“Something tells me Theo has plenty of patience.” She winked and slid me the new cup of coffee. I gave him one last glance before I went to my table.
Work didn’t come easily, but I wanted a reason to stay, so I found something to do on my laptop. Kelsey came by a few times to chat, which took up some more of my time, but I was impatiently waiting for the shop to close.
It felt like it took forever for Theo to finally flip the sign to closed, and by that time, I was up and moving.
“Yes?” he said, turning to me with a raised brow.
The sight was way too hot for words. A ball of cotton made its way into my throat, and I had to fight it to speak.
“H-how was your day?” I nearly cringed when I asked it. That wasn’t the best way to start a conversation, and I knew it.
Butcan you touch me againwas far worse.
“Fine. You got to see most of it.” Theo had a mop in his hand, but fully turned to me. “How’s your burn doing?”
“Mildly annoying, but I’m managing.”
His eyes narrowed. “You have something on your mind.”
“I do.” I tucked a strand of hair behind my ear, trying to stay calm. “I wanna try something else with you.”
Theo reacted immediately. He swallowed, eyes wide. “And what’s that?”
“A hug.”
There was a long pause between us where all I could hear was my own heartbeat in my ears.
“Like you hugging me?”
“No.” My voice shook. “The full package. You hugging me back too.”
“Are you ready for that?”
My heart sank. I’d heard that question a lot. “I don’t know, but I want to try.”
Theo’s cheeks went red, and I got a sick sense of satisfaction. Finally, he was blushing and it was because of me.
All was right with the world.
He took in a long breath, but then nodded. “Okay.”
I perked up. “Really?”
“Yeah. As long as you bail when you need to.”
“I will. Trust me, nothing will stop me if I want to be away.”
“Okay.” He nodded and leaned the mop against the counter. “Let me know when you’re ready.”
“I’m ready,” I said immediately.
“That quick?”
“I’ve been thinking about this for a while.”
Theo nodded and opened his arms. My heart felt like it was in my throat as I took a step forward, and then another.
My face collided with his chest and I instantly tensed. He didn’t wrap his arms around me immediately—something I had mixed feelings about. I knew what he was doing. He was waiting for me to fully relax.
