Page 63 of Where We Belong

“Thank you,” I say. For believing in me, for being here, for becoming some kind of pillar I didn’t know I would ever find.

People are still swarming toward the exits around us, but we stay rooted in place, two sequoias in a tsunami. I can’t imagine moving from here. No words are exchanged as we stare at each other with the dumbest smiles on our faces, and with the adrenaline still flooding my body from that last performance, the moment feels otherworldly. My hands shake from the thrill of it all, and I don’t hide it. I don’t hide anything.

Finn wets his lips before saying, “I really want to hug you right now.”

“Then do it,” I say, the answer blurting out of me.

“You sure?”

I nod. How can he not see this? There’s no one I trust more than him, I realize. This man who I didn’t know a few months ago, but who is here today, for me.

Once he finally decides to move, he still looks hesitant, which only shows just how right I am to trust him. Not wanting to wait a second longer, I take that last step between us and climb on my tiptoes to wrap my arms around his neck as tight as I can.

This hug is vastly different from the one we shared in Phoenix. While then he seemed hesitant to touch me, this time, he squeezes me as hard as I do him. I can barely breathe from the tightness of his embrace, and hypoxia has never felt so good.

His arms remain circled around my waist, until he lifts a hand to caress my hair, then to cup the nape of my neck. My eyelids flutter against the warm and sweet-smelling scent of his neck, goosebumps covering my entire body. Compared to other times when being this close to someone made me lock up or disappear into a memory I don’t even have, I enjoy everything about this. The way his stubble scratches the top of my forehead. The feel of his heart beating against my nose, thethump-thumpalmost as loud as mine. The way his arm is tugging at my hair, a pain I don’t mind one bit because it means he’s here, hugging me.

“I have to be honest about something,” he says in a gravelly tone, making me pull my head back with my arms still around him. I’m not ready to let go quite yet.

It’s only when my eyes meet his that I realize how dark his gaze has become, his pupils so wide they’ve overtaken almost all of the green. Around us, the sound has decreased, most athletes and coaches having left the space. Or maybe they’re still there and I can’t notice them anymore, my focus pinpointed on only this.

“Yes?” I barely recognize my voice as it comes out. It’s airy and low. It shows everything I’m feeling.

Finn’s Adam’s apple bobs before he says, “Hugging you’s not the only thing I want to do.”

My lips part, a wave of want hitting me. Iwantthis man. I don’t remember ever experiencing this feeling before, and yet the moment the thought occurs to me, I realize it’s true. I might even have wanted him for a while.

My fingertips dance against his shoulder blades, alternating between soft touches and centering grips. I feel him sway on his feet, the movement bringing him even closer to me. From here, I can smell the mint of his breath, see the small acne scars decorating his cheeks. He’s the most handsome man I’ve ever encountered, and the outside doesn’t even account for half of it.

Shifting on my feet so the tips of my toes touch his, I say, “You can do whatever you want, Finn.”

Once again, he moves as if he has all the time in the world, giving me every chance to change my mind.

I remain firmly in place, breaths coming in fast, every cell in my body bursting with anticipation.

And the moment his lips finally land on mine? It makes all the wait worth it.

Finn kisses me like he doesn’t belong anywhere else. It’s slow, and confident, and with so much purpose it makes me weak in the knees. My hands grip his neck as his climb up to my cheeks and hold me like I’m made of gold.

I let him take the lead as he explores every inch of my lips, pressing kisses that make me ache for more. It’s almost too slow. I want it all, yet he continues giving painstakingly slow nips at my bottom lip, then gripping the top one between the two of his.

His hands never stray from my face, and it’s still the most sensual moment I have ever experienced.

Feeling like I’m about to catch on fire, I move even closer to him, and the hardness I feel pressed against my belly is proof that he’s into this just as much as I am.

I move once again closer to him, and a groan erupts from his throat.

“Jesus, Lex,” he whispers, gulping in a breath. Then, he’s back on me, this time with his tongue teasing the entrance of my mouth. I open for him, ready for him to ravage me whole.

The moment I taste him, I know I’ll never crave anything more than this.

“Finn?”

We both jump away from each other a second before Shelli appears at the end of the hallway, looking around the room before she spots us. “There you are! I was looking for you.” She walks our way, and with each step, I try to get myself to calm down.

“Congrats on today, Lexie,” she says before leaning in for a hug, which I return.

“Thank you. And thank you so much for coming. It truly means a lot.” I hope she doesn’t notice the way my hands are trembling. I might be here, talking to her, but my mind is still stuck on the softness of her son’s lips. Behind her, I spot Finn’s shit-eating grin, which lets me know my thoughts are probably written all over my face, at least for him.

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