Then I realize what he’s saying.
The house is empty.
We can?—
My lungs hitch.
“Stitch,” he murmurs, and I realize I’ve frozen.
Quickly, I dump some simple syrup into the shaker, add some ice, and slap on the lid. I lift it?—
Rhodes snags it from my hands.
“Finn.” He sets it aside and cups my face in his hands. “I need you to hear me.”
I nod. “O-okay.”
“This only goes as far as you want it. Tonight. Tomorrow.Forever. I don’t care if the house is empty or Chloe’s down the hall or the kittens are being their usual demonic selves.” His eyes fix on mine. “Youget to decide.”
“What about you?” I whisper. “Shouldn’t you get to decide too?”
He goes still.
For a long, long time he doesn’t move.
Then he presses his lips to my forehead.
“I already have.”
He means that.
I can see it on his face, in his gaze, feel it in the careful way he touches me. Ihavefelt it.
Tonight.
Over these last months.
And suddenly, I’m not scared anymore.
“Rhodes,” I whisper, throwing my arms around his neck and pressing my lips to his.
He pulls back, eyes filling with concern. “Stitch.”
“Kiss me,” I order. “Kiss me like I’ve dreamed of.”
Our first kiss is soft.
Our second isnot.
By the third, I’m clutching the front of his shirt and kissing him like I’ll die if I don’t have my mouth on his, my tongue tangling with his, my body pressed to his.
He groans and lifts me up on the counter, stepping between my legs, and hauling me close as we kiss and kiss andkiss.
“We can wait,” he says as he sucks at my throat, nips at my earlobe.
God, I like this man so much.
“I don’t want to wait.”
