Page 66 of Quietly Falling
My mouth crashes over hers, cutting off whatever she was about to say in a hard kiss that we both desperately need. When I try to pull back, she wraps her arms around my neck and pulls her body flush against mine, our tongues tangling in a fierce dance where everyone’s a winner.
“You were right,” she pants and I chuckle, pressing my lips to her forehead.
“I know.”
“I missed you.”
“I know that too,” I reply, taking her hand and pulling her toward my truck.
“But my bag?—”
“I’ll get it,” I tell her, opening the passenger door and hoisting her into the seat. “And I need you to just let me.” Gentling my tone, I press a soft kiss to her lips. “Please, let me take care of you tonight.”
“You drive a hard bargain, but I guess I can manage.”
“Good, I’ll be back in a sec.”
Closing her door, I make quick work of retrieving her bag, depositing it in the back seat, and climbing into the cab. I can already tell she’s more relaxed, her head leaned back and her eyes closed.
She’s so damn pretty.
“It’s kinda hot how you manhandled me in there,” she muses without opening her eyelids.
“We’d still be in there if I hadn’t,” I tell her, turning the key as the engine roars to life.
“I know.” The words are solemn as I weave my fingers between hers and rest our joined hands on her thigh as we pull out of the parking lot and onto the road.
I can feel the tension leave my body, her touch and the scent of sugar and chocolate soothing me like a balm as I navigate the back roads toward the cabin that’s been my home for the last few years.
The outside is worn in a way that gives it character, the Tennessee heat, relentless in the summer, aging the wood without apology. My headlights illuminate the dark blue door and I make a note to put a fresh coat of paint on it once the cold weather clears out for good.
“You fall asleep on me?” I ask quietly, squeezing her hand and smiling when her eyelids pop open and she looks around.
“Maybe,” she relents, a pretty pink blush settling on her cheeks. “But I promise I’m awake now.”
“We can sleep. God knows I sleep better with you anyway.”
“Really?” she asks, surprise in her tone, and hell, I hadn’t meant to say it, the words having slipped out on their own. But I can’t regret it because they’re so damn true.
“Yeah,” I tell her, turning so she can see the sincerity in my eyes. Swallowing hard, I force myself to go all in on this runaway train. “What do you think about stayin’ with me a couple of nights a week? I’d say we can stay at your place, but I have the dogs and they like having their space.”
“So, we sleep well a couple of nights a week and then not sleep the rest of the time?” she teases, pushing out of her door and stretching with her arms over her head as I grab her bag from the back seat.
It’s too soon to move in together, right?
“Babe?”
“Hmm?” I answer, the endearment registering a second later than it should.
“I definitely want to stay with you a couple of nights.” She winks. “Or more.”
I like the sound of that.
“Well, good.” My voice is a little gruffer than before. “I thought we could stay in tonight, maybe go out tomorrow. I haven’t taken you on a real date,” I tell her as I walk up the porch steps and pause.
“I’d love that,” she says before frowning. “I don’t think I brought anyreal dateclothes.”
“We can figure out the details later; I just need to get you inside.”
