Page 141 of Wild Catch
“Will you tell me everything one day?” she whispers.
Lifting my head from the towel, I press a kiss on her forehead. “I can tell you everything right now if you want.”
“No, later.” She shakes her head, curls brushing my skin with the movement. “I’m happy right now and I think if you tell me, I’d book a flight to go beat up your parents.”
“Fair.” Shifting, I turn on my side so I can face her. She naturally tips her head back to look at me. “I can tell you something else instead.”
“Hmm?” She hums the same way I did back to her earlier.
“That I love you,” I say without much ceremony. “Maybe it’s too soon, but I’m pretty sure this is what that is, and I thought you should know.”
“Thank you for the news that I definitely needed.” I still as her leg slides over mine, the friction setting off more sparks than the fireworks to come. A slow grin stretches her pink lips. “And also, I love you too, and I don’t give a rat’s ass that it might be early. We don’t have to go at other people’s pace.”
“Agreed.” I run my hand from her waist, over the strap of her bikini at her hip, and down her thigh. Then I hike it higher. “I quite like our pace. Not too slow and not too fast. Just right.”
Rose swallows with difficulty and bites that thick lower lip that drives me wild. “Wait, what were we talking about again?”
I bark a laugh, just overcome by the effect we have on each other—pure joy, like I had never known it before. And if that’s not right, I wouldn’t know what right is.
EPILOGUE
DECEMBER
Iwalk into Logan’s apartment and I immediately know something’s up.
It’s too quiet, to the point where the only sounds are the soft buzzing of the A/C and the fridge. He said he’d be home by the time I arrived and normally when this happens, he greets me with a smothering hug and a scorching kiss that weakens my knees.
“Logan?” My voice echoes right back at me, and I detect the edge of concern in it.
This one time, I walked in to find him in the middle of a full blown episode in the living room. Later, when I got the story from him, he said that he’d been stretching while listening to an audiobook that he didn’t know should’ve had trigger warnings. And triggered he got.
But he’s not there either.
I leave my purse on the kitchen counter and toe off my sneakers, treading on socks across the apartment toward his room, my senses on high alert. I open his bedroom door slowly, in case he’s napping or something. But I peep and confirm that the bed is perfectly made, sans gorgeous man. Swinging the door wider, I wait for shower sounds but there’s also silence from the bathroom.
Right as I’m about to pull up my phone to call him, there’s an explosion.
I scream and whirl around. But it wasn’t really an explosion, it was a bunch of party poppers going off at the same time—from the hands of my friends spilling from the guest bedroom.
“Congratulations!”
Logan emerges from between them, holding a cake with sparkly candles on it. I stare, mystified because it’s not my birthday.
“What’s happening?” I ask, my jaw hanging.
Behind him, Audrey and Hope unfurl a banner and the guys help to raise it up. The answer is clear then, because the banner saysCongratulations on Your New Broadcasting Job!
“Oh!” I cover my mouth with my hands. “You guys—you didn’t have to.”
“But we wanted to.” Lucky winks at me.
Miguel nods. “It’s a big milestone.”
“We’re proud of you, princess,” says Cade.
“For the record,” Logan says with a deadpanned expression. “I told them to say that.”
Chuckling, I circle around the cake and rise on my tiptoes to peck his cheek. But at the last second he turns his head and our lips meet instead. Sneaky man.
