The Wife Read Online Free

together. Most of the other campers and group leaders were at the weekly gathering held in the main hall, leaving the usually bustling campgrounds virtually empty.
    I noticed him taking in my scent and tighten his arms around me, as if I were about to vanish into thin air like he so often did when we were together this way. It’s moments like these that I remember how much we’ve both lost in our life. Losing our mothers is one of the things that had bound us so closely. We cherished life. We knew how precious each moment was and how quickly everything can be taken away. Unlike most kids our age here, we weren’t looking for the next party or hookup; we wanted every chance we had this summer to be together, discovering who we were and get to know everything we could about our lives before moving away together in the fall.
    “Alright, let’s go.” Jamie suddenly took my hand and led me off the dock with a giddy grin that made me giggle with excitement. His smile was honest and pure, just like him. I didn’t want to ask questions and spoil any surprise he had for me, even though they kept barraging me with every turn we took. He deserved his efforts to be appreciated, and after seeing the way he looked tonight, I had no doubt I would be showing him just how much I appreciated everything about him.
    When he turned and looked back at me as we made our way through the rocky path, waves of fear and adoration flushed through me. His unruly dark hair hung loosely over his fiery eyes that seemed to pierce my heart with his love for me. It was both terrifying and exciting to be falling in love with someone as hard as I was for him. Sometimes I lay awake at night wondering how I could have been lucky enough to have someone like Jamie love me. As ruggedly handsome as he is, his heart is what is most attractive to me. He’s the most loyal, honest, and kind person I had ever met. He made me laugh, he made me think, he made me take risks—he made me believe anything was possible.
    He believed in us before I even knew we were a possibility. He inspired me to do better and to be better. I knew I was young, maybe even a little naïve in the ways of love, but even I knew enough about love that when you find someone like Jamie McCullen, you don’t let him go.
    “Are we there yet?” I needed to break my gaze from his before I jumped all over him with these thoughts swimming in my mind.
    “Patience, lass.” He pulled me up to him and spun me around expertly up against the rough oak at the side of the path. His eyes turned soft as he ran his hands through my long, brown waves, pressing his forehead against mine. “I love you so much it feels like my heart can’t beat without you close.”
    He pressed his lips softly against mine and let out a soft moan of pleasure. As our kiss deepened, my body was ablaze with anticipation. If this was what true love really felt like, then I never want to be anywhere but with him. My body was alive and reacting to each gentle touch of his hands as they slid down my back and grasped at the sides of my dress as our mouths met each other’s with desperation. Each kiss grew deeper, making me feel like my very survival depended on getting as close to him as possible. As I ran my hands through his still damp, shaggy hair, he pulled me even closer, pressing us up against the tree in a possessive way that sent me soaring with desire.
    Before I could let the wave of pleasure he’s driving inside me explode, he pulled back, breathless, with a confident smile. “I love what you do to me, Lex. No one’s ever driven me this crazy with just a kiss.” He leaned down and gave me one last firm kiss, as if he were giving away his favorite treat, and laughed to himself when my body deceived me and let out a moan of disappointment when he broke our kiss again. “It’s clear you can’t keep your hands off me either, so we better keep going or you’ll ruin my surprise.”
    “Hey, you’re the one who attacked