Page 73 of Night and Day
Izzy’s hand slid down from her waist, pulling her against his hard-on, stealing all strength from her legs.
“We’re outside in public,” she whispered. “Sort of.”
“It’s getting dark. There’s no one around.”
“What if someone comes?”
His rough voice brimmed with mischief. “Let’s make sure we come first.”
She stared into his eyes, opaque with need. Her body guiding her, she raised onto her toes to reach for his mouth. He met her half-way, his beard scratching her skin as his warm lips owned hers, his tongue lapping into her mouth. She sensed his hunger and urgency, but also his restraint, like he was fighting hard to keep from getting in too deep, but they already were, she knew it.
Detaching herself from the moment, Mia took Izzy’s hand and pulled them to sitting, their legs hanging over the edge of the dock. “You don’t have to keep things light, or distract me. Be honest with me.”
He pulled a face. “We have so little time. I’m afraid to ruin it.”
“Tomorrow is not the end of the world. It’s not the end of us. Or is it?”
Izzy’s eyes flashed with defiance. “No talking about tomorrow, remember?”
Mia twined her fingers through his. “I know I said that, but I don’t think it’s going to work. Not for me.”
“What’s the alternative?”
Pain seared through her heart, stinging behind her eyes. “I don’t know. I guess we have to... talk about it? Because I feel we have something here, but it’s too early to tell, isn’t it?”
“Is it?” His voice thickened with emotion, making her shiver.
“I mean, even if we feel something, we can’t really trust it yet. What if it’s just a chemical reaction?”
“Isn’t everything?”
“What?
“Um... digestion? A car starting? Rust eating metal... all chemical reactions. Doesn’t make the process unreliable.”
“You know falling in love fades, right? It doesn’t last.”
“But a relationship might.”
“Maybe.” She felt her heartbeat in her ears, heavy and fast.
Izzy’s voice resonated so low she could feel it in her stomach. “Are you saying you’re falling in love?”
“Are you saying you want a relationship?”
He squeezed her fingers. “I want you in my life, every day and night, forever. That’s what I want. I don’t expect to get what I want, but Mia... if there’s any way you could see us having a future, please tell me. It’ll kill me when you go away, but at least I’ll know where I stand.”
His words arrested her with their weight. Izzy was all or nothing. She’d known this from the start and it shouldn’t have surprised her. But she had to be honest with him. “I don’t know how it’s possible to fall in love in... five days? Nobody can fall in love in five days, right? I don’t know what’s happening to me, but I want to stay with you. I want to miss the flight and hide in your basement. But my sister ...” Mia glanced at her phone, lying on the picnic blanket, which didn’t show any messages. “I promised I’d be there, but maybe I could come back? I just have to work and save some money. It’s so expensive.”
“Can I buy you a ticket?”
Mia’s eyes widened. “How? You don’t have any money.”
“That’s not exactly true. I’ve been saving up for a new production studio.”
Dread squeezed her gut. “I can’t let you spend that money on me! I’ll just work for a bit. It won’t take that long. I’ll happily live on canned tuna and noodles if I know I get to see you again.”
“But you wouldn’t just come for a visit, right? It’s way too expensive to fly back and forth. We can’t have a long distance relationship.”
