Page 32 of Back to Me

CHAPTER NINE

SARA

“Can I ask you something?” Graham asks, before pressing his lips to the space between my ear and neck.

We’re lying on his bed, my back pressed up against his stomach. His arm is draped over me, and I’m holding his hand, inspecting the red and grey dried paint along his palm and fingers. I smile against the skin on the back of his hand.

“You just did,” I tease.

He nudges me with his body and nuzzles his face into my hair. “Cut it out. You know what I meant.”

I giggle, and my skin tingles thinking about how much has changed between us in the past twelve hours. “Okay, ask me your question.”

Keeping his face pressed against my hair, he breathes in and moves his lips to the back of my neck. I can’t stop smiling as he plants a small, intimate kiss on the back of my neck.

“So, how was your date with Dylan?”

Dropping my jaw, I spin around in his arms and slap his chest. Grinning, he places his hand over his chest, pretending to be wounded.

“Graham!” I squeal. “I don’t want to talk about this.”

Wrapping me up in his arms, he runs his hands up and down my back, the corner of his mouth curling into a smirk.

“Come on. I’m just curious.”

Pouting my lip, I stare into his eyes, pleading for just one second not to have to tell him. It’s not that my date with Dylan was bad. Actually, it went great. The only problem was, I couldn’t stop thinking about Graham. But since Graham and I are now out in the open with each other, I guess it wouldn’t be terrible for me to tell him everything. He knows I love him, so what’s the harm?

I squint, unsure of how I should start. “Well, it was okay.”

“Just okay?”

Rolling my eyes, I groan. “I’m not going to tell you the date was amazing, and he swept me off my feet because clearly, it wasn’t, and clearly, he didn’t. I’m here with you.”

Our feet rub against one another’s under the grey sheets on Graham’s bed. We’re playing footsies, and my heart skips a beat. I feel as giddy as a teenager.

“So, it was a bad date then?” His eyes aren’t hopeful, more inquisitive than anything.

“No,” I sigh. “He was really sweet. I didn’t meet him until today.” Lifting my hand, I trace circles across his chest. “The food was pretty good. I mean, it’s not the best barbecue I’ve had but still good. He talked more than I did, about where he grew up and his dream of opening his own barbecue place outside the city.”

When I look up at Graham, his face is blank. There’s no hint of jealousy hidden in his eyes. He’s listening patiently, and I internally sigh with relief. Staring into his deep blue eyes, I say, “When he dropped me off, he asked me if I would go out with him again.”

“What did you say?”

“I told him I couldn’t.”

“What made you say no if he seemed like such a great guy?”

“Honestly?” I breathe out. “I couldn’t stop thinking about you.”

Graham’s lips spread out into a slow grin, his eyes reflecting the light from the small lamp on his nightstand. He scrunches his nose, teasing. “Yeah?”

“Come on, stop it.” I nudge my knee against his leg.

His smile fades, but only slightly. “No, really. You were thinking about me?”

“Of course I was.” Dragging my finger across his bottom lip, I explain. “From the second Dylan walked up to my desk, I couldn’t help comparing him to you. Even as we sat in the restaurant, my mind was somewhere else. I wanted to know what you were doing and kept wishing I were back here with you, working on our pieces together, craving to be near you. Then I realized I wished I was on a date with you rather than Dylan.” I stop my finger, feeling his breath against my skin. “Which wasn’t fair to Dylan because he really was a nice guy. He just wasn’t you.”

Closing his eyes, he leans forward and presses his lips to my forehead. The moment his lips touch my skin, I feel his warmth radiating across my body. My chest fills with so much love and admiration for the man lying next to me. I never imagined this day would come. I laid next to Graham, thinking back on all the times I longed for the way I feel now.

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