Page 104 of She Likes It, Hey Micah
Reaching up, I brush his jaw and marvel at the way he smiles so easily now. “I love this smile,” I say. “I love your faith in me. I loveyou.”
I’ve wanted to say those words—to anyone—for so long, and they’re so much easier to say than I expected. What I don’t expect is the tear that slips down Fischer’s cheek, and for a moment my heart constricts, thinking he’s about to let me down easy. But then he leans down and kisses me gently, not in the way I know he wants to but in a way that’s appropriate for the middle of a party. That doesn’t make me treasure his kiss any less because he says so much with it.
“I love you,” he whispers against my mouth. “And I will follow you to the ends of the earth if you ask me to.”
I grin. “So dramatic. Have you been taking a page out of some of my romance books?”
“Yes.”
I blink. I’m not sure if he’s joking or not. “Wait, really?”
Then he laughs, and the sound rings out across the lobby. “Yes, I really have. I may never be a romance reader, but I can see the value in those stories now. And…” He ducks his head. “And I wouldn’t mind if you read again on the drive back home tomorrow. I’d like to know how the story ends.”
I bite my lip, loving the way his eyes track the movement. “I don’t know if I’ve ever been more attracted to you, Fischer Bradley.”
He growls, which ups my attraction limit significantly, and then he captures my mouth for a kiss that is far less tame than the last one. We have a party to finish, and plenty of cleanup to follow. And probably a lot of drama to deal with when Lila and Grant find out what we’ve done. But for now, I just want to kiss the man I love and enjoy this dream I’ve fallen into.
Chapter Thirty
Fischer
This might be heaven.
As the event drew to a close, we offered Bonnie and Derek some rooms for them and their entourage, which they gladly accepted. Micah’s dad stayed as well, mostly, I think, to keep an eye on his daughter and make sure she was safe and cared for. Houston made the drive back to Sun City, though he wouldn’t say why, and I suspect it has something to do with his frustrating but apparently attractive neighbor, Darcy.
Once all of the guests left, and the staff finished cleaning up for the most part, Micah finally let herself settle and breathe. Though we both have rooms to use, I convinced her to come out onto the back patio with me, and we’ve been out here ever since. I set out blankets, and the fire keeps us warm, but mostly I’m just glad to hold her in my arms and know she loves me.
I don’t have a job or much of a plan, but her love is enough for now.
“Do you think the opening went well?” Micah asks, leaning into my chest as we sit on the deck. She’s got her eyes on the stars, which are so much brighter than I’ve ever seen before.
I nuzzle my face into her neck, kissing her soft skin. “Micah, I don’t think that event could have gone better if we’d tried.” I don’t tell her that the lodge manager told me they’ve booked out through the rest of the year already. I’ll save that for tomorrow, when she isn’t half asleep.
I slept on her couch last night, after I could no longer keep my eyes open around two in the morning, but I’m pretty sure Micah stayed up later and kept working so she could ensure we pulled off this party on our own, without a whole team behind us. I don’t know how, but she made magic happen tonight.
“You ready to go to bed?” I ask her.
But she shakes her head. “I’m not tired.” It sounds like she means it too. She’s probably still running off of adrenaline and the high of a job well done, so I will stay with her as long as she wants me to.
And I don’t mean just tonight. I’ve fallen so hard for this woman that I’m not sure I’ll ever love anyone else. Considering my track record, it’s hard to imagine this working out for me, but I want to try. There’s no one in the world like Micah, and my only goal in life now is to be worthy of her love. I want to be perfect for her, just like she’s always been perfect for me.
Pulling her tighter against my chest, I picture a world where I don’t have to say goodbye to her at the end of the night. That life looks more incredible than any dreams I’ve had in the past, and I can only hope Micah sees a future with us together as well.
“I love you so much,” I tell her. I’ll tell her a million times a day if that’s what it takes to get her to believe me beyond any doubt.
I can practically feel the way she smiles, like her whole body lights up with it. It may be the middle of the night, but she is still the brightest part of my life and shines so brightly. “I love you,” she replies, reaching up and running her fingers through my hair. “Thank you. For sticking with me with this crazy plan. I wouldn’t have been able to pull tonight off without you.”
“You would have been fine.”
“No, really, the only reason I didn’t panic was because I knew you were here with me. Thank you. For having faith in me. I like knowing I have someone on my side.”
If only she knew. I tuck my chin over her shoulder and close my eyes. “Everyone loves you, Micah. You could take over the world if it appealed to you, and everyone would thank you for it.”
She snorts a laugh. “You’re so weird.” Then she yawns, sinking more heavily into my hold. “I’m afraid of tomorrow.”
“Me too.” Grant and Lila are going to find out that we hijacked their event, and it is not going to be pretty. I have no idea what might be in store for us when the sun rises. Oddly, I don’t think I care all that much. Grant can take away what little I have, but he can’t take me from Micah.
“Will you stay with me?” She twists into a ball, curling herself up into my chest.
