“What do you think about the new ending?”
“Honestly?” She snorts. “I think it’s way too cheesy. What happened to all the sex scenes?”
I nearly choke on my own spit. “What? You always said I needed to add more romance!”
“Okay, sure. But we needsomesex, too, damn it! All this tension and no release? I feel cheated.” She exaggerates a sigh. “Absolute disgrace, dude.”
I shake my head. I’m so confused right now.
“You… Okay, so back up: first of all, you need to quit hanging out with Lewis. And second of all—I’mconfusing?”
She smiles. “Keep going. I love hearing you give me orders I definitely don’t plan on following.”
I slap a hand over her mouth. I need a second to get this out. Is she saying she forgives me? Or is she brushing me off? I can feel her lips moving under my palm, and before I know it, she’s sticking her tongue out, licking my hand.
“What do you want from me?” I ask.
She raises an eyebrow in response, shoving my hand away.
“I want you to start using your words, you dumbass.” She looks me straight in the eye. “And by the way, Lane—this is the perfect moment.”
Perfect for what? Does she want me to say something—or kiss her?Fuck, O’Neill!My heart is hammering hard, and though I can’t think straight, I know I don’t have a second to waste. I bring my hand to the nape of her neck, covering her lips with mine, kissing her like it’s the first time, because in a weird kind of way, this is our first real kiss. Not some confusing fumble. Not some bullshit “mission.” This right here—it’s everything I ever wanted.
“I was hoping you’d, like, open up or something.” She pulls back. “Not stick your tongue down my throat.”
“It felt open-ended…”
I run my hands down to her hips and pull her in as close as I can in a near-frantic motion. And when she doesn’t push me away, I hold her tighter, breathing her in and diving in for more. I’m pretty sure I could tell her everything I need to with my tongue in her mouth. She lets out a soft giggle, clasping my face in her hands, slowing us both down as I kiss her over and over, deeper and harder. Though I’m not too sure what it all means, it feels fucking amazing. The minutes blur, and I lose myself in her until I pull back, just to keep from tasting more than her mouth.
“Don’t think you’re getting away with it that easily,” she says, gasping for air. “I’m not that lovesick little Lois curled up on your couch anymore. I’m going to need a little more than a screenplay and a kiss.”
My legs are like Jell-O, and so I pull her over to the garden seat, lifting her up to straddle my lap. There’s so much I want to tell her, but I don’t want this moment to ever end. I wrap my arms around her waist, and lean my forehead against hers.
“You’re a real pain in the ass, Lane O’Neill. You know that?”
I nod, tightening my arms around her. I don’t want to ever let her go again.
“You really screwed up.”
“I know.”
“I had to read that script three times to make sure it was you—to make sure I understood the twisted way your brain works. You’re an all-or-nothing kind of guy, aren’t you?”
“I guess. But I can work on myself,” I add.
She rubs my nose with hers, pressing a thumb over my lips to stop me from kissing her.
“You know, I would’ve understood…”
I know exactly what she’s talking about. I take a sharp breath in, lacing my fingers behind her back.
“Mike and his room, I mean.” She gazes at me. “I would’ve understood, if only you’d told me. I’m so sorry, Lane.”
“I’m sorry it took me so long to tell you.” I plant butterfly kisses at the corners of her lips. “And I’m sorry I told you the way I did. I wasn’t expecting you to be what I needed. To bewhoI needed, I mean.”
Her eyes are shining.
“You know what? Let’s talk more tomorrow. You can tell me about Mike—I want to know everything about him.” She smiles at me. “I bet he was way nicer than you.”
