“I know. And I love you for it.”
It’s late by the time we make our way back to the house, smelling of smoke, salt, and warm summer air. We say goodnight to Ben and Kaden, then retreat upstairs to our room.
After changing into a t-shirt and pajama shorts, I sit cross-legged on the bed, watching Wes brush his teeth at the bathroom sink. He’s shirtless, sweatpants slung low on his hips, and his back muscles flex as he leans down to rinse with the faucet.
Eyes fixated on his body, I get up from the bed and pad across the room. Coming up behind him, I wrap my arms around his front, pressing my cheek against his back. His skin is warm and soft, and he smells heavenly.
He feels like home.
“Hey, you,” he says as he rips off a strand of floss, and I squeeze him tighter. I run my hands over his hard stomach as he works the floss between his teeth. His abdomen tightens at the contact, but he doesn’t start laughing the way I would at the light graze of fingertips.
I peek out from behind his bicep so I can meet his eyes in the mirror. “You’re not ticklish?”
“Nope.” He grins at me as he tosses the floss in the trash. “Disappointed?”
“Yes. Being ticklish is a vulnerability I believe everyone should have. It’s only fair.”
He laughs. “Being ticklish is a mental hurdle. Anyone can decide to not be ticklish.”
“That’s not true.”
“It is true.”
I hug him again, resting my cheek against his back as he moves on to the mouthwash. While he swishes it around his mouth, I press a soft kiss between his shoulder blades, and his entire body jerks. He spits in the sink before turning to face me.
“That wasn’t the full thirty seconds,” I scold.
“Well, I’m a little bit distracted,” he says, resting his hands on my waist as he pulls me closer. I push up on my tiptoes and press my mouth to his, reveling in the minty taste. And when I part my lips to deepen the kiss, his hands tighten on my hips as my arms wind around his neck. My eyes flutter shut as his tongue slides against mine, and heat sears down my spine when he makes a deep noise in the back of his throat.
I break away just enough to whisper, “You taste good.”
Without warning, he lifts me up and carries me into the bedroom, tossing me easily on the bed. I laugh as he practically jumps on top of me, but he lets me wrestle him onto his back, and I tickle his armpits until he grunts out a laugh.
“Mental hurdle my ass,” I tease.
The laughter dies on his lips as his eyes darken, scanning over my face like he’s committing it to memory. “You’re so beautiful,” he says.
In response, I lean down to kiss him, our lips brushing slowly. Tenderly. When I pull away, he’s looking at me with such intensity that I can tell something big is on his mind. “Wes, what is it?”
“Remember that night in my car, after you met my parents? You asked me why I liked you?” I nod, recalling the painful end to that evening. “I just realized that I never told you the reasons.I never told you that I think you’re insanely talented. Beautiful and intelligent and strong?—
“Wes,” I cut in, my cheeks warming in response to his compliments.
“You are,” he says adamantly. “You’re probably one of the strongest people I’ve ever met. You went through something horrible, and I know there were days when you wanted to give up. I saw it—on your face, in your eyes. But you didn’t. You fought like hell, and you’re putting in the work even though I knowit must be hard. And I know it’s not easy for you to open your heart. To trust. But you trustme,and I’m fucking honored. I’m so fucking honored to be that person. To be in your life at all. You make me smile more than anyone else in the world, and I mean it when I say you’re my best friend. You have my whole heart, Ivy. You have all of me.”
When he finishes, I just stare at him, stunned speechless. I have no words, so I lean forward and kiss him instead, my heart fuller than it’s ever been.
Because Wes trusts me. He supports me. He stands by me. It took a while for it to sink in because I never expected him to believemeover a friend he’s known since grade school. I never dreamed he’d look at me the same once I revealed the truth.
But he does. And although I wouldn’t wish it on anyone, it’s a relief having someone else there to share the burden and help carry the load on the days I find it crushing. And on the days that the guilt and the anger creep up on me without warning, he’s a safe haven in the storm.
Beneath the covers, he gathers me close. He holds me like something precious, and my heart threatens to burst. Our noses brush, our breath mingles, and then his mouth finds mine in the dark.
We kiss, a slow, gentle exploration. On our sides, my body presses along his, and I like the way it feels, my softness moldingto his solidness, his arm wrapped around me, protective and safe. Wes kisses me like he’s memorizing the feel of me. Like he’s charting every hitch of breath and every soft whimper. And as his tongue strokes mine, I press closer, hooking my leg over his hip, feeling the familiar needy ache in my belly.
I want this, more than anything, with him. Only with him, the other half of my heart.
Our kissing deepens, turning almost feverish now, and I revel in the friction as his hips rock into mine. There’s only the thin fabric of his boxers and my sleep shorts between us, and it feels good. Too good. I gasp into his mouth at the exquisite pressure, a soft moan breaking free of my lips. He groans in response, the sound deep and rumbling, and my stomach clenches with need. Heart pounding out of control, I break our kiss, leaving both of us breathless in the dark.
