Page 97 of That Reunited Feeling

Hannah slowly lifts her gaze to meet mine. “I haven’t told him yet.”

Flashes of streetlights illuminate her full eyes as she lets out an ironic chuckle. “Have you forgotten being a thirteen-year-old boy? He can hear well enough now, and that’s all he cares about. He can’t see into the future any further than the end of his nose.” She boops mine. “He’ll be furious I’m taking him away from his friends. When they’re going to get together to play video games next is as much of the future as he cares about.”

Maybe that’s a lesson we can both learn from Dylan. To not worry about the future beyond the ends of our noses. To wallow in the moment. To not stress about having to say goodbye.

A single tear rolls down Hannah’s cheek. “This isn’t what was supposed to be happening right now.” I erase the tear with my thumb. “I’m not supposed to be trying not to cry all overyour shoulder.” She strokes it again. “Your ridiculously sexy shoulder.”

I push her hair behind her ear. “What was supposed to be happening?”

The corners of her mouth twitch upward. “I was supposed to drag you into your bedroom,” she speaks softly enough there’s no chance Hermann will hear her over the caller complaining about the lack of a reduced parking rate for motorbikes. “I was supposed to remove all your clothes. And spend as much of the night as possible with you inside me.”

“We can still do that. I can’t think of a better way to spend the night. Or any night.”

“I didn’t expect it to be preceded by this whole warm and fuzzy tell-me-your-tear-jerking-life-story thing.” She watches her finger trace my jawline and then the outline of my lips. My skin tingles under her touch.

“Can we stop talking now?” Her voice is breathy.

“For the moment.” And I capture her mouth with mine.

The voices on the radio fall silent.

“We’re here, folks,” Hermann says.

29

HANNAH

“J

ust come the hell inside.” I grab Tom by the belt loops and yank him into his apartment as the elevator doorsbingclosed behind us.

“Wow, the post-performance fire is back,” he says, letting me pull him toward his bedroom.

“Your fault for kissing me like that in the elevator. Turned the warm and fuzzies back into a raging inferno.”

Not that the inferno was ever far away. Him taking me into his arms in the car and curling around me, as if he wanted to put himself between me and all the evils of the world, was up there with getting naked.

Who knew that someone wanting to protect you and take care of you could be such a turn-on?

And who knew I even wanted to be protected and taken care of? It’s certainly news to me.

But right now, I need him to take care of me in a whole other way.

“I thought you were about to rip my jeans off before the doors opened,” he says as I lead him into the bedroom.

“I’ve had enough of the waiting.”

He just manages to turn on the nightstand lamp before I push him back onto the bed.

“Enough of the forgetting-condoms thing.” I plant a knee on either side of him. “Enough of the being-interrupted-by-the-food-delivery thing.” I unbuckle his belt. “Enough of the me-falling-asleep thing.” The button is next. “Enough of the sad-life-story thing.Enough.” I slam my hands down on either side of his broad, mischievous smile that’s a mixture of lust and something more.

I have never felt more alive in my life, more sure of myself, more sure of what I want, and more sure that Tom’s the man I want it from. I want to devour him, to have him all ways till Sunday, in a romping, passionate frenzy.

And maybe I’ll let him do that looking-after-me thing again afterward. Maybe it would be nice.

“Hey.” He pulls me slowly down toward him. “Take your foot off the gas, Speedy.”

The soft, gentle brushes of his lips on mine melt me into a puddle of slush and gently put the brakes on my urgency.

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