“You got me a present?” I gasp, flinging the papers all over the floor and tearing into the bag as fast as possible. I reach inside and pull out a box. My brows narrow, my eyes darting between the gift and Kenni. “You got me…a Bougie Bobblehead? Why would you give me my bobblehead? You know the team gave me one, right?”
She snorts. “That’s not yours.” She takes a step toward me. “It’s mine.”
“It’s…” My eyes fly to hers, a knowing smile lifting my lips.
“Jordan Boucher, will you please autograph my Bougie Bobblehead?”
My cheeks ache from my smile. “Seriously? Now?”
“I have felt bad about this for a while, and I wanted to make it right.”
I take my little mini-me out of the box, grabbing her Sharpie to sign it before handing it back. “You got me rose petals to ask me to sign my bobblehead?”
She nods. “That’s part of it. I wanted to make it up to you. Not just the bobblehead.All of it.The fact that I ignored you for months before I really knew you. All the ideas I had about who I thought you were. And for last night.”
“Kenni, no. Last night was?—”
“Let me finish,” she says, placing a finger on my lips. “You used your safe word last night. I respect that. I willalwaysrespect that. But after we stopped, I thought…” she runs her finger down my arm, grabbing my hand. “I thought maybe it was because you didn’t want it to be with me. When I first met you, I would have been fine with that. I thought you were too self-absorbed, too rich, too young, too immature. But over these past couple of months, I realized none of that was true. You are the most kind-hearted, caring, thoughtful person I’ve ever met. And when you jumped into the shower, saying we could fuck like rabbits because you fucking loved me so much, I realized I was wrong to think you would ever want to be with someone else.
“You were willing to give up something you’ve been holding onto so deeply for so long, just to comfort me. I realized that’s how much you loved me. You’d give everything up for me. But you shouldn’t have to do that. Ever. For anyone. I…I wasn’t about to let you give that up.”
I squeeze her fingers. “After last night, I was just hoping I didn’t scare you off. That I?—”
“I’m right here.” Her palm curves around my cheek, her eyes bouncing with warmth between mine. “And I’m not going anywhere. Not today. Not tomorrow. Not ever. Because I love you too, Jordan. Somehow between the fake dating, having a creepy stalker hellbent on keeping us apart, and being your clit coach, I fell in love with you.”
My hands shake as my eyes go wide.Did she just say what I think she said?Ohmygod, ohmygod, ohmygod…This is my moment.“You…you love me?”
She nods, biting her lip. “I do. And I wanted to show you with a grand gesture that was, well, you.”
“Kenni, I’m…” I look around the apartment, the petals blurring together. “This is the most thoughtful thing anyone has ever done for me. No one really…no one outside of my family ever…” My lungs are trying to take in air, but somehow the tears welling in my eyes are stopping my lungs from doing their job. “Thank you.”
“I love you, Jordan. You do so much for everyone else, it was beyond time for you to get a grand gesture too.”
“I love you so much. I’ve loved you from the day I saw you step out of that flight deck on the plane. I love how much we laugh together, how much shit we give Chadd together. I love everything about you. I always imagined what it would be like to be with you, but my dreams didn’t even compare to how amazing you are in real life. I love you so much?—”
I barely finish the words before she pulls me in, our lips colliding in a frenzy of passion. All of my hesitation disappears. Every ounce of worry finally evaporates out of my head. It’s just us, here in this room, as the rest of the world fades away. I don’t need the world anymore anyway.
Kennedy Kramer is in love with me.
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Carrying Kennedy down the hallway, her legs wrap around my waist, our mouths completely entangled with one another as if we’re permanently joined together like we’ll never break apart—and fuck, I never want to.
“JJ, wait,” she whispers, pulling back just enough to let the words escape, not wanting to come up for air either. “I want you to see.”
My brows narrow. “See wh?—”
I can’t breathe.Is there air in here?I may need an oxygen mask deployed in this apartment because, as I glance around, a trail of rose petals lines the floor all the way to the bed, and the entire room is filled with the soft glow of candles, floral arrangements, and more petals lie on the bed in the shape of a heart. A rush of warmth rises in me, bringing to the surface everything I’ve been longing for. She did this.For me.I can’t think. I can’t move. I open my mouth trying to find words, but, for once in my life, I think I’m speechless. I, Jordan Joseph Boucher, am at a loss for words.
“Do you like it?” She bites her lip.As if I would ever not like anything she did.
The tiniest bit of air finally hits my lungs as I try to say something, anything. “Kenni. This…this is…holy shit, you went all out. You did all this for me?”
She slowly nods. “You deserve it. And hey…” She pauses, dropping her forehead to mine. “If you’re still not comfortable, we don’t have to do anything more than what we’ve already done. We will take this as slow as you want. I just wanted to show you that I?—”
“Stop,” I interrupt, not wanting to delay this moment any longer. “It’s my turn to talk.” She tilts her head as a smirk crawls across her lips, but she doesn’t say a word.Good.I close the distance, my lips a breath away from hers, like she’s the finish line I’ve been sprinting toward for my entire life, and it’s finally in sight.
