She grabs her phone from the side table.
“Oooh, Darbs has texted me about fifteen times,” she says, then ignores the texts to open an app. “Here he is. Watch him, he’s really, really good.”
She holds the phone up and honestly, I have no interest in looking at some guy she’s just called a hottie. But she rocks the phone back and forth until I can’t ignore it any longer.
“Fine,” I groan.
I grab the phone and she giggles, watching me like a hawk with her arm across my chest and her head resting on her hand. One look and I swear the blood drains from my body. My heart hiccups before banging against my chest.
“Oh, and weird,” she says, walking her fingers over my chest to below my armpit. She runs her finger along my scar. “He’s got one of these, too.”
“You know?” I drop the phone, and she giggles so hard I think she’ll bounce us both right out of bed. I grab her and begin tickling her just to hear her laugh more. My heart is already lighter.
“Yes…yes…,” she giggles so hard her words are barely intelligible.
Now I’m laughingandgetting a hard-on with all her squirming. “And you don’t mind?”
“Are you kidding? You’re using the tools you have to build the life you want. That’s genius. It’s what I’d do,” she gets out between breaths. “And for the record? You being strategic about it is very on brand.And hot.”
I laugh, relieved, pulling her closer. “You think I’m hot?”
“So hot.” She licks her fingertip, presses it to my lips and makes a sizzling noise. “But make no mistake. I love you for your brain.”
As soon as the “L” word is out of her mouth, she stills. My chest tightens, and my heart is off to the races again. Messy, loud, thumping like I’m about to free fall out of a plane without a parachute.
I sit up, gather her in my arms and pull her into my lap. “That’s a gift I never want to jeopardize.” I lift her chin and urge her closer. “I love you, Kari. You’ve always been the one for me.”
“Same,” she says, lips closing in on mine. “Pinky swear.”
And damn my heart slams against my chest. Thumping without stopping as I lose myself in her kiss. When her lips stop moving and she bolts upright, I realize something’s wrong. And the banging hasn’t stopped.
“Someone’s at the door,” Kari says, her voice high-pitched, panicked.
Kari
I bolt upright, the sheet tangling around my legs as I scramble off the bed. My heart beats so hard it feels like I might crack a rib. Eleven in the morning. Who shows up unannounced at eleven? My parents? No—Dad would text first. Kelly’s too busy planning. And Darby’s in Chicago?—
Oh my God. Something’s happened.
My phone lies face down on the bed. I grab it, the screen lighting up with a flood of missed notifications. Texts. Calls. Voicemails. All from Darby.
Crap. Crap. Crap.
I scoop up my clothes with one arm, wrapping the sheet tighter around my body as I trip my way into Grey’s bathroom. The last thirteen hours of making love and canoodling with the love of my life over.Poof.
Love. We said it. Out loud. That alone should be enough to knock me flat.
Grey pulls on his boxers, moving fast and focused. He presses a quick kiss to my forehead as he passes me.
“I’ve got this,” he says as he hurries from the room.
Does he? Because I very much do not.
I wrestle into my leggings, hop on one foot, nearly faceplant, then yank on my tank top. My hands shake as I rake my fingers through my hair, trying to tame it into something resembling presentable. My reflection in the mirror is flushed, wild-eyed, unmistakably… post-something that looks nothing like a gym workout.
The knocking comes louder.
“I’m coming,” Grey calls.
