“I mean it.”
The way he says it—steady, unflinching—makes my pulse spike. He brushes a strand of damp hair back from my face.
“I won’t let you go again,” he says quietly.
I hold his gaze. Something shifts in his expression. He lifts me slightly, guiding me to sit sideways across his lap beneath the water. His hands settle at my hips as the steam thickens around us.
“You sure?” he murmurs.
“Yes.”
“No pretending. No rules. No running.”
I nod. He leans in, but this kiss is different from the hallway. His mouth brushes mine carefully at first, testing. When I respond, it deepens—but not frenzied.
My fingers slide up his shoulders, feeling the solid strength there.
The years between us don’t feel heavy anymore. They feel bridged. The hot tub hums softly beneath us. He pulls back slightly, resting his forehead against mine. His hands slide from my hips to my lower back, pulling me closer. The heat between us builds again—but it’s grounded now.
Not desperate.
Not nostalgic.
Just two people finally choosing each other without fear.
After a while, I murmur against his lips, “I’m getting hot.”
“Is that because you’re nestled against me in just your bra and panties?”
“Yes, not at all to do with the steaming hot tub,” I giggle.
Levi lifts me out of the tub then, wrapping me in a towel before covering himself in one. The porch boards are still warmfrom the day’s sun when he lays me down on the wide wooden planks. He joins me, nestling me into the crook of his arm.
Our fingers brush. Linger. And then intertwine.
“You scared?” he asks quietly.
“A little.”
“Of what?”
“That this feels right.”
He turns his head toward me. “It does.”
“Yeah.”
He squeezes my hand gently.
“This time,” he says, voice low and steady, “I’m not letting fear make decisions.”
“Good.”
“And I’m not letting you build a life without me in it.”
A slow smile touches my mouth. “Bossy.”
“Committed.”
