Page 67 of Undone

Zoe didn’t answer with words. Instead, she flung herself at me and I caught her in midair. Our mouths crashed together in a kiss that quickly turned passionate. My hand slid up Zoe’s back, caressing her and relishing the feeling of holding her close. She circled her arms around my waist and squeezed me, like she was afraid I’d slip away if she let go.

When we finally pulled apart, we were both a little breathless and stunned at everything that’d happened. So much had changed in thespan of just a few minutes. I couldn’t believe my luck that Zoe was mine again. And this time, I had no intentions of fucking it up.

Except. She hadn’t actually said it out loud. Of course, I felt her intentions in the way she kissed me, but I needed to hear the words. I gave her a questioning look.

Her eyes were at half-mast like she was drunk on me, and the naughty grin made me realize that she was already plotting a way to get me out of my clothing. She finally snapped out of her haze with a start.

“Oh my God, I didn’t say it back to you! OfcourseI love you too, Josh. I love you, I love you, I love you! Now kiss me again,” she demanded.

I smiled at her and lowered my lips to hers, relishing the thought that we were going to spend the rest of our lives finding new ways to prove how we felt for each other.

ZOE

“That’s it. The last box,” I said, putting the final book on the shelf triumphantly.

“And to think it only took us two months to finish.” Josh laughed from his spot on the ground next to the massive stack of empty boxes. “Slowest unpackers ever.”

“Hey, don’t be so hard on us. It’s not easy getting stuff done as a full-time student-slash-freelancer and ranch owner. I’m happy we finished in under six months.”

Our days had become a whirlwind of joining our lives while still juggling the demands of the real world. I spent most of my time trying to manage the workload of online school with a client roster that kept growing despite not advertising. And it wasn’t just the web design portion of my business. Thanks to Carol telling all of her friends, clients, and coworkers about me, I had photography sessions keeping me busy as well. I was still in shock that my days were full, but I was managing everything perfectly. I had a feeling it was the fact that I was waking up next to Josh every morning that made everything seem doable.

After some initial adjustment pains that went along with reallocating his workload, Josh had fully settled into life off the ranch after hours. I had helped automate some of the ranch tasks, which made him feel like he still had his hands in everything without requiring him to physically be there to manage them. Shannon was pitching in on a daily basis, and Eli was proving to be the best hire he’d ever made, picking up slack here and there and managing the growing trail ride business with real flair. Putting distance between himself and the ranch at the end of every day allowed him to be more present with me. I’d worried that moving away was a risk, but we didn’t livethatfar away, and it was paying off for both of us.

“True.” He nodded, then looked around. “I think this little library is my favorite room. It’s so quirky.”

I plopped down next to him and dropped my head onto his shoulder as I looked around the tiny room ringed by bookshelves. “Mine too. The skylight is so cool. And my carousel horse looks perfect in here. I can’t believe you bought it for me.”

“Hey, I wasn’t about to miss the opportunity to give you a horse-related gift.” He laughed. “I went into shock when Carol said you liked it.”

I still couldn’t believe the life we were living together. The little house I’d fallen for was even sweeter now that we were filling it with love. Everything justfit, despite how small the place was, as if it magically expanded to make sure that we were content inside.

I sighed. “I love it here.”

“Same,” Josh answered, looking around. “You know, this is the first time I’ve lived anywhere but the ranch. I thought it would be weird, but I felt at home here the second I walked through the door when Carol showed it to me. And it just keeps getting better.”

“You know what comes next, right?” I asked.

Josh looked stricken. “What?”

“A dog! I’ve wanted one forever, but I’ve never had the right living situation. It’s perfect now, with the yard and the little sun porch. So can we get one, please, please, please?”

“You can have whatever you want,” Josh answered. “Anything that makes you happy.”

He gently turned my face up and grazed his lips across mine. It was the slightest hint of a kiss, but it was enough to make me want to climb on top of his lap and whisper naughty suggestions in his ear. I made my move and he inched away, laughing.

“Zo, you’ve got to give me a break! We just made love like fifteen minutes ago.”

I pouted. “It’s been at least an hour.”

“Okay, even so, you’ve got a honey-do list that’s three pages long, and I only have so much time to get it done. If you keep pulling me back to bed, this house will never get finished.”

“But what if we don’t go to bed?” I pleaded. I slapped the wood floor. “This is plenty comfy.”

“Zo, you’re the worst.” Josh leaned over and kissed me again, harder this time. “And by that, I mean you’re the best.”

It was all the invitation I needed. I swung my leg over his and ended up in his lap facing him. I arched toward him as we kissed, knowing that he couldn’t resist the sensation of my breasts pushing up against his chest. Josh wrapped his arms around me and started to stand up, still holding onto me, but miscalculated how far he was from the towering stack of empty boxes. He bumped against it, sending the boxes cascading onto us and across the floor.

We laughed helplessly at the mess as the boxes scattered around the room.

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