. He
keeps his hand in mine the entire day, only letting go when I run forward,
excited to see something new. It feels good. It feels scary as hell. It feels
right.
Every time he looks at me, my heart
flutters in my chest and I have to remind myself to breathe again. There is
just something about his eyes. They hold so much emotion in their stormy gray
depths. He looks at me, focusing solely on me, and the entire world melts away.
No matter what I try, I can't break contact. He holds me prisoner. I am his
willing captive. Truthfully, it scares the living hell out of me, but I refuse
to run away from whatever the future holds for us. I deserve this.
“Have you ever ridden a camel?” Lucas asks
me, snapping me out of my thoughts.
“A what? A camel? No.” Saying I am
confused would be an understatement. He sees the perplexed look on my face and
laughs a deep, throaty laugh that causes chills to break out along my skin
despite the hot as Hades temperature outside.
“Come on. You have to try it! And then we
can go and get some dinner.” I am still peering at him speculatively when he
pulls me through the gate labeled Camel rides . I can't believe this is a
thing. Like, people actually climb up on the backs on the camels and ride them?
Seriously? He pulls me forward, tossing two tickets to the attendant at the
booth, and then we wait as the camels are brought forward.
“Together or separate? The attendant asks,
and Lucas looks at me questioningly. I shrug my shoulders, even though I am
about to crawl out of my skin I am so nervous.
“Together,” he states, and I don't know if
I am relieved or worried. I guess a little of both, really. I'm relieved that I
won’t have to be up on one of these things alone, but I'm really worried
because I won't be up on one of these things alone. I'll be with Lucas. Close.
Too Close. I don't know if I can handle this.
The attendant carries a ladder in his
hands, setting it next to the camel the other attendant is holding the reins
to. He gestures for me to come forward, and I do on shaking legs. He explains
that I need to climb to the top step and then put my left foot in the stirrup
and sling my right leg over. I follow his directions perfectly, and before I
know it, I am sitting seven feet off the ground . . . on a camel's back.
Moments later, Lucas swings up directly behind me, and all thoughts of the
camel disappear, replaced by other much more delicious thoughts. Like how his
chest feels pressed against my back and how his arms circle my waist, cocooning
me in his embrace from both sides as he holds the reins. I feel his legs brush
against mine, and I think I am going to faint. I squeeze Everly closer as the
camel shakes beneath us, and for the first time in I don’t how long, I pray. Please,
God, don’t let me faint .
Breathe, Charlee.
Breathe.
In.
Out.
In.
Out.
The guy on the ground moves the ladder out
the way, and the camel takes a bumpy step forward, followed by another. I rock
back into Lucas. I can feel the warmth of his skin burn through my clothes and into
my skin. My breath is coming in shallow pants that I can't seem to control.
“This is fun, right?” His breath tickles
my ear as he whispers against it. I glance down at my hands, sure that they are
shaking. They aren't, but I am. On the inside, my whole body is trembling
uncontrollably.
“Yes. Yes, it is,” I reply breathlessly.
What is he doing to me? I am not this person.
He reaches forward and brushes a loose
hair back away from my neck. His finger barely touches my skin, and yet I feel
like he just electrocuted me. My body is on fire. His hand curves around
Everly’s head, caressing it gently before trailing down her soft cheek. That
sweet gesture is my undoing. It’s one thing to make me feel wanted and desired,
but
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