Page 61 of Home in Nevada

And somehow, that makes me feel like the luckiest idiot alive.

Jamie lets out a small laugh, pushing himself off the couch and practically running to the bathroom to clean up. He comes back a few minutes later with a towel, tossing it over my stomach.

“No one’s ever thanked me for that before,” he says, crawling back onto the couch and settling against my shoulder.

We barely fit on the couch like this, my arm hanging awkwardly off the side, but I don’t care. “Well, they should. Because that was fucking amazing.”

Jamie stifles a laugh, rolling his eyes, but I catch the little grin tugging at his lips. I laugh along.

This guy in my arms... Jamie knows everything about me now. It’s mind-blowing to think about, but I know him just as well. I know his childhood, his fears, his ambitions. Every scar, every moment that’s shaped him. I know how impossibly stubborn he is, how he fights tooth and nail for what he wants. I know how confidently he embraced who he was, long before I could even begin to understand myself.

And now, I know how he looks naked, the little birthmark under his thigh, the way his body moves against mine. And I know the way his voice dips when he’s ordering me around, that sultry look in his eyes making it impossible to do anything but exactly what he wants.

“‘They,’ huh?” Jamie interrupts my thoughts, his voice dripping with playful teasing. “That’s just gonna be you from now on, right?”

I finish cleaning up and toss the towel onto the floor, wrapping my arms around him and pulling him close.

Jamie pauses, tilting his head to look at me, one eyebrow raised. “Unless you’re done now.”

“Done?”I ask, a little confused.

“Yeah, like... you got it out of your system,” he says, his tone light but his eyes searching mine.

I grin, running a hand through his messy blonde hair. “Oh, I’m not done.”

“You sure?” he asks, smirking. “This is your chance to bail, dude. I won’t tell anyone.”

There’s something playful in his tone, but his eyes give him away. I see the flicker of uncertainty there, and it makes my chest tighten.

I sit up straight, leaning over him until our faces are inches apart. “I said I’m not done, so quit it.”

Jamie hesitates, then asks quietly, “So what if you get home and feel like this was a huge, embarrassing mistake?”

The way he looks at me—the vulnerability in his expression—burns right through me. I lean in and kiss him softly, letting it linger until his hand reaches up, resting gently on my arm. I pull back just enough to look at him.

What I’m about to say feels so damn embarrassing, but I lean closer, lowering my voice. “Jamie, I love you too. You idiot.”

I throw in the last part to make it sound less corny, but it doesn’t help. Cool.

Jamie doesn’t seem to mind. He wraps his arms around me, squeezing tight, like he’s afraid to let go. I smile, pulling him up so I can hug him properly. We roll onto our sides, tangled together on the couch. I press a kiss to his temple, my heart still racing.

“I get to spend another eleven days with you,” I remind him—and myself.

Jamie shifts closer, getting comfortable, and looks up at me with a soft smile. “Yeah.”

“I’ve never done long distance before,” I admit.

“I know.”

“It’s gonna suck.”

“I know.”

I run my fingers through his hair again, loving how peaceful he looks right now.

“Jeff... just bail,” Jamie says with a laugh.

I pause, then laugh along, swatting his shoulder. “Quit it. You’re stuck with me.”

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