Page 92 of The Kiss Countdown

“Are you okay?” he reiterates.

I nod.

“Amerie, what—” he explodes, then stops and looks up to the sky. He’s panting as hard as I am. “What were you thinking? There’s a reason they don’t allow diving close to so many boats. You could have gotten hurt. You could have been killed!”

He turns his back to me, shaking his head.

“I had to talk to you before you left,” I say.

Vincent turns back around and regards me warily. “What could you possibly have to say that was worth jumping off a boat for?”

I swallow hard. Now that I’m standing in front of him, I’m at a loss for words. There was no plan when I raced after him, only great need and the knowledge that if he left, I’d never see him again. “My parents have that NASA education channel you told me about. Did you know that as big as the galaxy is, there’s actually more trees on Earth than there are stars in the Milky Way?”

He runs a hand over his face and inhales deeply. “You jumped off a boat to talk about trees?” he grits out.

“No.” I shake my head, flinging water from my hair, some of it landing on his chin. I can only imagine how I must seem to him. “No. What I really wanted to say is that I’m glad I met you. I could have wished on all the stars, planets, and moons and still never could I have imagined being led to someone like you.”

His gaze is steady but unreadable. It might be too late for us, but an asteroid could crash right in front of us, and I wouldn’t stop until I told him how much he means to me.

“You’re brilliant. You make me laugh. You handle each of my mood swings with the patience of a saint. And you gave me something I never thought I’d have—a home. Not just the structure, but the happiness, contentment, and love.” Forget about it being too late. I’m not letting him leave until he’s mine again. “I’m sorry I walked away from you. So sorry. If you give me the chance, I’ll prove how much you mean to me.” His eyes soften, but he still hasn’t let his guard down. It’s time to bring out the big guns. “And if we’re being honest, don’t you think you owe me?”

He raises an eyebrow and cocks his head. “How do you figure that?”

Slowly, I close the gap between us. He doesn’t back away, so I reach for his hands. The cuffs of his shirt are wet and plastered to his arms from when he pulled me out of the water, but his skin is so warm. I raise his hands to my lips and kiss his knuckles the way he did to mine. It’s hard to stop there. I missed touching him and want to gorge myself.

“Well,” I whisper, “you did steal my heart. It’s only fair you give me a second chance to prove it’s worth keeping.” I pause, hoping he’ll say something. Anything. But the seconds tick by and he stares at me in silence. “I know you’re leaving soon,” I rush out. “If you need to focus on the mission now, I completely understand. Just know I’ll still be here and—”

He crushes his lips to mine.

He cradles my head in his hands, and I’m shaking as I wrap my arms around his neck. This kiss is everything. It’s full of promises and forgiveness and love. So much love. It’s been part of every kiss we’ve shared, but now I can fully recognize it.

“Every step,” Vincent says as we break apart. “Every step I’ve taken has brought me to you. From the momentwe met, I knew you were the one I’m supposed to spend my life with.”

My heart stutters. “You did?”

“Yeah. That’s probably why I made such a fool of myself when you spoke to me. You’ve been my hardest challenge so far.” His thumb caresses my bottom lip. “But also the most worth it.”

Relief hits me so hard it causes my body to quake. “I thought I’d ruined everything. That you were leaving the party and I’d never see you again.”

Vincent flashes that beautiful smile that makes my heart race. “I was coming back.”

Teeth chattering, I shake my head. “But the boat is about to leave.”

He looks behind me at the boat and his eyebrows jump up. I turn around to see the yacht is already moving away. The attendant and another worker look at me with disapproval while Mrs. Rogers stands behind the rail blowing us kisses.

I turn back to Vincent. “I guess we both missed it.”

He takes off his blazer and drapes it around my shoulders. “I guess that means you’re coming home with me.”

“Backhome with you.”

Chapter Thirty

I step into the foyer and take a deep breath. Home sweet home. So many homes I’ve left and never come back to. But with this one, my heart never left, even when my body did.

Vincent closes the door behind us, and the lock clicks into place. He turns around, and I reach for his hand, interlocking our fingers. “I’m glad to be home,” I say.

I want him to take me to the bedroom and make love to me for hours. But before I can make my request known, he leads me farther into the house. “We need to get you out of those wet clothes and warmed up.”

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