Page 63 of Bad At Love

Let her come to you,he warned himself.She’s here in your home, for whatever reason.

Her expression turned sheepish as she poured the steaming chai into mugs. “The bed’s gone.”

“What the hell did TJ do? Why’s everything upside down?”

When her hand shook passing him the tea, DP realized how short he sounded. He rubbed a hand over his face and took a fortifying sip of the chai. His insides settled, and he took a few more sips before saying, “Sorry, it’s not your fault.”

“It kind of is,” she said, walking into the living room. She rubbed her hands over her thighs, and he noted a streak of dust on her cheek.

His stomach clenched as she stopped just out of reach, almost as if she was afraid of what he might do. With her presence overwhelming him in the best way possible, he had to backtrack to what she said.

“How is this your fault?” he said, moving his arm around.

“I was planning for it to be a surprise.”

“What…what do you mean? Wait,” he said, panic and hope twisting him painfully. “I saw someone that looked like a real estate agent at your house and a couple was touring, I think. What’s going on?”

“You stopped by my house first?”

He shrugged, flushing.

“DP, why did you stop by my house?”

“Why do you think?” he said, losing patience. “I wanted to see you. I was dying to see you.”

“So you wouldn’t be against it if I kissed you? Because I missed you and I’m shit scared right now and I really, really, want to touch you and hold you and tell myself that it’s okay.”

Tears filled his eyes and he blinked them back. “I’ve been traveling for twenty-six hours. But I did brush my teeth and changed my undershirt-”

She came at him, like lightning flashing across the sky, making the teacup fly from his hand. Her lips on his stole his words, his breath, his heart. He stumbled as the full force of her smashed into him, but she didn’t let go.

Her kiss said everything he was desperate to say. She tasted like strawberries and coffee and it was the most delicious thing he’d known in months. He filled his hands with her ass, her back, trembling from head to toe that he was touching her.

Joy and happiness and gratitude and love drenched him in thick rivulets when she trailed kisses across his jaw and temple and even the tip of his nose, her breath as erratic as his.

Pulling her along, he shuffled them towards the large sectional which thankfully, was intact. He fell backward and she fell half on top of him and half on the couch, her mouth still attached to his face. With a grunt, he lifted her until she was in his lap, sitting sideways. And finally, finally, the furor in his heart calmed.

The jasmine scent from her skin filled his lungs and he breathed it in like an addict.

“Now tell me what’s going on here,” he demanded, nipping her lower lip.

With a stifled cry, she hid her face in his chest and burrowed into him.

He ran his hands over her thighs, knees, hips, loving the feel of her. God, he’d missed her so much. And now, to have her in his home, in his lap, her heart thundering against his, it was all he wanted. And he would do anything to keep her here.

“Char?” he said, stroking his fingers through her hair, which was now cascading against her shoulders. Burying his face in the bounty, he breathed in deeply.

She looked up, her eyes red-rimmed. They flicked between his, and she shivered. “I took this huge, big step.” Her breath shuddered out in a rush. “In the last few weeks, I’ve had these alternating moments where it felt exactly right and yet horrifyingly scary.”

“Is something wrong with the business? Kaasi?” he said, heart racing. “Whatever went wrong, sweetheart, we’ll fix it together. I’m back and you aren’t alone.”

She rubbed her mouth against the underside of his jaw. “God, DP. What if…”

“What?” he said, his hands tightening on her.

“I... all this…” she said throwing a hand toward the mess in the living room, “it was my idea. I wanted to surprise you.”

“You decided to clear out twenty years of junk as a present to me?”

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