I grin. “At the Darth Maul.”
He bursts out laughing. In an instant, the tension lifts, and we spend the next hour trading bad jokes.
After we stop for lunch, I take the driver’s seat. Jay falls quiet again, but this time I don’t push. We settle into a comfortable silence, music humming low through the speakers, the rhythm of the road steady beneath us.
Fifty miles tick by before I finally ask, “You okay?”
He’s chewing on his lower lip, his fingers tapping restlessly on his knees.
When he finally speaks, he asks, “Do you ever think about Florida?”
Not what I expected, but if he’s finally opening the door, I’m going to be completely honest with him.
“All the time,” I say, my eyes flicking over at him.
“Really?” He sounds genuinely surprised, like he never considered I thought about it.
“Of course, why wouldn’t I? That was the hottest, best sex I’ve ever had in my life.”
He blinks at me, stunned. “You can’t be serious. I mean, it was amazing for me, too, but…you’ve been with how many guys? It couldn’t have been better than any of them.”
A heavy wave of emotion washes over me. Disbelief, maybe a little hurt. Does he really think that? A thousand hot guys could be lined up in front of me, and I’d pick him every time.
“Hold that thought,” I say, signaling as I pull off the highway and into a rest stop.
I don’t want to be driving while we have this conversation.
I find a parking spot away from other cars, kill the engine, and turn to face him. His eyes are glassy, and his expression of anguish makes me ache. This is it. I’m done holding back.
Reaching across the console, I gently brush away the single tear that’s pooled beneath his eye.
“Baby,” I say softly, “there is no one I could ever want more than you.”
His face twists. “How can you say that? I don’t deserve you saying that.”
I lift his chin, forcing him to look me in the eye. “Jay, I need you to really listen and let this sink in.”
He looks away, but I won’t let him.
“Look at me, please.”
His gaze finds mine again, and the tears fall freely down his cheeks.
“You are all I want. This move, everything I’ve been doing, is for you. So I can be with you.”
I take a deep breath, my voice trembling. “I’m so in love with you, baby.”
A sob escapes his throat, and it undoes me. I close the distance between us and press my lips to his, firmly and full of everything I’ve been holding back. The taste of his tears is salty and electric, grounding me in the moment. The connection hits like a lightning bolt, sealing everything I’ve ever wanted.
He freezes for a heartbeat, then melts into me. Hunger takes over, and he’s kissing me back with the same aching urgency that’slived inside me for months. His lips part, soft and eager, and I plunge my tongue into his mouth, claiming him.
My hand finds the side of his face, then the back of his head, threading through his hair and pulling him closer. I want to crawl inside him, to stay wrapped in this forever.
God, kissing him is everything, more than I imagined. I could stay right here for hours, doing this, just us.
Eventually, we break apart, breathless and chests heaving.
Jay looks completely wrecked, but in the best way — flushed cheeks, swollen lips, and glassy eyes. He scans my face like he’s trying to find something. I wait him out.
