Page 79 of A Lonely Road
“I will never, ever turn down the chance to kiss you, Nora.”
“I just—I need to feel alive right now.”
I rolled to look down at her, studying every inch of her face, committing her features to memory before I lowered my lips to her forehead. With her hands gripping my shoulders tightly, I kissed my way across her cheeks, her eyelids, her chin, the tip of her nose.
“We’re both very much alive,” I whispered, then at last I captured her mouth.
Though I really hadn’t intended anything beyond cuddling her close, Nora urged me to take more—demandedthat I take more. Her hands tangled in my hair even as her legs wrapped around my waist. Without shifting my lips from hers, I rolled again so that she was straddling me.
“Take what you need, my love,” I murmured. “Anything you need. Everything you need.”
With wild, intense abandon, Nora took and took and took, but she gave freely, too, offering everything she had to give into my keeping.
Together we rode through the hurricane, shedding our terror along the way until we both felt fully alive with the forces rising between us and with each other. When at last she collapsed, quivering, against my chest, I could only laugh breathlessly and tighten my arms around her.
“I think you should ask me now,” she whispered. She lifted her head to peek up at me, saw my confusion, and smiled a little as she snuggled closer. “To move in with you. For real, this time.”
My deep inhalation lifted her as air filled my lungs and love swelled in my chest. “Nora Cassidy, will you move in with me? For real?”
Her lips dropped to my chest, just over my heart. “Hell yes, I will.”
“Here?” I asked. At her puzzled look, I gave a little shrug. “I wondered if it might feel, I don’t know, tainted? We could find another house, or build one, or—”
Nora stopped me with a finger over my lips. “No. No way. You’ve poured so much love into this house. I feel it every time I come through that door. This is home, Jake.Ourhome,” she added simply.
I kissed her fingers. “God, I love you.”
“Good, because I love you, too.”
We fell silent for a long moment, waiting for our pulses to slow. I breathed deeply to draw in the sweet scent of her, like golden pears and sunshine. Everything I needed was right here, in my arms and in my heart. The wonder of it welled inside me until I was practically floating away.
When Nora finally lifted her head again, I saw a flash of familiar mischief in those pretty brown eyes.
“Besides, Sam and I picked out the most perfect bubblegum pink for the third bedroom. I’m going to get started on it next week,” she informed me, managing to keep a straight face even when my expression turned to horror.
All of my worry evaporated as I rolled us back over so I was looking down at her. “Like hell you will,” I growled.
I lowered my head gently, though, to kiss her lips, her jaw, the graceful line of her throat, then I paused to look at the tiny bandage and the white square of gauze adorning her fair skin. A shudder went through me.
“Nevermind. You can paint it any color you want, as long as you’ll stay.”
Her smile was sweet and radiant and filled with everything I loved about her. “I’m staying,” she said softly, and sealed it with a kiss.
Epilogue
Nora
Mydadstayedintown for two weeks after the incident. Though he was subtle about it, it was obvious he wanted to be absolutely sure I wasn’t going to have a post-traumatic breakdown before he left. I accepted it good-naturedly, even if I occasionally rolled my eyes at Jake over my father’s gentle fussing.
I wasn’t about to stand in his way, not this time.
After Jake told me about his pained confession on the porch step, I understood his need to rectify the course that had been set so many years ago.
Together, we stood on the front porch and waved as Dad drove away. When his car was gone from view, I leaned my head against Jake’s shoulder. At my soft sigh, he wrapped his arm around my waist.
“He’ll be back to visit,” he reassured me, but I shook my head a little.
“I never meant to stay here for more than a few months, you know,” I told him. “I thought I might even leave before Mr. Jenkins got back from Florida.”
