“Yeah.” He brushed his thumb over my knuckles. “If you really hate someone, you don’t spend seven years finding excuses to touch them, even if the best you can do is pick a fight in a hockey game.”
I laughed. “Does beating each other with our sticks count?”
“Frustration,” he said, rolling his eyes.
“I’ll buy that.”
“So…” A crooked smile played on his lips. “I guess we’re idiots.”
Nodding, I returned his smile. “Hopeless ones.”
“Happy ones?”
“The happiest.”
The first brush of his lips was gentle. Then I deepened the kiss, exploring his mouth while he moaned softly. We both sighed when we pulled apart and leaned our foreheads together.
“You really love me?” he whispered.
“Completely. And you want a life with me?”
“More than anything.”
The words settled between us, steady and real, until he eventually pulled back and looked into my eyes. “Love you, Nix.”
“Love you too.”
I couldn’t sit still because every part of me ached for him.
“Bedroom?” I asked.
His smile was everything. “Yeah. Absolutely.”
43/
packy
The airin the bedroom seemed heavier after everything we’d said to each other.
I love you.
I want a future with you.
You’re it for me.
Nix stood a few feet away, fidgeting with his hands like he wasn’t sure what came next. We’d had a lot of sex by then, but this was different. We were stepping into something neither of us could pretend was casual anymore.
My heart raced. I wasn’t afraid of him but of pushing too fast, or not fast enough. I didn’t want to see that look in his eyes disappear if I hesitated.
“Come here,” I said.
He took two long strides, and then his mouth was on mine. I pulled him close, wrapping my arms around him and grabbing his shirt. The kiss was hard and desperate, releasing all the fear and anxiety of the past few weeks.
I’d missed the solid reassurance of his body pressed against mine, the taste of him, and even the sound he made when I bit his lower lip. But more than anything, I’d missed him.
He broke the kiss to pull his shirt over his head, and I did the same. Our hands brushed as we reached for each other again. His skin was warm, his shape familiar and perfect. Nix was everything I wanted.
“Let’s get naked.” He stepped back and pulled his pants down. I mirrored him, and when there was no clothing left between us, he kissed me again.
