“You okay?”
“I’m more than okay, Dex,” I whisper, pulling him closer, my breath uneven. “I want this so bad that if you stop touching me, I think I’ll lose my mind.”
That breaks whatever he has left holding him back.
His grip tightens.
“I love you, Tinker,” he breathes.
“I love you too, Pan.”
He kisses me again.
And this time, I don’t think, don’t hesitate, don’t pull back.
I’m finally home.
CHAPTER 27
Alexis
I wake to the feeling of strong arms wrapped around me from behind, steady and warm, like they’ve been there all night.
Last night comes rushing back, and butterflies bloom low in my stomach, soft and sudden, spreading before I can stop them.
A brush of lips grazes my shoulder, slow and lingering, and I can’t help the quiet laugh that slips out as I turn in his arms to face him.
His hair is tousled, his smile soft, still heavy with sleep. “Mornin’, Tinker.” He leans in, pressing a kiss to the tip of my nose.
“Morning, Pan.”
I loop my arms around his neck, pulling myself closer, and press a kiss to the side of his neck, breathing him in without thinking.
“You okay?” he asks quietly, his hand moving along my bare back in slow, grounding strokes. His grip tightens just slightly for a second, like he needs to feel me there, like he needs to be sure.
“I’m more than okay.” I lift my gaze to his, warmth already creeping into my cheeks, and the fact that it still happens, that he can still make me feel like this, catches me off guard. “I never knew it could be so…” My voice fades, the words slipping away as the blush deepens.
His expression softens even more, like that means something to him. “Never felt like this for me either.” He presses a kiss to my temple, lingering there.
I study him for a moment, taking him in like I need to remember this version of him, then smile softly. “I like waking up in your arms.”
His smile deepens, a quieter emotion settling into his eyes, one that feels a little more permanent. “I want to wake up like this, you in my arms, every day.”
A small laugh escapes me, light but real. “I think we can arrange that.”
The words come easily, but a part of me hesitates anyway. “Do you think we’re going too fast, Dex?”
His fingers tilt my chin up, making sure I don’t look away. “No,” he says softly, steady in a way that settles something in me. “I think we wasted too much time fighting this… now we just make up for it.” The corner of his mouth lifts slightly. “And I know exactly how to do that.”
Before I can react, he rolls me onto my back, hovering over me, his weight familiar now, grounding instead of overwhelming, his mouth finding my skin in quick, warm kisses until I’m laughing beneath him, breathless and soft.
“I think you’re right,” I murmur, smiling up at him, my hands still resting against him like I don’t want the distance back.
“So I’m not leaving in a few weeks like we planned?”
Dex dips his head, his teeth catching my shoulder just enough to make me inhale before he soothes it with his lips,slow and deliberate. “You’re not going anywhere, Tinker… not unless you want to.” His voice lowers slightly, brushing against my skin. “You’re staying right here with me… and letting me make you happy.”
I pretend to think it over, even though my chest already feels too full to say anything else. “Hmm… I think I can live with that.”
