Page 20 of Ghosted AF
“I did. In fact, this might be my new favorite memory.”
“What was the old one?”
“The first time you kissed me,” I answered without thinking.
Caius slowed, pulling me into the grass to let the family behind us pass. “Wait, so both of your favorite memories are about me?”
“All of my favorite memories are about you,” I confessed, my face stinging with discomfort
His unoccupied hand came to rest on the side of my neck, his thumb pressing under my chin. He held me there, my face tilted up, his eyes narrowed and searching.
“Good.”
He didn’t elaborate. Just that one word, spoken with unwavering conviction before he dragged me closer, hugging me against his chest.
We lingered there for a long time, holding onto each other, Caius’ wings curved to create a natural cocoon between us and the rest of the world. While acutely aware of the swarm of zoogoers rushing past us only feet away, I forced myself to focus on the big shifter, on the strength of his arms and the warmth of his embrace.
After what felt like an impossibly long time, when the crowd began to thin to only a few groups of stragglers, he brushed his lips across my temple and took my hand.
Neither of us spoke on the drive back, but the silence felt different now, charged with a kind of nervous anticipation. Caius held my hand the entire way, his thumb drawing lazy circles over my wrist that made my pulse jump and my stomach flutter.
The late afternoon sun filled the living room when we entered my apartment, the light casting long shadows across the walls and floors. Stepping up behind me, crowding against my back, Caius rested his hand on my arm, his fingers flexing around the muscles.
Even his touch felt different now, more intentional, and I held my breath as I waited for him to speak.
“Rylee,” he murmured, his breath fanning against the shell of my ear. “I’m not going to pretend I don’t want you because I do. I know you can feel it.”
“I feel it,” I admitted, finding it easier to be open and honest when I didn’t have to look at him.
“If it’s too much, tell me, and I’ll back off. There’s no rush. I don’t want you to feel pressured into something you’re not ready for, but I need you to know this isn’t temporary. Not for me.”
“I feel the same way.” Maybe I always had and just hadn’t realized it yet, but from the moment he’d busted through my front door, everything had changed.
His hand slid down my arm to my elbow, and he applied gentle pressure, urging me to face him. Then he waited, unmoving, for me to gather the courage to meet his gaze.
“I love you, Rylee Burke.”
“It’s not too soon?” I asked, my heart and mind at war between what I felt and what the world told me couldn’t be true.
“That’s for us to decide, not anyone else.” Reaching out, he took my hand, cradling it between his much larger ones. “If it’s too soon for you, that’s okay, but I know what I feel.”
“It’s not too soon. For me, I mean.” I pressed my lips together and breathed through my nose, determined not to ruin the moment with incoherent rambling. “I love you, too, Caius.”
His lips twitched into a warm, pleased smile. “If you’re not ready—”
“I am.” I straightened and pulled my shoulders back so that my body language reflected my certainty. “I want this, and I’m ready for all the new and scary things that come with it.”
With a boldness I didn’t think myself capable of, I squeezed his hand and took a step back, pulling him toward my bedroom. “Make me yours.”
eight
~ Caius ~
Makemeyours.
Maybe he didn’t know it yet, but he always had been. From the moment he had scaled my back to wave a spatula at a ghost, I had been completely lost.
Capturing his face between my hands, I pulled him up on his toes, walking him backward as I slanted our mouths together in a hard, possessive kiss. All this time, I had been so careful with him, so worried that I might do or say something to spook him.
