Page 33 of Hung Up

outshines it all.

Two mornings later, I was determined to show Pierce more of my city. It was selfish, really, because I think I got just as much joy watching him experience new things for the first time as he did actually experiencing them.

It was early, the sun hadn’t even begun to rise yet when my alarm went off. I silenced it quickly and slowly slid from my bed. Pierce grumbled in his sleep, his hands blindly searching the empty sheets next to him, but he settled after a moment.

I tiptoed into the bathroom and waited until the door was shut before I turned the light on. I quickly washed my face and brushed my teeth, before rushing through my morning skincare routine, pulling everything I needed from where it was neatly tucked in a drawer. I hurriedly put some tinted moisturizer, bronzer, blush, and mascara on before brushing my brows with some clear gel. A little chapstick on my lips finished it off; the thought of lip gloss sending shivers down my spine when I knew the amount of hair that would get stuck in it.

Throwing my hair into two space buns, I left the bottom half down, as well as my bangs, and pulled out some wispy pieces to frame my jaw.

When I crept out of the bathroom, I almost screamed.

“FUCK, you scared the shit out of me.” My heart raced in my chest, and my hand gripped at my throat.

“Sneaking out on me?” Pierce asked, arms crossed over his bare chest as he sat up against the headboard. His voice was rough with sleep and rumbled through the air between us.

“I’m considering it now,” I teased. My footsteps were quiet on the wood flooring as I crossed over to him, leaning on the bed next to his legs. Pierce looked delightfully sexy with his bedhead and scruffy jaw.

“Want to go on an adventure?” This time, it was my turn to waggle my brows.

“Always,” he said sincerely.

I didn’t doubt him.

* * *

“How is this any different than paying people to scare you, Harper?” Pierce shouted. His hands gripped the edge of the basket tightly, his knuckles almost white.

We were about three-thousand feet in the air, traveling over the valley in a hot air balloon. There were a few other balloons up with us, but they were far enough away that they, too, resembled little ants.

Cars and buildings below looked minuscule, and the mountains that people frequently hiked looked so easy at this height.

I’d always wanted to fly in a hot air balloon but never knew anyone willing to go with me. Pierce’s face had drained of color when we arrived in the parking lot and I explained what the plan was, but he said he’d give anything a shot once.

I’d keep that sentiment tucked in the back of my pocket for later when we could visit Lilith’s Pleasure again.

But now that we were up here, I had to wipe my sweaty palms on my leggings a few times, too.

“Hey, at least if we die, we’ll die together.”

Somehow, that worked. Pierce laughed, his hair ruffling in the wind, eyes alight with wonder. His body twisted towards mine, peeling one hand from its death-grip and reaching for me. I pulled out my phone and snapped a picture, capturing his light forever.

“Come here.” His voice rippled with humor across the basket.

I took the three steps towards him, and he wrapped his arm around my waist, gently pulling me into him.

“Thank you,” he whispered against my lips.

My cheeks hurt from how hard I smiled, and I wrapped my arms around his neck. Kissing Pierce was as easy as breathing. Kissing Pierce amongst the clouds was damn near magical.

“Now you really are my goddess.” Pierce nodded to our surroundings, to the clouds we passed through, to the rising sun now casting its golden light over Phoenix. The desert had come alive, people moving and going about their day. And somehow, if this was the last sunrise I ever saw, I knew it would still be my best.

“Say ‘cheese!’”

Pierce whipped his head over a second before I did. I was too busy staring at the way the sunrise washed over him. A breath later, I leaned my head on Pierce’s chest as our attendant snapped a photo of us on his cell.

If a picture was worth a thousand words, I wondered what ours would say.

Note to self: Figure out who this Romeo guy is

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