His head falls back as he laughs. “Almost all food names. Brilliant.” He tucks my hair behind my ear. “Yes to all of them.”

Inside my chest swells. I wait until we’re in waist-deep water, then press my body against his. His hands fall to my waist, and I wrap my legs around his lower half, letting the salt water current make me practically weightless.

A wave hits us, and we tumble under. But Callum’s got me, his hold tight, secure. The biggest wave could hit us and I wouldn’t budge. I’m in his arms, the safest place I could ever be. As I grip onto him, he pushes us above the surface and we take identical gasps of air. We open our eyes, sputtering and laughing at once.

I cough on a gulp of salt water that managed to seep into my mouth. With the back of my hand, I wipe my mouth, then kiss Callum once more.

“You taste salty,” I say.

He laughs. “You do too.”

“I love salt.”

He squints down at me, the eager look in his eyes as bright as the sun against the horizon. “Do you?”

I nod. “I didn’t used to.”

In my head and in my heart, everything is different, and I’m overcome at the joy of it all. I press my shaky hands against Callum’s warm, wet skin. I still. Instant calm. Instant home.

I lick my lips. Salt in the air, in the water, on me, on Callum. It dances on our tongues. As I breathe in, the delicious burn sets in. Still I want more.

Leaning up, I lick his lips.

“Funny how things change,” he says.

He captures me in a kiss. Still so much salt. Still so good.

“It really is.”

Epilogue

One Year Later

What did I tell you about the walk-in?” Callum hovers over me, his toned chest lifting slightly with the gentle breath he takes.

“I don’t remember.” I take a step forward until we’re chest to chest and squint up at him.

For a second all he does is frown, but then the corner of his mouth lifts up in the naughtiest smirk. “Liar.”

I shrug, biting my lip to keep from cracking. We’ve played this game before so many times—in person, on the phone, over text. He always, always knows when I’m full of it. And I love it.

It’s hell trying to keep a straight face when he calls me out. This little game we play is my favorite thing about the crazy early mornings we pull nowadays. I absolutely loathe the 6 a.m. daily wake-up time of this past month, but I love this part.