“Goodnight, Daisy,” he says softly.
“Goodnight, Ledger,” I whisper.
He hesitates, then lifts a hand, giving me every opportunity to step back.I don’t.
His knuckles brush my cheek first, gentle and warm.I lean into the touch without meaning to, my eyes fluttering shut for a second.
He doesn’t rush.One hand slides to cup my jaw, his thumb resting lightly on my cheekbone.The other hovers at my waist, not quite touching, like he’s holding himself back.
Then he bends his head and presses his mouth to mine.
It’s soft at first.Careful.Testing.
His lips are warm and firm, and the world simply… narrows to us.No overdue bills or leaky roofs.No looming foreclosures.No grief or past or future.Just the way my body lights up at this one simple point of contact.
I make a small sound in the back of my throat—half sigh, half surprise—and his fingers tighten slightly on my jaw.He angles his head, deepening the kiss, and I swear my knees wobble.
He tastes like chocolate and Coke and something distinctly him.
When he finally pulls a fraction, he rests his forehead against mine, his breath slightly uneven.
“Wow,” I whisper.
“Yeah,” he says, voice low and a little rough.“That about sums it up.”
I open my eyes and find him watching me like I’m precious.
“Tomorrow,” he murmurs.“Tacos.More of this.”
“Yes,” I say, dizzy and happy and a little overwhelmed.“Tomorrow.”
He presses a quick, sweet kiss to the corner of my mouth, then slowly steps back, dropping his hand like it physically pains him to let go.
“Goodnight, Daisy.”
“Goodnight.”
I slip into my room and close the door gently behind me.Leaning against it, I brush my fingers over my lips, a stupid grin spreading across my face.
Beans lifts his head from his bed, watching me with sleepy curiosity.
“We’re in trouble,” I whisper to him, sliding down the door until I’m sitting on the floor, dress pooled around me.“Big, big trouble.”
He huffs and flops back down, utterly unconcerned.
I press my head against the door and replay the entire night—the way Ledger looked at me when I opened my bedroom door, the way he said my name, the feel of his hand in mine, andthatkiss.
Alexi was right.
This could go wrong in a thousand different ways.
But as I sit there, heart still pounding, lips still tingling from that goodnight kiss, I can’t help but think…
It could also be the best thing that’s ever happened to me.
SIX
Ledger
