Page 80 of Sing Me Home
“Yeah.” Her eyes turned so serious. “You got me through. You sang to me until I believed you meant it.” Her fingers traced over my cheek. “You sang me home.”
“Of course I did. What else did you expect me to do? I was out of my mind, not knowing where you were or if you were even alive.” My nose brushed against hers. “I love you,” I said again.
She gave it right back. “I love you too.”
“I’m probably going to tell you so much it’ll annoy you.”
Her fingers breezed over my back. “Not possible.”
“I’m going to kiss you now, if that’s okay.”
She nodded, her eyes brighter than I’d seen them since we were kids.
I cradled her face in my hands, my thumbs brushing slow circles against her skin as I leaned in. She was already breathless, lips parting slightly, waiting. I took my time, letting the moment stretch. Then, when I couldn’t hold back another second, my lips glided over hers, just getting a taste. Even that tiny touch had me shaking.I kissed her softly at first, easing into the warmth of her lips, feeling the way she let out a little hum against me. But I neededmore. This woman ownedeverypiece of me, and I needed her to know it.
When my tongue stroked against hers, her fingers dug into my shoulders as if to steady herself—like she was three seconds from evaporating too. I smiled against her mouth, relishing the way she melted into the mattress, completely relaxed, bringing me right along with her. Then I kissed her harder, our tongues twining, slow and reverent. Like we both wanted to savor this moment we’d both waited for, for so long.
I traced along the shape of her mouth, memorizing her, cherishing every soft, shuddering breath she let out.
“Cash.” My name slipped from her mouth, tangled with a sigh and…
I felt it everywhere.
I kissed her for all the times I’d wished I could. For all the days I’d watched her across a room. For all the nights I went to bed wishing she was next to me. I kissed her and kissed her and kissed her.
And I would’ve kept on kissing her but the door flew open and a stampede of eight-year-old girls rushed in. We turned our heads, mid-kiss, to find a half-dozen pairs of stunned eyes locked on us. Then, all at once, they screamed.
“Moooooom!” Addie shrieked, head back like she was howling at the moon. “Cash and Charlie are doing the hippityyyy dippityyyyyyyyy!”
“Hey!” I yelled. “No, we’re?—”
But they’d already shot back down the stairs, bellowing over and over, “They’re doing the hippity dippity! They’re doing the hippity dippity!” Pretty sure none of them even knew what that meant besides Addie. Hippity dippity was the Dupree family term for baby-making.
Charlie shook under me and I looked down to see her laughing.
I laughed too. But then I groaned. “Great. My dad will be here any second. No doubt.”
Yup. Footsteps pounded up the stairs. “Cash!” Dad shouted.
“Crap!” Charlie hissed. “I’m in my bra.”
“Ah snap.” I’d kind of forgotten about that. I mean, trust me, I’d thought about it when we were kissing, but the minute the girls burst through the door…
I peeled the covers back just enough to escape, grabbed the T-shirt she’d dropped on the floor, and launched it at her.
“I saw that!” Dad yelled as he came crashing through the doorway. “What is wrong with you two?” He was saying the right words but his tone was off. A touch too light, a touch too pleased. And his lips were twitching uncontrollably like he was wrestling a smile into submission.
Charlie sat up, her shirt already on, cheeks bright red. She pulled her knees to her chest like she was trying to hide.
“Dad.” I held my hands up. “I mean, yes, we were kissing but there was no touching in the underwear zones.” I scrubbed a hand over my face, feeling like a teenager. I’d graduated from college for crying out loud. I shouldn’t have to explain myself to my parents. But…I was living under their roof.
Mom burst into the room out of breath. “What in the world?” Her eyes were daggers. Now, this was the parent who might kill me. “You were raised better than that.”
“Mom.” I exhaled slowly. “We weren’t. We were just kissing.”
“On the bed. With Charlie only wearing a bra and shorts,” Dad said unhelpfully. He was trying to get me in trouble.
Mom snapped her fingers at me. “All those children think you were having sex.”
