“I’m not punching you, but I might take you up on the cat offer.” I take a step back, releasing my hold on his coat. There’s still a lingering hint of doubt. What if he does it again? I don’t think my heart could take that kind of hurt a second time. “How do I know you mean it this time? For real?”
“Oh, Luna. I wish I could take back every moment I hurt you. All the time I spent locked in my own obsessive thoughts. I should never have bailed on your live. I should have been there by your side every step of the way. I’ll regret that until the day I die, and trust me it’ll haunt my thoughts. But that’s how I know this is real. And that’s how I know I’ll never push you away again. I couldn’t handle that kind of pain. And I’ll do everything I can to keep proving it to you every day. I love you, and that’s never going to change.”
He lifts his hands up but doesn’t touch me. Waiting for me to decide. Letting me be the one to reach out and wrap my arms around his waist. Only then does he pull me into his chest.
“I love you too. Even though you’re a bit of a dumbass.”
“You’re not wrong.”
His chest rumbles with laughter under my cheek.
“Right. And just so we’re clear. I’m going to do it, Wild Thing. I’m going to declare for the draft. And I have you to thank for that. I might never have found the courage to do it without you.”
“Shut up.” Excitement fizzes through me as if we just popped the cork off a bottle of champagne. I pull away again, slapping him on the chest. “See. That’s how I know you mean it.” It feels so much more real knowing he’s choosing himself too. Because even if he chose me, I know he’d be miserable if he didn’t at least try to chase his dreams.
The pieces slip into their rightful places when I grab his head, pulling him down for a kiss. His lips are a heated contrast to the chilly air, and his arms are solid and reassuring around my back. The air shifts, trapping us in our own little bubble of connection.
I keep my hand on his thigh the entire ride back to his place, jumping down from the car before he’s even put it in park.
He jumps out after me, racing me to the door as his lock chirps behind us. My pulse roars in my ears. I don’t know what I’m doing. I just know I need this. Not to fix things. Not to prove anything.
Just to be here. With him. Real. Raw. Mine.
He fumbles the key twice before I get it open. I laugh. Bluebeard races up to greet us with a tiny squeak, but we don’t stop walking until we hit the stairs.
The ground vanishes under me before I hit the first step, and I let out an undignified squeal. “Hey.”
Beau holds me tight and safe in his arms, but the world jolts under my body as he takes the steps two at a time.
Moonlight spills through the cracked blinds as he swings the door open. But then he pauses as if he’s not sure he’s allowed to cross the threshold.
“What are you waiting for?” I ask.
“Just savoring the moment. I’ve got everything I need here in my arms.”
Chapter 38
It's You
Beau
Ineedit.Ineed this moment to take it all in. The weight of her in my arms, the heat from her body seeping in to warm me to my core. But I want more too. I want to see and feel every inch of her, so I know it’s real. I’m not dreaming. Because part of me still thinks I must be. There’s no way she’s still choosing me, after everything. All my fuckups and fears.
Apparently, she does too. She squirms in my arms until she can stretch her head up. Her lips brush the edge of my jaw in a soft kiss, and that’s it. I shift my hold, letting her slide down the length of my body, and need pulses through me.
She pushes up on her toes the minute her feet hit the ground, and I bend to meet her halfway. This kiss is different from all the others. It feels like the promise of spring. A new beginning for us. Sweet, and deep, embedding itself in my heart. Because I know this is it. This is the only thing I’ve ever been one hundred percent sure of in my life. She’s the one for me.
Impatient, she breaks off the kiss to grab my hands. She walks backward, taking me with her, then spinning and pushing mychest until my knees hit the edge of my bed. Her tongue slips between my lips when she leans in for a kiss, fingers tangling in my shirt. My knees give out, and I let myself go.
Luna follows me, straddling my hips, her hands sliding to the hem of my shirt. She’s smiling now, hair wild, eyes lit with something bright and wicked.
“I’m supposed to be the golden boy,” I say, voice rough. “Why do I feel like I’m the one being devoured?”
“Because you are.”
And I’m okay with it. She deserves to take the lead. I’m happy to concede the power to her because she owns me now. I’m hers.
She pulls my shirt off over my head, then leans in and presses her mouth to the hollow of my throat. Her tongue grazes the sharp edge of my collarbone. My breath stutters.
