Page 23 of The Way We Were(wolf)

“But then you just collapsed right there.” He pointed to the floor, but her eyes instead went to the tiny bead of sweat on his forehead that glistened in the light. “I thought the worst.For a second there, I thought I might not see that smile of yours. What if I never heard that billowing laugh—one that has no business coming from someone so small?”

An unexpectedly watery chuckle burst from her mouth, though not as booming as the one he’d referenced.She needed more air in her lungs for that. And right now, his admission made it hard for her to breathe.

“I’ve lived my life as sort of a vagabond. I never felt the need to finda home because I didn’t know what a place like that could feel like. But you make me feel…”

“Feel what?”

His hand reached out, cradling hers in a warmth she’d never felt. He pressed her palm to the center of his chest, and the rapid pounding underneath was as noticeable as the tremble of his hand.

“You make me feel like I’ve found it. Like I’ve finally found what I wasn’t even searching for…didn’t know existed. You’re where I want to be, Lucy. Nathan and I have moved from place to place for as long as I can remember, and I never thought I was missing out on much. My childhood—my entire life, really—has been lived in a way that never allowed for much human companionship. But this…whatever this is between us…I can’t leave it. And I’m not sure how long I can stay, because this isn’t something I’m used to, but I really wanna try.”

She blinked to keep her tears at bay, not wanting to remove her hand from his body to wipe them. “I wanna try this too.”

“Really?” he asked with a gasp. Did the man really have no idea that every time he touched her, a jolt of electricity shocked her system and nearly brought her to her knees?

“Of course. I know it’s crazy because we’ve only really known each other for a few weeks, but…” She paused, biting the inside of her cheek. She’d only known Chad a short amount of time and look how that had turned out.

“But you’re having doubts. I get it.”

Was this another one of her moments she’d come to regret? A moment of misplaced trust that would come around and bite her? She paused just long enough to let these doubts tiptoe into her brain before she slammed the door in their faces, because, for the first time in her life, she wasn’t trusting her mind or her gut. This time, she was trusting her heart.

“No. Not anymore. I know what I’m feeling, and I have no doubts about that.” She brought a hand to his face, letting her thumb sweep across his cheek. “The only thing I’m doubting right now is whether I’d be able to stop kissing you once I start.”

Eric’s brows shot to his hairline as his mouth opened wider than the one they’d drawn on the pumpkin they were supposed to be carving—which was a problem because Lucy wanted nothing more than to capture those lips with her own and wasn’t sure that was possible with his mouth ajar like that.

“Well, then, Miss Hunt…” he began, his eyes wide like a child peeking into an overstuffed trick-or-treat bag. “What are we waiting for?”

The question didn’t need a response—not one with words, anyway. Because once Lucy moved a millimeter in Eric’s direction, their tangled lips conveyed more than words ever could. His hands wrapped firmly around her waist said he wanted her close, and the tension in his arms told her she’d never be close enough. The firmness of his kiss was a level of passion she’d never experienced, while slower moments seemed to say, You can take the lead.

“Lucy,” he whispered as they pulled apart, foreheads pressed together as they caught their breath. He brought his hands to her cheeks, holding her face steady as he looked at her. “I think I’m…” Closing his eyes, he took a deep breath through his nose. Lucy thought she knew what might have been on the tip of his tongue, and if it was what she thought, she’d give him all the time he needed to get his thoughts in order. She also was having a hard time articulating everything she’d felt since the onset of this evening, when everything shifted, and for the first time in a while, the shift had been a wonderful thing.

After a beat, his eyes returned to hers, and she lost herself in the swirls of caramel she’d never noticed before. They stood there, silence between them, save for their breathing, which had synced together, when he leaned forward and kissed her again. This time was slower, like he was taking his time to catalog each movement, every detail of this action. The urgency of earlier was replaced with a long, slow dance Lucy would have enjoyed all night. Because whatever was happening between them, whatever had been building for the past couple of weeks, was something she didn’t want to go away.

And with any luck, it never would.

ChapterTen

“Welcome to Hairy Stylez. How can I help you?”

Eric leaned forward on the front desk, attempting but failing to keep a straight face at the woman behind it. Not when she batted her eyes like that. Not when she bit her plump, pink lip when she looked at him. And certainly not when he remembered what happened in this very room not two nights ago.

Memories of their kisses—because yes, they’d spent most of the night kissing—played on a loop in his mind. Had it not been for Lucy’s discipline to get the window decorations finished, his lips would have been reduced to two shriveled prunes from all the kissing they would have done. Not that it stopped them much. A lip lock after each task sure equated to boatloads of productivity. He’d probably never look at a Halloween decoration without waiting for a kiss that would turn his world upside down ever again.

“I’m actually looking for the woman responsible for that beautiful window display. Seems it’s so amazing it’s unfair to the rest of the businesses in the competition.”

Her booming laugh echoed through the waiting area as she bounced in her chair. “It is pretty amazing, isn’t it?”

“Truly.” He wasn’t talking about the window decorations anymore, and she blushed like she knew it.

“I could actually use your help with something in the supply closet, if you wouldn’t mind.” She strode around the desk and grabbed his hand. But before they could make their way to where he hoped she was going to kiss him senseless and not ask him to grab something heavy from the top shelf, Stella stopped them.

“Look at you two!” she squealed louder than Casper whenever Lucy told him they were going outside. Her eyes dropped to their intertwined hands. “I called it.”

“Called what? That we’d make a kick-butt window spectacle? Because we definitely did that,” Lucy responded, and a warmth spread throughout Eric’s chest to see her like this.He wanted to think he’d played a small part in her newfound confidence, but he didn’t deserve any credit. It was Lucy who’d found herself. He was just content to see her shine.

“Well, yes. But I also thought you two would make a greatteam.” Stella said the last word with an inflection that wasn’t fooling anyone. But it was true; they had made a good team. They’d worked together as colleagues, had fun together as friends, and though they’d only started this next phase, he was definitely enjoying being her something-more-than-friends.But what if Nathan was right, and he really couldn’t stay here? The thought was a punch to his stomach, nearly sucking the air from his lungs.

“Well, it isn’t quite finished yet. Eric and I had the idea to make it more of an interactive display, so two of the “ghoulfriends” in the salon will be alive. And when the judges walk by, they’ll be both shocked and awed.”

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