Page 63 of Enemies to Lovers

“I thought I’d feel everything—this was it, you know? What I’ve wanted, worked for—”

“And deserve.”

He meets my gaze, locking on, the air around us electrifying in the simple contact. “It’s nothing without you.”

My heart thuds, thick and heavy, ready to leap right out of my chest and into his hands. His eyes are so honest that I almost let my heart just go for it. Jump on out and stay with him forever.

“You mean it.” It’s not a question, but he answers it like it is.

“I mean everything I say to you. Even when I was…” He scratches his beard. “Even when I didn’t realize my feelings for you.” He lets out an unamused laugh, shaking his head at the floor. “Damn it, Val. I’m more anxious about earning your trust than I was before any test. I’ve been counting the days till the end of the semester to get to this. Right here.Thisconversation.”

His gaze drops to our joined hands, and he lifts them between us. “All I’ve wanted was to be seen, not come second. Damn it, I won way before that offer came in. Every step you take toward me, every laugh that falls from those gorgeous lips, every time you ask my opinion, every finger that interlocks with mine… Those are the victories that make me feel like I’ve won…everything.”

I’m light-headed, and if he keeps going, I’m going to pass out or float away. His words weave into my soul and spread through my entire body, leaving electrifying tingles in their wake. My resolve wasn’t that strong before, and now it’s been shattered to dust.

“Damn it.” A smile curls on my lips, and I shake my head. “That was good.”

He lets out a breathy laugh. “I’ve had a couple months to practice it.”

“Good work.” I push on my tiptoes, but he’s still too tall for me to wrap my arms around his shoulders, so I go for his torso. “Are you ready for the reward?”

His arms snuggle me, and I vow to stay here for as long as he lets me. “Depends. I may look smart, but I’m gonna need you to spell this one out for me.”

“You mean… like if I kiss you, what will it mean? Will you stay the night? Will this be a fling, or is it more? Am I upset about the internship and playing with you—the perfect payback?”

He chuckles, his hand splaying over the small of my back, his pinky dipping slightly into my waistband. “Does it mean you forgive me?”

I tap my chin. “I don’t recall you saying sorry.”

“I apologized many times.”

“Three.” I start to tick them off, but he still holds me close when I let him go. “One because I caught you. Again because I told you to get out of my house. And then another before you defended everything you did.”

“Damn your memory.” He presses a kiss to my forehead, and I lean back.

“So… my apology?”

“I just poured my heart out.”

I fake yawn, tapping my hand against my lips. His laughter shakes against my body, doing tingly and exciting things to my stomach.

“I’m sorry, Val.” He playfully tugs the hem of my shirt. “I’m sorry, and you are brilliant and beautiful and—”

I grab his shirt and pull his lips to mine, muffling all the compliments I’ll probably drag out of him later. There’s no hesitation in his kiss, no deception in his touch. It’s all honesty and real and more than I ever fantasized or dreamed about with anyone.

He keeps me in his arms, and we laugh and kiss and snuggle, and I don’t feel like I’ve lost out on anything. I’ve got a solution to my Brewster problem, a guy I’m head over heels for who actually wants me back, and a promising career ahead of me. And no one can tell me it was easy.

He may have gotten the internship, but I’m the one doing victory laps.

“Congratulations. You’re a mom.”

My heart screams in delight as I take the overweight cat from my brother and hold him in my arms. I caved, and I don’t care in the slightest. I’ve been beating myself up and losing much needed z’s thinking of Chonk in this room, alone with no one to love him.

I will love him! I will love him so much he won’t need food to fill the void—but I’ll probably still give it to him.

Miles grins ear to ear, the hazel eyes that we share lighting under the dim lights of our living room. He picked Chonk up for me since I’ve been cooking all the livelong day. Paxton lost his job at Utah Power Repair a few weeks ago, but he only told me today, and I’m making his least favorite food as punishment.

I made his favorite dessert, though. I’m not a total monster.

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