A moment later, he pulled back, giving me one last soft kiss. Then, I laid my head gently on his chest, feeling safe within his arms. "We'd better go inside before the others start to worry," Derek said, breaking the magic of the moment.

"Or begin to gossip." I laughed, feeling more myself.

"Come on, let's go." Derek laced his fingers within mine, and led me into the cave.

Inside, no one seemed to notice our absence. Lisa and Markesha were doing the dishes in the ...