Page 111 of Promise Me

He sets his mug down and then slinks out of his chair down to his knees. He kneels in front of me, wrapping his arms around my waist as he looks up at me.

“People can see up here,” I whisper as if they can hear us too.

“Who? The Three’s Company regulars who are probably sitting on the bench outside the bakery and can’t see us?”

I let out a laugh that makes him smile even more.

“I wasn’t thinking that you overstepped,” he goes on. “I was thinking about how much I love having you here.”

“Oh.”

“And I think you should move in with me.”

I kiss his forehead and then laugh.

“Um, what do you call the last month?”

“I mean permanently.”

I study him for a moment, his lazy smile, the way his bedhead is combed over from my hands running through it.

“You really want that?”

“I do.”

I don’t even take a moment to think it over. “Okay. yes.”

He pushes up and kisses me.

“I guess this means we finally need to tell your brother.”

My face scrunches up.

“I know.”

“He’s not going to be happy with me.”

“No, but he should be happyforyou.”

He nods, but I see the doubt in his eyes.

I reach down and cup the side of his face.

“It’s going to be okay. We’ve got this.”

I press my lips to his softly. They brush against his once, twice, and then he rises to his feet, pulling me up with him. His hands come to my neck as he backs us up to the door, never letting our lips lose their connection. Once we’re back inside, he closes the door and the curtains.

“We don’t have time for this,” I remind him. “You’ll need to get to the bar soon.”

“I have hours, and there isalwaystime for this.”

And then he spins me quickly and bends me over the arm of the couch.

“Looks like you picked a couch with the perfect height.”

I smile, looking back at him over my shoulder.

He smirks as I bite my lip.

---