Page 38 of Winning the Nightcap

“I might have,” she replies, looking back down at our hands still locked together.

“And…”

“And, I need some more information,” she says.

“Information…”

“You said there were other options that you’d like more than being friends. I want to know what those are.”

“You sure you want me to go first, beautiful? You sure you’re ready to hear it?” She looks back up at me and nods.

“Good, because I don’t want to act like it’s enough.”

“What do you mean?” she asks, confusion clear on her face, an undertone of hurt in her voice.

“Not what you’re thinking.” I gently squeeze her hand and rub my thumb over her knuckles again, hoping to reassure her and help fight off any insecurities that she may have about me and what I want. “Being friends with you was never going to be enough for me, Bec. I should have asked you for a chance, a real chance, when we first met. I should have begged you for a shot to show you why we were worth the risks that had you scared to try. And when I moved back, I should have told you the first moment I saw you that I haven’t been able to get you out of my head for years.”

“There’s no way you would have said that to me while I was covered in baby shit.”

“As terrifying as that was, you don’t know me well enough yet if you think that’s what stopped me.”

“What stopped you?” she asks.

“I don’t want you to be scared, Bec. Not of us. Not of what we couldbe together. When you said you wanted to be friends, I didn’t want to push you on it.” I reach out to tuck a curl behind her ear.

“I need you to tell me if what I’m feeling is one sided, if you don’t feel anything for me at all, so I can force myself to move on. I don’t know how that’ll work since I tried while we were apart, and I still couldn’t stop thinking about you. But I’ll figure it out if you ask me to. If it’s not just me, though…if you feel like there’s something here too…I’m all in. Being friends was never going to work for me because I want you.”

“Me?”

“You, Bec. I want to be with you. I’m sorry I haven’t made that clear. I don’t want to waste any more time because I think we have the potential to be fucking amazing. My mom made it clear, and I forgot to listen to what she told me. What she made me promise I’d always do. Live out my dreams. I’ve been playing it scared. I know that means seeing where this leads, with you. Giving us a real chance.”

Just when I think I’ve ruined everything and scared her by running my fucking mouth, she shocks the hell out of me when she stands up, pulling me up with her. She reaches her arms around my neck, steps into me, and presses her lips softly against mine. A brush of her lips that I can barely feel, her breath a whisper against my skin as she pulls away and looks up at me with a look that tells me she’s almost as surprised as me.

“I’m sorry, I…I shouldn’t have…” but before she can finish, I lower my head to meet her in another kiss, swallowing the soft moan she lets out the instant our lips touch. I wrap my arms around her waist, making sure not to drop my hands too low.Don’t fuck this up, man.

Her kiss is even better than I remember. After a few minutes of the consuming push and pull, the back and forth, the taking and giving, she pulls back and looks down between us, resting her forehead on my chest. Her breaths are quick, flowing through the fabric on myshirt to warm my skin.

“What’s going on in that head of yours, beautiful?” I lean down and kiss the top of her head.

“Too much, but nothing I can seem to put together that makes enough sense to say out loud.” She looks up at me through long lashes. Unfiltered emotion shines through her expression in this moment, and she’s fucking radiant. “I…I want to try Aiden. Being friends doesn’t feel right, but I can’t commit to anything serious. I know we met years ago, but in truth, we hardly know each other. What if I’m not what you expect?”

“Bec, I’m counting on it. When we met, I couldn’t figure you out. I think that’s the thrill of meeting someone really incredible. They surprise you and challenge you and leave you hungry for more. You’re worth the wait. There’s even more to learn about you now, and I want it all.”

“I don’t know—”

“One date. One date at a time. That’s all I ask. We’ve had a series of random collisions. I think you called it the universe pushing us together when we met. Shouldn’t we see where that goes? Maybe give the universe a break and plan one of our collisions on purpose for a change?”

Her eyes flutter back and forth between mine, trying to get a read on me. I can feel her weighing the truth of what I said. The sincerity. The potential risk. The potential reward. She’s not impulsive. She’s being cautious. If she ever lets me in, it’ll mean I’ve worked for it. I’ll have earned her trust. “One date at a time,” she whispers, and my heart thumps so loud I swear it fell out of my chest and onto the floor. “After the New Year. I should warn you, though, despite what almost happened when we met, if you want to try something more serious with me, then you better be prepared to wait. I’m not the kind of girl who jumps into a relationship quickly, and sex will just makethis messier while we figure things out.”

“Good thing we met years ago. I’ve had a lot of time to think about what I want to do with you.” The reprimand written on her face spurs me on. “Consider me more than prepared to wait. I’ve had a lot of practice. Tell me, though, does that include this?” I run my hand up her neck and run the pad of my thumb over her jaw. “Can I keep kissing you?”

I get her answer when she leans back into me, her hands holding my waist as she tilts her face back up and kisses me again. I weave my hands through her hair, holding her close to me. Even with her body pressed up against mine, it still doesn’t feel close enough.

Before we find a rhythm, I feel her stumble, her body falling to the side breaking our kiss, and I grip her around the waist to help her find her footing again. I look down to see Hop nosing Bec at her knees, begging for her attention. Some wingman he is.

Bec laughs and pulls away from me to reach out and pet Hop. “Thanks for the save, Hop. Don’t know what I was thinking letting your dad get away with stealing another kiss tonight.”

“Hm…I bet you were thinking I looked irresistible showing up at your door with pizza and thought, yeah, that guy can steal as many kisses as he wants tonight.”

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