“Hm?”
“What’s happening right now.”
A sob wracks me, and Danny hands me his handkerchief.
I take a deep breath. “I’ve always loved you, Danny. Then…and now.”
Even with that simple confession, a tear rolls down his cheek. He chuckles and wipes it with the back of his hand.
“I loved you when you were just a memory,” I whisper. “I loved you when I didn’t know if we would ever be ‘us’ again.”
“God. Me too, Gracie.”
We lean in at the same time for a hug. He showers me with soft praises, murmuring, “you’re my best friend” and “love of mylife” over and over again in my ear, like a refrain to a hymn only we know.
After a few minutes, we pull back and chuckle at each other’s puffy eyes and splotchy faces. Danny hums softly. “We’re a mess, aren’t we?”
I gesture to my face, feeling my cheeks tighten from crying. “What are you going to do with me?”
“Marry you one day, if you’ll let me.”
I tilt my head and stare at him in wonder. He gently cups my face and hovers his lips over my mouth. He pauses, searches my eyes, and asks, “Do you want this?” Just like he did when we were young. It feels like our first kiss all over again, but with different promises attached to our lips now. The nerves are there, but so is the muscle memory.
“Yes.” My tone is soft, fervent, like a prayer.
He kisses me, and my heart whispersfinally. He kisses me with so much longing it makes my eyes water and my toes curl. It feels like the Danny-shaped cracks in my chest are slowly being repaired, like we’re making commitments we can keep this time. His lips nudge mine open, and then his tongue is tangled in mine, before he seems to realize where we are and pulls away.
He stares at me like I’m rare, then picks up my right hand and gently kisses the inside of my wrist. He does the same with my left wrist, my pulse point beating beneath his lips. I bloom under his gaze for a few more minutes before he reluctantly leaves to mingle with potential donors.
The rest of the gala goes off without a hitch. According to Danny, it’s their most successful event yet, with donations almost doubling the goal. I spend the evening watching him in his element—shaking hands and mingling with guests, confidently chatting up potential donors, and making everyone feel welcome. Meanwhile, he frequently checks on Tessa and me,often requesting servers stop by with refreshments and platters of food at our table.
And when dinner is over, Danny makes sure to deliver the dessert himself: a strawberry milkshake, garnished with chocolate-covered honeycomb.
Chapter 41
Grace
Fresh honeycomb still lingers on his tongue as he deepens our kiss in the back of the town car. Our languid, leisurely strokes turn into something more urgent and desperate.
When we finally arrive at his Brooklyn home, he quickly tips the driver and guides me into the house. As soon as we step over the threshold, he draws me to the entryway wall and leans in, one arm on either side of me. I tilt my chin up, and he nudges my mouth open.
As his tongue circles mine, his fingers graze the exposed skin on my back, leaving a trail of goosebumps behind. God, I’m so wrapped up in him. I’msurroundedby Danny’s touch. Each caress down the top of my spine feels saturated with gentle but firm intention.
Our mouths still fused together, he kicks the front door closed. The thud reminds me of my window shutting whenever he snuck into my bedroom at night.
Different house, same us.
“Are we finally, actually doing this?” I ask breathlessly in between needy kisses.
“You want it tonight, Gracie baby?” Danny exhales the words against my skin.
Without a beat of hesitation, I nod. His fingers lazily unzip my dress until it falls to the floor, leaving me in my white lace bra and matching thong. The precision of his touch is a contrast to the nostalgic messiness of the two teenagers we once were, figuring it all out together. Taking off his suit jacket and unbuttoning his shirt far too slowly for my liking, Danny grabs my hand and guides me toward the couch in his living room. He sits down and gently pulls me onto his lap. I can feel his breath skate over my lips.
He tilts his chin toward my chest, meeting my eyes. “Show me.”
I unhook my bra, and it drops to the floor. He swallows hard at the sight of my bare breasts. A few moments of charged silence pass between us, and a nervous flutter stirs low in my stomach. His expression softens into something tender as he carefully grabs my hand and presses it to his chest. The rhythm of him is a familiar lullaby for me, like my favorite song on a soundtrack only found inside Danny’s body. I’ve been homesick for his heartbeat for years.
“It’s going to feel so good, Gracie girl,” he murmurs.
