Page 85 of Finding Hope

Laughing, she pulls away and begins toeing off her high-tops. “You said I could come over, right?”

Nodding, I look her up and down and enjoy heralmostnightclub look. Sexy makeup, smudged eyes, pouty lips that beg to be nibbled on. Tiny little cutoffs that remind me of the leather shorts from the club, and a black sequined tank top that covers more skin than the top she wore that time.

Standing just a few feet away, she looks utterly at home, but totally out of place at the same time.

I can’t help myself.

I couldn’t stop my movements if I wanted to.

Stepping forward, I pull her face against my chest and draw my first easy breath since I saw her in the gym –I just want a damn hug –and when her arms wrap around my waist and she lets out a content sigh that Iknowends in a smile, I press a kiss to her hair and close my eyes.

I feel all better.

“Yeah.” I breathe in the strawberry scent from the warm spot behind her ear. “I said you should come over. But I sure as hell didn’t expect you to come through the window.”

“The main lights were out.” Her hot breath bathes my chest. “I didn’t want to wake anyone up.”

“How’d you get past the gates? I didn’t get an alert that they were opened.”

“I climbed them.”

Chuckling, I inhale and pull her scent in so deep, I feel it in my toes. “You could’ve just called and asked me to let you in.”

“I dunno, I thought this way was better. More poetic. I never got to climb a garden trellis for a boy before. It was like an adventure.”

“You could’ve broken your neck.”

She snorts. “You’re telling me! I almost did.”

“It should be me climbing to get to you, not you climbing for me.I’mthe man. It’s my job.”

She tsks playfully. “Times have changed, Jack. Girls are allowed to climb trees, too. It’s the feminists. They changed everything.”

I laugh and press another kiss to her hair. We’re not even…anything. But fucked if I can stop.

“You’re glad I’m here, right?”

I nod and squeeze her tight. “So glad. How was the party?”

Stepping away too soon, she backs up and leaves me with a scowl, but then she sits on the edge of my bed and taps the mattress.

Fuck scowling, now I’m smiling like a fifteen-year-old virgin.

Sitting down beside her, I shuffle closer – closer,closer– until I’m almost sitting on her. When that doesn’t feel quite right, I lie down on my side and pull her in to be my little spoon.

So much fucking better.

Laughing, she pulls my arm over her body and tucks my hand between hers and her chest. Sighing with contentment, she folds her legs around mine until we touch from foot to head.

“It wasn’t actually a party,” she murmurs. “It was just us and the guys. And cake.”

“Which guys?”

Her legs tangled with mine have me cursing my stupid fucking sweats. What felt like a good idea an hour ago, now means I miss out on the feel of her bare legs against mine.

“The guys. The band. Luc, Marc, and Ang. And X’s friend, too. Oz.”

“Oz?”

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