Page 22 of Falling Faster
I set my cup on the bedside table. "Just a few minutes."
Stretching past me, Craig places his cup beside mine. Then he stands and pulls me up too so we're hip to hip and heart to heart. He raises our joined hands and studies the way they fit together. "This weekend was… incredible."
"I…" I tighten my hold, locking our hands together. My swift intake of breath draws Craig's attention from our hands to my gaze. Every cell in my body resists stepping away from the man in front of me. "I'm glad I met you."
"Me too. You can crash into my display table anytime." Smiling, he caresses my palm with his thumb in slow, steady circles. His eyes are eloquent as he frames the left side of my face with his other hand. "I'll call you."
I'll call you.So often an empty promise or a brush off. But the sincerity in Craig's gaze compels me to believe him.
"I will, too." I mean it. No way do I want to lose touch.
A soft knock on the door breaks the silence.
Even though I've been expecting it, my heart rate spikes. Time is up. I release my hold and force myself to take a step away. "That'll be Slater and Noah."
Craig nods and his hand falls away from my face. Movingaside to let me pass, he gestures toward the bags stacked in the corner. "I'll help carry your stuff down."
"Thanks." Smoothing my shirt and hair, I walk to the door. My reflection in the mirror on the wall makes me pause. Dark circles under sad eyes. I flip the lock and tug the door open.
Slater and Noah stand in the hall, travel bags in hand. The moment they notice Craig, sympathy clouds their faces. I can't handle talking to them about it, not here, maybe not for a long while. "I'm ready."
But I'm not. Not at all. Still, I grab a bag and let Craig carry the other one.
Our elevator ride to the lobby is silent. As we check out, my mind flies with all the things I want to say to Craig. Urgency and immediacy pounds in every heartbeat. But what else is there to say?I think I'm falling for you and I wish I could stay.
We load our bags into the waiting airport shuttle. Slater and Noah climb into the van, but I hang back. Time truly is up. I turn toward the man who unexpectedly has become more than a vacation fling. Want and longing morph into an ache in my chest.
Craig captures my hand and gently tugs me into his arms. The warmth of his chest and the strength in his hold wrap me in the most secure, sweetest embrace I've ever known. "Ty."
Arms holding him tight, I gaze into those gorgeous brown eyes. I can't say goodbye. Can't get that particular word past my lips. It seems too final. "Craig."
Behind us, the shuttle's driver clears his throat. "Sir, if we want to get you to the airport by six, we need to leave now."
Drinking in every detail of Craig's face, I press our torsos close together, determined to memorize every single thing. "Thank you for this weekend. It was unforgettable."
He brushes his lips over mine. The touch, light and sweet, is like the faintest taste of a delectable dessert that's been whipped away before I've gotten my fill.
I lick my lips, trying to hold on to the flavor of his kiss.
"I'll see you." With those words, Craig lowers his arms and then steps back. He thrusts one hand into his front pocket, lifts the other in a wave, and smiles.
The ache in my chest deepens. I return the wave and drum up a smile. Forcing myself to turn away and move my legs in the van's direction takes monumental effort, but I succeed. My hands tremble as I buckle my seatbelt. Spotlighted by the sun, Craig stands, watching, and he licks his lips like he's trying to hold on to my flavor too.
The vehicle rolls forward and gains speed. I keep my gaze on the lone silhouette until the van turns a corner, removing him from view.
"You okay?" Slater's voice breaks the silence as we merge into heavy traffic.
I shake my head. In what universe could I possibly be okay? "No. But it's time to get back to the real world."
CHAPTER SIX
CRAIG
Music echoes throughout my apartment. Head nodding to the beat of the song Patrick is playing on the acoustic guitar, I set a stack of T-shirts into one of the partially filled suitcases on the bed. Packing for the mini-tour with The Fury has kept me busy for the past hour, and I appreciate having company during the tedious task.
Sharing the stage with The Fury is a huge honor, and as soon as I knew for sure that they needed me, Ty was the first person I told. In the two weeks since the whirlwind weekend we shared, we've been texting every day, starting off by my question of how Ty's flight home had been, sent mere hours after I'd watched him drive away from the hotel.
Ty is on my mind first thing in the morning, multiple times during the day, and last thing at night. I have it bad…
