Page 53 of Mine for a Moment

“Youwhat?”

I scoop some onto a spoon and hold it out for her, and she stares at me for a moment before her lips close around it. Her eyes briefly fall closed, and she hums in satisfaction.

“Best investment ever,” I whisper without thinking.

Serenity’s eyes flutter open, and her gaze roams over my face. “Tell me why. You don’t even like ice cream, Archer. Why would you buy my favorite ice cream chain and the coffee shop too?”

My heart begins to race, a hint of panic running down my spine.Because I want to make sure you always have access to anything you want, whenever you want. Because I need to know that any time of the day, I can get you your favorite ice cream and make you smile.

“I told you that I’ve always liked the food and beverage industry,” I end up saying instead. “These just fit into my existing portfolio really well.” It’s not a lie, per se—it just isn’t the full truth.

Serenity smiles and pushes against my shoulders as she moves on top of me, straddling me. Her eyes twinkle knowingly, and my heart begins to pound wildly. “It’s just very coincidental that all these ice cream stores you bought are all closed every single timeTheotries to take me to one, but they’re open pretty much any other time. Weird, right?”

I clear my throat and place her ice cream in one of my cupholders. “Weird, indeed. I’ll be sure to look into that.”

“Yeah,” she murmurs, her hand sliding around the back of my neck. “You do that, babe.”

My eyes widen when I realize what she just called me, and I grin, pleased to have earned myself a nickname. She leans in, her lips brushing against mine softly, once, twice, before I cup the back of her head and pull her in, taking what’s mine.

She groans, and I grab her waist, sliding my hands down to her ass, squeezing, teasing as she parts her lips for me, deepening our kiss. I don’t think I’ll ever get enough of her. Each touch just feeds my addiction.

Her hands roam over my shoulders, and she pushes my jacket off, both of us impatient as we try to undress each other, losing ourselves in the moment. Every moment with her is different to anything else I’ve ever felt before—it’s filled with passion in a way I didn’t know existed. It’s a fulfilling kind of passion, not one born of disagreement but one that’s fueled entirely by our mutual desire to just be together. No facades, no ulterior motives.

She smiles against my mouth when I pull her dress up, and she lifts her arms for me, the two of us trying our best to maneuver in the small amount of space the back seat provides. I grunt when she involuntarily elbows me in the ribs, and she gasps.

“I’m so sorry!” she says as her dress joins my jacket on the floor, leaving her sitting in my lap in her sexy black lingerie.

I chuckle and shake my head as I cradle her face, my heart overflowing with tenderness. “I fucking told you, didn’t I? Damn back seats.”

She stills in my lap, her smile melting away. “You did this for me,” she whispers, her brows furrowing.

I frown in confusion. “Who else would I do this for?” I ask, my voice soft.

She smiles shakily. “No, you…you remembered what I said about wanting to go on coffee dates and making out in the back seat of a car. You remembered, and you made it happen.”

“Of course I remembered,” I whisper, my heart oddly heavy.

She stares at me with dozens of unspoken questions in her eyes. “Archer…what are we doing?”

My stomach tightens when I read her expression and the finality in it. “That’s kind of why I brought you here, Serenity. To talk about us.” I gently brush her hair out of her face. “What if…Darling, what if I want to be the man you make all of your memories with? What if I don’t want to be the one who you’ll compare others to? What if I just want to be your one and only?”

She tightens her grip on my shoulders, her eyes widening just a touch. “Archer, what are you saying?”

“I’m saying that I want more, and I’m hoping that you do too.”

She looks away, and my heart sinks. Did I misread her? I was so certain she’d gotten over Theo, but was I wrong? “Is it worth the risk?” she asks, her voice trembling. “You’d be risking your friendship with Ezra and the business you share. Then there’s your relationship with my parents, too. Our lives are so entwined, and if we don’t work out, we wouldn’t be the only ones left hurt.”

“You’re wortheverything, Serenity. There’s nothing I wouldn’t risk for a chance at a real future with you.” I take a steadying breath and gently slide my hands down from her waist to her hips. “If that’s not…if that’s not what you want, I completely understand, and we can forget I ever even brought it—”

She leans in and kisses me, and I groan as I bury a hand in her hair, trying my best to be careful with her curls. “Is that a yes?” I whisper against her mouth in between kisses.

She pulls away, her whole face lit up in the most beautiful way. She smiles and leans back in my lap a little, her body on display for me. “That kind of depends on what the question was.”

My eyes widen a fraction when I realize I didn’t actually ask hermuch of anything. She laughs, and my heart warms. “Serenity, will you date me officially? Will you be mine?”

She nods, the back of her fingers brushing over my cheek. “Yes. I’ve been yours for far longer than you might realize, and I don’t think that’ll ever change.”

Forty-Four

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