Chapter 26 : A Step Back

**Callan Being so close to her in a moment like this was intoxicating. The smell of her citrus shampoo wafting on the wind off the water, the way the lights and stars swam in her eyes, the way she smiled up nervously as if she were taking a leap of faith. The beach of Copacabana was full of people, some of them embracing, some of them laughing and dancing. None of them were paying us any mind. And since we were far away from the rest of our business counterparts, I was free to take this moment a step further. Sliding my hands up her back, I gently pulled her closer to me. She shuffled her feet slightly to accommodate me. "You mean it?" I asked her. She nodded and raised up on her toes, angling her head back. She clenched onto my shirt for balance, and I tightened my arms around her. "Would you stop staring at me and just kiss me already?" she said with a laugh. Her impatience was adorable, but I didn't want to wait any longer, either. All at onc