Page 24 of The Hang Up
“I never stopped missing you,” I breathe.
And then she kisses me.
It starts soft. Tentative. Her lips press against mine, and I freeze, afraid to move, afraid to break the spell. Afraid that if I do, she’ll pull away from me.
Her hand tangles in my shirt, pulling me toward her, and I can’t hold back any longer.
I kiss her back.
Harder.
Deeper.
It’s like a dam breaking. Years of longing, regret, and love pour into this kiss.
I pull her onto my lap, our mouths still fused, and she wraps her arms around my neck like she’s afraid I’ll vanish again. I kiss her like a man starved, because I am. Starved for her. For this. For the way she tastes, the way she feels, the way she makes me believe I might still deserve happiness.
She gasps as I trail kisses down her neck. Her fingers clutch at my shoulders, tugging me closer.
“Lena,” I pant, wanting to pump the brakes and tell her that we can go slow. I don’t want that. I want Lena. It feels like we’re picking up where we left off. Still, I should tell her that we can go at her pace and?—
“Bedroom,” she whispers.
I don’t hesitate. I stand with her in my arms, her legs wrapped around my waist, and carry her down the hall.
It’s clumsy. We bump into a doorframe. She laughs, breathless and wild, and I can’t stop grinning. My dream girl is finally back in my arms, and soon to be back in my bed.
When I lay her on the bed, she pulls me down with her. And for the first time in years, everything feels right.
I want to take my time, but I can’t, and it seems she can’t either. Her hands tear at my clothes, and I sit up, pulling off my shirt and tossing it aside.
She moans, running her hands down my chest, and I swear I almost come in my pants at the sensation of her hands on my bare skin.
“So hot,” she pants.
I swallow hard. “Your turn.”
She climbs to her knees and yanks off her shirt. As she drops it to the floor, I see her nerves kick in.
“Fuck, you’re the hottest thing I’ve ever seen,” I tell her honestly.
“Still curvy,” she says, her tone light but self-deprecating.
“Still beautiful.”
“Have you been with someone else… since we broke up?” she blurts.
I blink. “Fuck, no. Why would I do that?”
“I-I mean…”
“It’s only been you, Lena. I was dumb for letting you go, but not dumb enough to sleep with someone else. Not when you were always in my head and my heart.”
She stares at me unblinking for a moment, then licks her lips and nods. “I didn’t… It was only ever you, too,” she admits softly.
My heart swells. “Good.”
Then I’m on her.
