Page 299 of The Hopelessly Bromantic Duet

I knock back more of the drink and River does the same, then he puts his mug on the counter. With determination in his gaze, he takes my mug from my hand, sets it down next to his, then cups one cheek. I tremble, and half wish my body would stop reacting to every little touch. But I mostly wish he’d just keep touching me.

“Owen,” River says, and his tone is shockingly vulnerable.

“Yeah?” My heart is beating too loudly, and I want that organ to shut up.

“Asking you to go on a hike is not a bad thing,” he says.

Sighing, I shake my head, feeling like an ass. Hating that he can see through me. Can he see other parts of me? Can he tell how much I want him in every way?

“Right. It’s fun,” I say, light and breezy.

But River isn’t having any of my coolness. He strokes his thumb along my jaw. “I meant what I said. You are so fucking important to me, and this thing between us... it’s a little overwhelming.”

Emotions crawl up my throat, fighting to escape. “Same here,” I admit, in a bare whisper.

We’re saying it, and not saying it at the same time.

And that feels awful and amazing all at once.

“And I don’t want to lose you,” he says, his voice starkly tender. Then he leans in and dusts a kiss to my cheek. “And I am stunned by what’s happening. Just utterly stunned.”

Heat sweeps through me.

Desire too. A sharp, pummeling wave.

He’s giving me answer enough. He’s telling me to wait for him. He’s telling me he’s feeling so many things.

And yet I’ve barely said a word to let him know where I’m at—that I’d wait so damn long for him. I’ve been expecting him to read between all my lines, to see inside my soul and know that I’d be his in a heartbeat.

That’s not fair either. To put this all on him.

I rope my hands around his waist, tug him closer. He fits me so well. His body slides so seamlessly against mine. “I’m stunned too, and overwhelmed, but all in a good way,” I say, opening my heart a little more. “And I meant what I said earlier. That I’ve wanted to kiss you for years.”

In no time at all, River’s lips crash down on mine. His mouth is hungry. We ignite, going from zero to Autobahn in mere seconds, teeth clicking, tongues lashing, and hands traveling everywhere. Mine grab at his waist, yanking him against me. His rope into my hair, tugging, pulling.

I rip my glasses off and our mouths go wild. We consume each other, swallowing kisses, drowning in desire, hunting for more.

More kisses, more closeness, more connection.

And in this kiss, I feel sparks of hope. Flickers of tomorrow, and the next day, and the next.

We don’t kiss like lovers saying goodbye.

We kiss like this could be the real thing. Like we could be doing this again, and again.

Exploring each other in new ways every day.

Hiking trails.

Listening to podcasts.

Having each other’s bodies.

That last one echoes in my head, a persistent drumbeat.

Have me, have me.

And in this war of emotions and wants, the need to get closer to him wins all the battles.

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