“There’s no rush,” Sadie said, setting the trophy back in its place. “We’re not in a hurry to do anything anymore.”
Outside the room, Ruby giggled in the kitchen. Someone clattered pans, and Norm barked outside. But here, it was just the two of us.
She kicked off her shoes and slipped the tie from her hair, shaking out the strands with a sigh. “It’s been a long, long day.”
I toed off my boots and pulled my hoodie over my head, tossing it onto the straight-backed chair where I used to pile all my clothes. “The longest.”
Sadie flicked her hair over her shoulder and tilted her head.
I lifted my brows, the light in her eyes bringing a faint smile to my face. “And?” I prompted.
“I’m thinking you should take off your clothes and give me a reason to stay awake.” She dragged her t-shirt over her head and let it drop from her fingertips, standing before me in a black bra and jeans. Her breasts swelled above the cups, her stomach tightening as she drew a breath.
With a surge of desire, my gaze slid over her, from her blonde head to her sock covered toes. She’d changed so much from the awkward woman I spoke with on the rooftop weeks ago, even if a hint of shyness lingered in her eyes. Did it take feeling safe with me to bring out this side of her?
I pulled off my t-shirt, smiling a bit when her eyes dropped to my bare chest. She sucked in a shaky breath and dampened her lower lip.
Maybe it was too early to be this attached to her. Maybe being forced into lockdown had escalated what normally would have taken months to develop, but there wasn’t a single part of me that doubted my feelings.
“I’m seriously falling for you,” I said, my voice quiet. “Faster than I thought I would.”
I didn’t feel the urge to take the words back as soon as they left my mouth. My heart thudded, steady and slow, not even a twinge of panic creeping in. Nothing happened other than an overwhelming sense of peace, and the understanding that she made everything exactly right in my world.
Sadie’s mouth opened, but she couldn’t form words. “Theo.”
“Can’t help it,” I said, holding her gaze. “I’ve never known anyone like you. I want—shit,” I said, making her smile. “I’ve always wanted you.”
The truth nearly knocked me off my feet.
All the times I’d watched her walk out onto the rooftop, my stomach dropping as I followed every movement. The pinpricks of hurt when she ignored me. The goosebumps that spread across my skin whenever I heard her voice, wishing she’d talk to me. Every memory hit me at once.
She reached behind her back for the clasp on her bra. “Come get me, then.”
Sadie unfastened the hooks as I crossed the room, and I glimpsed bare breasts before I swooped in and wrapped her up in my arms. Her chest pressed against mine, her hands sank into my hair. Then our mouths fused together, and we kissed like we’d been apart for months, not hours.
We could only separate long enough to lose the rest of our clothes, and I had her back in my arms within seconds, my mouth moving with hers, my hands roaming everywhere I could reach.
She exhaled through her nose as her tongue swept over mine, making soft noises that turned me hard with wanting.
Just when I was considering lifting her and taking her to the bed, she pulled back and stared at me, breath panting. “I feel thesame,” she said. “I hate being away from you. You’re the only person I justhaveto see each day.”
Her arms encircled my neck, her fingers tangled in my hair. The words hit me like a physical punch, slamming into my gut, my chest. I blew out a harsh breath and smacked a kiss on her mouth.
To be loved by her was all I’d ever wanted.
I scooped her up and took a couple of steps to reach my old bed, laying her on the left side of the mattress where I used to sleep.
Sadie rested her head on the pillow and stared up at me, her chest rising and falling with her quick breaths. When she trailed her fingertips between her breasts, it was all the invitation I needed.
I climbed over her and dipped my head, kissing her as I lowered my body onto hers. With an arm under her keeping her close, her heartbeat thudded steadily beneath mine, and I kissed her slowly. Softly.
Her fingers dug into my lower back, and for the first time since the world ended, I lost myself in her without fear of what we’d face tomorrow.
She was my future, however uncertain.
And as long as we had each other, that was all we needed.
Epilogue
