for me. Don't get me wrong, I like a big city. London's fantastic. But Manhattan was too...impersonal for me, I guess. I couldn't wait to get the hell out of there."
"When did you go?"
"The summer before my last year at university. Just for a few weeks."
I was asking questions and doing my best not to show my curiosity, but it was getting the best of me. I had to know who he visited. And if this “friend” was someone I needed to be concerned about. Yeah, the green-eyed monster in me was rearing her ugly head.
"So, you were...visiting someone, you said." I tried so hard to sound casual, I really did.
" That was a long time ago." I didn't like that answer. Not at all.
"So, answer the question," I said, challenging him with a nonchalant shrug. "No big deal."
He chuckled to himself before answering, "Okay, all right. It was a girl."
"I knew it," I said, crossing my arms. "Tell me."
"She was my girlfriend. She studied abroad at NYU and I went to visit."
"And she's not your girlfriend anymore?"
"We broke up before I left."
"Ouch."
"Yeah," he said, "but I don’t want to waste time talking about her. I want to focus on you ."
"Okay, fine, new topic. What do you want to talk about?"
"You."
"What do you want to know?" Wiping the corners of my mouth with my napkin, I was a little nervous as to what he’d want to ask me.
"I told you...everything."
"Fine, okay. Where should I start?"
"Your family. What are they like?"
My nose wrinkled. "They're the perfect all-American family."
"Is that a bad thing?" he asked, looking perplexed.
"No, they're great." I shrugged again. "My parents are very sensitive people. Always concerned about others. So is my brother."
"So you have a brother then?"
"Yes, and a sister. They're both older than me."
"The baby of the family. Shoulda known," he teased.
"Yeah, I am. I suppose you're going to tease me about that too?" I eyed him suspiciously.
"Not at all. I am too. Well, kinda."
"Kinda? That doesn't make any sense. At all."
"I have four brothers. Three are older than me."
"So you just forget about the youngest?"
"From time to time. It's just Charlie. He doesn't mind either way."
"Speaking as the youngest...I would mind."
"Well," he said, leaning forward, his elbows placed firmly on the tiny table. "I'd never forget you . That would be impossible . "
My throat went dry, and my lungs were desperate for air.
"We," I said, clearing my throat and feeling the heat rise in my cheeks. Damn my body for betraying me. "We should really go. Almost time for the boats."
A satisfied smile crossed his lips. "Of course. But let's continue this later."
"I'll see if I can get away," I said, standing. Campbell took my hand in his once again, pulling me to his chest.
"Please.”
He didn't need to say anything else. That one word was all it took.
I nodded, squeezing his hand, feeling my pulse quicken.
"Thank you," he said before planting a small kiss beneath my ear. My eyes closed involuntarily, focusing on the sensation of his touch, the warmth of his lips, the desire spreading through every nerve of my body. I want this man. Terribly.
Anabelle's hands were placed firmly on her hips as Campbell and I approached the dock.
Shit.
Instinctively, he joined Ellis at the dock, but before he turned to walk in the opposite direction, I felt his hand place something in my back pocket. This man and his little notes. My stomach flipped as I thought back to the matchbook he'd given me on the bus. It was now in the inside pocket of my purse. There was no way I'd risk losing it.
"You're late," Anabelle sneered. Glancing at my watch, I grimaced. She was right. It was five past the hour.
"I-I'm sorry. I had to find a public toilet."
Her face tightened. "We discussed this last night. You have to find food stands and ask to use the washroom. They don't have public restrooms here."
"I forgot," I lied, wishing I'd come up with a better lie. Truth was, I was so wrapped up in Campbell that I hadn’t
"When did you go?"
"The summer before my last year at university. Just for a few weeks."
I was asking questions and doing my best not to show my curiosity, but it was getting the best of me. I had to know who he visited. And if this “friend” was someone I needed to be concerned about. Yeah, the green-eyed monster in me was rearing her ugly head.
"So, you were...visiting someone, you said." I tried so hard to sound casual, I really did.
" That was a long time ago." I didn't like that answer. Not at all.
"So, answer the question," I said, challenging him with a nonchalant shrug. "No big deal."
He chuckled to himself before answering, "Okay, all right. It was a girl."
"I knew it," I said, crossing my arms. "Tell me."
"She was my girlfriend. She studied abroad at NYU and I went to visit."
"And she's not your girlfriend anymore?"
"We broke up before I left."
"Ouch."
"Yeah," he said, "but I don’t want to waste time talking about her. I want to focus on you ."
"Okay, fine, new topic. What do you want to talk about?"
"You."
"What do you want to know?" Wiping the corners of my mouth with my napkin, I was a little nervous as to what he’d want to ask me.
"I told you...everything."
"Fine, okay. Where should I start?"
"Your family. What are they like?"
My nose wrinkled. "They're the perfect all-American family."
"Is that a bad thing?" he asked, looking perplexed.
"No, they're great." I shrugged again. "My parents are very sensitive people. Always concerned about others. So is my brother."
"So you have a brother then?"
"Yes, and a sister. They're both older than me."
"The baby of the family. Shoulda known," he teased.
"Yeah, I am. I suppose you're going to tease me about that too?" I eyed him suspiciously.
"Not at all. I am too. Well, kinda."
"Kinda? That doesn't make any sense. At all."
"I have four brothers. Three are older than me."
"So you just forget about the youngest?"
"From time to time. It's just Charlie. He doesn't mind either way."
"Speaking as the youngest...I would mind."
"Well," he said, leaning forward, his elbows placed firmly on the tiny table. "I'd never forget you . That would be impossible . "
My throat went dry, and my lungs were desperate for air.
"We," I said, clearing my throat and feeling the heat rise in my cheeks. Damn my body for betraying me. "We should really go. Almost time for the boats."
A satisfied smile crossed his lips. "Of course. But let's continue this later."
"I'll see if I can get away," I said, standing. Campbell took my hand in his once again, pulling me to his chest.
"Please.”
He didn't need to say anything else. That one word was all it took.
I nodded, squeezing his hand, feeling my pulse quicken.
"Thank you," he said before planting a small kiss beneath my ear. My eyes closed involuntarily, focusing on the sensation of his touch, the warmth of his lips, the desire spreading through every nerve of my body. I want this man. Terribly.
Anabelle's hands were placed firmly on her hips as Campbell and I approached the dock.
Shit.
Instinctively, he joined Ellis at the dock, but before he turned to walk in the opposite direction, I felt his hand place something in my back pocket. This man and his little notes. My stomach flipped as I thought back to the matchbook he'd given me on the bus. It was now in the inside pocket of my purse. There was no way I'd risk losing it.
"You're late," Anabelle sneered. Glancing at my watch, I grimaced. She was right. It was five past the hour.
"I-I'm sorry. I had to find a public toilet."
Her face tightened. "We discussed this last night. You have to find food stands and ask to use the washroom. They don't have public restrooms here."
"I forgot," I lied, wishing I'd come up with a better lie. Truth was, I was so wrapped up in Campbell that I hadn’t
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