Page 146 of Lost Then Found
She lifts her chin slightly, lips curving like she’s enjoying this. “I want to hear you say it.”
I chuckle, watching as she props her head on her hands, resting them against my chest like she’s getting comfortable.
“You’re a pain in the ass.”
She laughs, and it’s not just a sound—it’s a whole-body thing. Her shoulders shake, her stomach tenses, her lips curve into something wide and effortless. It’s that same laugh that used to get me in trouble, used to make me forget whatever the hell we were supposed to be doing because all I ever wanted was to be the reason she did that.
She’s still smiling when she looks at me, the kind of pretty that’s almost unfair, like she just rolled out of bed and still managed to look better than anyone else. Her hair is a mess from my hands, and her lashes—long and blonde at the tips—flutter slightly as she tilts her head.
I could live a hundred lifetimes and never get used to looking at her.
Lark lifts a hand, dragging her finger along the cleft in my chin, her touch light, teasing. Her eyes flick between mine, and then—softly, but with that same stubborn tilt to her mouth—she says, “Say it.”
A deep pull tugs at my chest.
I catch her hand before she can pull it away, pressing a kiss to the tip of her finger, then the next, and the next. Her breath hitches slightly, likeshe wasn’t expecting that. I keep my hold on her hand, my thumb tracing the inside of her wrist.
“I love you, Lark,” I murmur against her skin. “Always have. Even when I was too young to understand it. Even when I was too stupid to do anything about it.” I lift my gaze to hers, watching her reaction, watching the way she tries to keep it from showing too much.
Her lips part, her throat working around something unspoken. She’s letting me in, I can feel it, but there are still walls there, still pieces of her she’s not quite ready to hand over. Not yet.
I don’t push.
I just hope I can keep breaking them down.
She grins after a moment, shaking her head slightly. “That was kinda cute, Wilding.”
I snort. “Kinda?”
“Yeah.” She props her chin on my chest, watching me like she’s weighing something. “I want to get there. I…I want to be able to fully trust you again.” She pauses, drumming her fingers lightly against my chest. “I’m trying.”
My throat tightens. That’s more than what I ever thought I’d get from her.
I nod once, rubbing my hands over the soft slope of her back. “I get it.”
She lifts her gaze and I don’t wait—I grab her face and kiss her, pulling her closer. She laughs against my mouth, shaking her head slightly, but still kissing me back, her fingers sliding into my hair.
“What?” I murmur, brushing my lips over hers.
She grins, gesturing between us. “What would we say to Hudson? You know…if we were like…a thing?”
I lift a brow, fighting a smile. “Athing?”
“Yes, a thing.”
I grin. “What kind of thing?”
“Awe’re togetherthing.”
I drag my fingers down her spine. “Ayou’re my girlthing?”
Her lips twitch. “I don’t know.AmI your girl?”
I don’t hesitate. “Always have been, baby.”
Lark laughs, shaking her head like she doesn’t quite believe me, like she’s still trying to figure out how we got here. I reach for a strand of her hair, twisting it around my finger, watching how the soft blonde curls against my bronzed skin.
The moment settles around us, quiet but heavy as I realize how much I want this.Allof this.
