Page 98 of Set on You

The moment I smile, the creases on his forehead soften. Any lingering tension leaves his jaw. There’s no doubt, his entire being is magnetic. So much so, my feet instinctively move toward him.

He doesn’t step back from me. In fact, he rushes forward, bridging the gap, his strong arms folding me into his tight embrace. He cups my face in his hands, beaming into my eyes before he bends to capture my lips with his. I wrap my arms around his neck, pulling him closer to me.

The feeling of his lips against mine, after all this time apart, is like that first drop of water hitting your tongue after a killer CrossFit workout. His kiss is a revival. It’s full of life, relieving me of all the chaos and noise spiraling around my mind, crippling me for far too long. It all just stops when he touches me, settling into perfect serenity. It’s quiet. It’s crystal clear. I can hear all of my own thoughts, for the first time in years.

When Scott rests his forehead against mine, I whisper, “I’m sorry it took so long.”

He presses his index finger to my lips. “I would have waited forever for you. I love you.”

chapter thirty-six

DESPITE MY CINEMATICgrand gesture, Scott and I aren’t able to gallop into the starry night, hand in hand. He’s obligated to complete his full shift, like a responsible human. But it’s fine, because immediately after his shift ends, he’s at my door, lush green eyes quite literally sparkling, with a brand-new carton of clementines tucked under his arm.

I marinate in the sight of him in his well-fitted T-shirt, biceps prominent like those of a mythical god. He leans against my doorframe with his cocksure grin, as if he’s never even left.

“You know, you don’t have to buy these for me all the time,” I say, even though I never want him to stop for as long as he walks the earth.

“I do. Who else is gonna peel ’em for me?” He flashes me a mesmerizing smile as he strides in, setting the carton on the coffee table. He pauses, waving a hand to the television screen, which hasThe Godfather, yet another ridiculously long movie, queued up and ready for our viewing pleasure. “I see you already selected our entertainment.”

“Yup. Though I give you an hour before you fall asleep. Tops.” I step toward him, my entire body whirring with suppressed energy, desperate to explode, nullifying all the negativity I’m leaving behind.

He smirks, closing the gap to bring me into the warm, secure blanket of his embrace. In return, I wrap my arms around his torso like a koala, silently telling him I’m never letting go. My knees threaten to give out as I bask in his familiar alluring scent, fresh laundry and soap.

He presses a soft kiss to my temple. “But you still love me.”

“I do love you.” I perma-smile the moment the words tumble out, because I already can’t wait to say them again. Over and over.

His dimples are prominent as he runs the pads of his fingers down my backside, giving me a firm squeeze. “Hey, you’ve been spending some extra quality time with the window rack, haven’t you?”

“I had to do something to fill my time. It was actually nice, having it all to myself. Without you stealing it on me.”

His brow cocks and he treats me to an even firmer squeeze. “Oh, right. My sincerest regrets. I forgot the rack was off-limits to everyone except Crystal Chen.”

“Hey, that day I claimed it fair and square,” I remind him with a teasing poke to the chest. “It’s not my fault you didn’t see my stuff.”

He tries to suppress his amusement. “Okay, confession time. I might have seen your stuff there and stolen it anyway.”

I clap a hand over my mouth, half vindicated, half scandalized at the revelation. “I knew it!”

His chest vibrates with sunny laughter as he splays his fingers through my hair, cradling the back of my head, his other hand settling on my cheek. “I’d shown up at Excalibur twenty minutes before that. I’d never been there before and wasn’t really sure about it. It was almost double the price of the gym down the street. But I was in a rush to squeeze in a workout before my shift, so I thought I’d just pay for a day pass.” He captures me with a serious gaze and continues. “Right when I was about to pay, I saw you. You were cooling down on the treadmill and you were so fucking stunning. I was all flustered like a kid. Pretty sure I tried to tap the credit card machine with my driver’s license. Not my finest moment.”

“I can’t believe that...” I manage through the shock of his revelation. He admitted he was attracted to me from the beginning when I visited him at work, but I never knew he’d noticed me before the squat rack incident.

I suck in a breath as he grazes my beauty mark with his thumb. “I knew I’d be a goner the moment I first talked to you. And I was. So, after I finished my squats, I went back to the front desk and asked for the yearlong membership instead of the day pass.”

“Very presumptuous of you.”

He arrows a knowing look at me. “I know my type.”

“And what’s that?” I ask as my fingers trace the hard ridges of his back.

“Strong-willed, confident, kind, and challenging.” A soft laugh escapes him. “My mom says I have a thing for anything guaranteed to be a massive pain in the ass.”

I bury my smile in his chest and inhale his calming scent before sneaking a glance upward. “You know, even if you never went to my gym, we would have met anyway through Flo and Martin.”

He tilts his head, taking it in. “That’s true. It was meant to be. Though I did have fun bugging the shit out of you at the gym...”

I playfully squeeze his arm. “How come you never told me you got a membership because of me?”

---