He loops his arms around my waist and pulls me closer to him, smooshing our bodies together. Usually, this sets me alight.
No matter how many times we close the distance between us, it always has that effect.
But now I just open my mouth and let out a trembling laughing noise, which seems all the louder when the whine of the coffee machine cuts off.
It’s time to do what you know is necessary,my horoscope told me this morning. You’ve been putting off something important for far too long. It’s time to face the music.
And even if I didn’t have my horoscope screaming at me to bite the bullet, Kelly gave me quite the talking-to earlier today.
I was sitting at my desk, tapping away, when my cellphone buzzed like an army of bees from my desk.
I answered, putting it on loudspeaker as I input the tags for my latest workout video.
“Have you told him yet?” Kelly demanded.
“Wow, hey to you, too,” I laughed.
“Nuh-uh. You don’t get to joke your way out of this one. Have you told him or not?”
“Not.”I sighed. “But I will. Today. I’m just so fricking nervous.”
“You can do it, babe, I know you can.”
Now, Harry tugs me back to the present, finding my lips and kissing me briefly. I smile, moving closer to him, resting my cheek against his chest.
“Harry, I know you said you had some important news, but I kind of do, too.”
“Oh?” he says, tilting his head. “And what’s that?”
I giggle. “Maybe I’m scared to say.”
He reaches down and cups my chin, angling my face so that I’m looking up at him.
Outside, the wind howls, just like it did that night when we played Imagine.
This apartment recreates that. I think that’s why I love it so much, lovehimso much.
“You never have to be scared with me, Grace, you know that.”
I grab his coat and lean back, trusting him to hold me up. He does, like he always does, his strong trunk-like arms supporting me.
“Maybe we should say it on the count of three, huh?” I giggle.
He smiles, his whole face lighting up, his black winter stubble making him look rugged as heck. “Just like when we finally saidI love you?” he growls. “Jesus, Grace, I was so damn nervous that evening. But I don’t think we can do that here. I sort of had plans for how I wanted to … tell you.”
My heart starts hammering in my chest. “What? What plans?”
“Dinner, for one thing, tonight.” He grins. “It’s good, Grace. At least, I hope so. Shit. I feel like I’m giving the game away.”
My mouth falls open as the immensity of this moment comes barreling down on me.
In the back of my head, I hear birds tweeting, bells ringing, a million happy sounds warmly filling my consciousness.
“Harry, if this is what I think it is … Oh, jeez, then Ireallyneed to tell you.”
He moves closer to me, lifting his hand and placing it on my shoulder. I grab it, holding firmly, trying to send positive vibes throughout my body.
Even if this is confusing and, heck, even if my heart is beating about a million miles per hour right now, I need to tell him, especially if …
