Page 69 of Before You
“I said the same thing,” she says, and he visibly melts.
“Get a room.” I groan, mildly irritated we’ve been interrupted.
“In his dreams.” Bria scoffs, but her cheeks grow pink.
Asher smiles a dopey smile in her direction, his eyes never leaving her as she perches on one of the bar stools. “I can promise you are in every single one.”
Marley chuckles, squeezing my hand as she whispers in my ear. “We can pick this up later?” she offers, and at the risk of sounding like Asher, Marley is all of my dreams coming true.
“Deal.”
CHAPTER TWENTY-TWO
Marley
“ARE YOU SURE you’re okay with meeting my family this weekend?” JJ asks, walking out of my bathroom.
“Should I not be okay with it?” I ask, pulling the covers back before climbing into my bed. Everything I’ve heard from JJ about his family makes it clear how much he loves them, and since hearing the phone call when his sister told him about her engagement, I’ve been excited to meet her.
JJ’s gaze is smoldering as he looks at me, shaking his head. “They can just be . . . a lot. They have big personalities, and I don’t want to overwhelm you.”
My heart flutters in my chest, and I smile at him. “I’ll be fine. I’m excited to meet them,” I reassure him, and he studies my face before nodding.
“You’ll let me know if you’re not okay?” he asks, moving closer to the bed.
It’s tempting to roll my eyes, but I appreciate his concern. JJ seems to be the only one who can read me like an open book.
“I promise I will let you know if I’m not. Now will you please get in bed?” I ask, patting the spot next to me. His eyes glimmer, and his fingers skim the bottom of his shirt.What is he waiting for?
“I get hot in my sleep. Is it okay if I take my shirt off?” JJ asks, looking at me with those beautiful eyes of his. I think green might be my new favorite color, but only the exact shade of his irises.
JJ surprises me more than he knows. He’s asking for permission to take his shirt off, but he had no problem telling me to watch him kiss his way down my body in the mirror? It certainly keeps me on my toes.
“Whatever makes you comfortable,” I say, trying not to seem too eager. I don’t want JJ to think I asked him to stay the night because I have expectations of anything. Honestly—I want to know what it feels like to fall asleep next tohiminstead of holding my phone. It’s really just an added bonus he has a body belonging to a marble statue.
He grabs the back of his shirt, pulling it over his head in a smooth motion, revealing every inch of his perfect physique. I play with my thumb ring, trying not to gawk, but I’m afraid the sight of JJ will never cease to amaze me. I didn’t think it was possible for someone to exist with as pure a heart as JJ, who also looks like he belongs on the cover of a magazine.
JJ climbs into bed after turning off the lights, a quiet laugh slipping from his lips as he rolls to face me. The dim lighting coming through my slanted blinds is enough for me to see his handsome features as the corners of his full lips tug upward into a smile. “Sorry, I just . . . sometimes I have to pinch myself to make sure I’m not dreaming,” JJ says.
“Yeah?” I ask, mimicking how he’s lying.
“Yeah. I don’t know if I’ve said it, but I’m really happy to have been lucky enough for our paths to cross a second time.”
Maybe I need to pinch myself.“Even though I was dating your roommate at the time?” I ask, and JJ cringes.
“Maybe we can forget about him,” he says, a fuller laugh rumbling from his chest.
“I wish.” I scoot closer to JJ, and his body heat is radiating like a furnace in the middle of winter. His arm wraps around me, tucking me closely to him, our bodies lining up perfectly. JJ hisses through his teeth when my feet brush against his legs.
“Your feet are like icicles,” he says against the curve of my neck, tangling our legs together as a chuckle slips from me.
“Sorry,” I apologize, trying not to laugh as I rest my head on his bicep. I didn’t think I was this tired, but there’s something so relaxing about having JJ’s arms around me.
The subtle fragrance of my body wash lingering on his skin makes me smile as I close my eyes. Lying in his arms feels better than waking to the sound of rain on a spring morning.I wonder if JJ can feel how fast my heart is beating.
There’s a comfort in the silence, simply enjoying the intimacy of letting sleep slowly pull us under together.
Is this what forever feels like?
