"Yes. I like you, Damon. A lot. And I've haven't been able to stop thinking about our kiss in the elevator. But this has all happened so fast, I'm scared."
His arms tightened around her. "What are you afraid of, Grace?"
"Lots of things. That you'll change your mind about us after you deploy. That you'll decide you don't want anything to do with me after...you know everything about me. That you won't...come home."
Damon pressed a finger to her lips. "I'm not going to change my mind, Grace. I've never been so sure about anything in my life. There's nothing you can tell me that will change how I feel about you. And being in the military..." He let out a heavy sigh. "There are no guarantees, but I promise to do everything in my power to come back home to you, beautiful." He caressed a finger along her jaw, and his gaze grew more intense. "Can I kiss you now?"
"Yes, please." The words were little more than a whisper.
Too impatient to wait for Damon to initiate the kiss, Grace pushed up on her toes until her lips met his. A low chuckle rumbled through his chest as he slid his hand to the back of her neck to cradle her head. The other pressed against her back, holding her close to him.
Grace feared she'd built up their kiss from the elevator so much that kissing Damon again couldn't possibly measure up to her memories. She was wrong. Warmth flooded over her, despite the pleasant September evening, and contentment hummed through her.
Kissing Damon was both comfortable—like snuggling up in front of a fire—and invigorating. Stimulating in a way that fueled a dopamine rush. One she could easily become addicted to.
The kiss was long and leisurely. Exploring, yet teasing. They were both breathless by the time she pulled her lips from his.
He pressed his forehead to hers as he continued to hold her close. "I've replayed our kiss from the elevator so many times in my head, I thought there was no way it was as good as I remembered. Boy, was I wrong."
Grace chuckled. "I was just thinking the same thing."
"There was undeniable chemistry there in that elevator."
"There was."
The music in the gym changed to a slow song, one of Grace's favorites. It fit the mood between her and Damon perfectly. His arms tightened around her waist again as they started to sway.
"Mmm..." Grace laced her fingers together behind his neck and laid her head against his shoulder. "What was it you wanted to say a bit ago?"
He cleared his throat. "I can't leave without telling you exactly how I feel."
Her heart that had yet to settle down, drummed against her ribcage. She lifted her head to meet his gaze.
"I don't want to scare you away..." He caressed the side of her face as he brushed back an errant lock of hair. "But I'm madly in love with you, Grace."
The sincerity in his words stole her breath. She wasn't there yet. She couldn't say those words to him until he knew everything about her past and could accept it. But she wasn't ready to tell him. She didn't want to ruin this amazing thing happening between them tonight.
He rushed on. "I know this all happened really fast between us, and we may not be on the same page. But I'm hoping that because you like mea lot,we're reading the same book?" His tone was hopeful, but she didn't miss the question in his voice.
"Yes, we're in the same book. But I should warn you..." She pointed a finger at his face. "I'm a very slow reader when it comes to relationships."
A teasing grin lifted his lips. "I could find you an audiobook."
Grace laughed. "I'm afraid it doesn't work that way."
"Cliff's notes?"
She giggled and poked his side, making him squirm. "Nope, sorry. No shortcuts here."
"In that case will you promise to write to me? When I'm not on special assignment, I should be able to text and call."
She loved the idea of talking to Damon. She'd figured the most she could hope for was emails.
"I will. The time difference between here and the Middle East might make it tricky, but I look forward to it."
"Sweet!" He whispered the word, but his face showed his excitement. His gaze dropped to her mouth as he caressed her bottom lip with his thumb. "Would you care to share more story notes?"
Grace burst out laughing again but sobered quickly at the intensity in his eyes. "If you're asking if I want you to kiss me again, the answer is yes." The answer would always be yes. But she didn't get to add that last part because his lips had already claimed hers in another breathtaking kiss.
