Page 173 of Forbidden You

“I’m not expecting you to forgive me,” he huffs, pushing his forehead against mine. “But I’m just telling you I’ll be by your side forever, whether you do or you don’t.”

“Forever? Are you proposing to me, McKay?”

I’d love to get married to him.One day.Someday.

“No.” Tentatively, his lips feathering against mine. “When I propose to you, you get something better than this.”

“Better than my own personal carnival? Big dreams, babe.”

“Anything for you.”

He waits for me to make a move, or to say something, and I pull him closer, linking our lips again. I flick my tongue against his and it feels like coming home after a long day. It’s gentle, our tongues speaking the love we can’t voice. It’s intoxicating, drifting me away in an endless bliss. I can kiss this man forever and, secretly, I hope he’ll let me.

“Bodi?” I muse against his lips, followed by a grunt from him. “I do forgive you.”

He freezes, his green eyes blinking in shock.

“You do?”

I shrug. “Of course, that’s what you do when you love someone, right? You forgive, because you love them too much to keep dwelling on their mistakes. I forgave you weeks ago, I just wanted you to work for it.”

He looks at me in awe.

“I’ll work for you for the rest of my life, baby. I love you, Kayla.”

“I love you, Bodi.”

46

“Ican’t believe you threw a party with only mocktails.” Jensen scrunches up his nose, resulting in a scowl and a swat to his arm from Rae.

“Shut it,hockey boy. This is not your party.”

I chuckle, taking another sip of my virgin Mojito. “It seemed a bit cruel to throw a party where she’d be the only one who wasn’t allowed to drink.”

“So instead, you torture me by throwing a partyI’mnot allowed to drink at.”

“Basically, yeah.”

I could’ve thrown her a house party at my condo and say screw her age, but I wanted to do something special. With an actual surprise. Like she did for me.

“I hate you,” Jensen scoffs. “I wish I never helped you get her back.”

“You’re such a shit liar,” Rae titters, planting a kiss on her man’s cheek. “I’m going to dance.”

We watch her take off to the dancefloor of the small bar I rented for Kayla’s twentieth birthday. A Sam Hunt song I can’t remember is blasting from the speakers and Hunter twirls Charlotte around while Kayla and Julie are dancing beside them.

When Kayla’s blue eyes lock with mine, I shoot her a wink. Her smile beams, making my heart jump like it does every single time.

When she enters a room. When she smiles. When she laughs. I’ve been wondering if it will ever stop, but I’d be totally fine if it doesn’t.

She whispers something in Julie’s ear, and when she nods, she switches places with Rae before strutting toward me.

I turn my attention back to my glass, waiting for her arms to fall around my neck, and when they do, a warm feeling surges through me.

She forcefully grabs my chin, twisting my head, before pressing a crushing kiss on my lips. I groan, letting go of my glass and dropping my hands to her waist to tug her between my legs. She breaks free, settling between the bar and my chest while I trail kisses down her neck.

I’m so madly in love with this girl.

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