She spun around, and the smile that broke across her face was worth every damn minute in that warehouse.
“Baby!”
She dropped her bag and launched herself at me. I caught her easily, hands gripping her thighs as she wrapped her legs around my waist. Her laugh hit my neck, warm and breathless, and I sighed at how much I loved this woman. She’d found a spot in my heart and set up shop. There would be no evited her. She was everything to me.
“I didn’t think you’d make it,” she said. “You said you had that thing with the team—”
I did. I didn’t care. I don’t do Halo with an attitude, so here I was making sure it took its ass on.
“Fuck them,” I said, kissing my teeth. “You know I’m always going to pick you.”
Her eyes softened. She cupped my jaw, thumb brushing my skin. “You watched the whole thing?”
“Every second.”
“Even the donation part?” she asked, fluttering her eyelashes.
“Especially that.” I shifted her weight, walking us toward my car. “You’re something else. You know that?”
She grinned against my shoulder. “I was good tonight, right?”
“You were incredible.” I kissed her temple. “Aggressive as hell. I liked it.”
“Of course you did.” Heat flickered in her eyes when she looked up at me. “Thank you for coming,” she said softly.
“Always.” My mouth ghosted hers. “You show up for me, I show up for you. That’s how this works.”
I set her on the hood of my car and moved between her legs, hands circling her waist, grounding her and myself at the same time. We fell quiet, neither of us looking away, that unspoken thing passing between us the way it always did. Then she leaned in and kissed me, soft at first, then deeper, and the whole parking lot blurred out. No crowd, no cold air, nothing but her breath on mine. She leaned into me with more weight than she ever let show, and I felt it — the long day, the crash after the high. I could tell she needed me right then without her having to say a word.
“I’m fine,” she snapped quickly, not looking at me. I’m just happy to see you, that’s all.”
I believed her, but I also could feel there was something else.
“Lo, look at me.”
She turned her head slowly, and I caught it right away. The tired eyes. The little drag in her breath. Something she thought she was hiding.
“I’m good, baby. Just take me home, please.”
“I already planned on it, and you know you can tell me anything, at any time.”
I helped her down, grabbed her gear bag, and opened the passenger door. She slid in still glowing, and I rounded the car, feeling like I’d won something myself.
When we got home, she kicked her shoes off, sighing at the relief.
“Go upstairs,” I told her. “I got you.”
She didn’t argue, just nodded and headed up, shoulders dropping the weight had finally caught up.
I followed her a minute later and found her sitting on the edge of the bed, rolling her wrist like it was tight.
“C’mere,” I said, bringing her wrist to my lips as she stood. I slid her shirt off and worked her out of those compression leggings that always did right by her. Her body was warm, muscles tight from skating. She didn’t have to say a word for me to know she needed her mind to quiet.
“Lavender or Milk and Honey?” I asked once we were in the ensuite.
“Baby, no, I can do it.”
I gave her a look that made it clear the question was only so I knew which one she wanted, not because this was a negotiation.
