Page 124 of Hang the Moon
He stepped toward her, gaining confidence as he slowly closed the distance between them. “No?”
She stood a little straighter, chin lifting. “This ismygrand gesture. I came here to sweep all six feet four inches of you off your feet and you saying something likethatis—it’s not fair. Stealing my thunder when I tried so hard to—”
He cupped her face in his hands and leaned in, swallowing her words, smiling when she melted against him, her wholebody sinking into his. He wasn’t sure when he’d crossed the remainder of the distance between them, only that he had, his feet carrying him across the deck, something in his chest tugging hard with a need to be near her. To touch her. He clutched her close, determined to never let her go again.
She laughed against his lips and he’d never tasted anything sweeter than her joy. He grinned, and he could hardly call what they were doing kissing, their mouths merely mashed together as they laughed.
Annie shoved weakly at his chest with one hand, not so much stepping back as curving her spine and craning her neck, staring up at him with soft, fond eyes that made him weak. It almost brought him to his knees, dragging her to the deck with him. Fireworks continued to rain down behind him; he knew only because Annie’s face remained washed in color.
“Sorry?” He shrugged, circling her waist with his hands, resting his fingers against the small of her back.
“No, you’re not,” she said, still smiling.
“No, I’m really not.” He shook his head, scarcely able to believe she was here. That she was here and she was smiling up at him and he was touching her. He huffed out a quiet, disbelieving laugh. “Pinch me?”
“Is that an invitation?” she asked, her smile cheeky. Her hands dipped lower, tucking beneath the waistband of his jeans, inching into indecent territory.
He grinned. “You have permission to feel me up whenever you want.”
Someone gave him a sharp pinch on the ass. “Hey!”
Over his shoulder, Margot shot him a saucy wink, no longerfilming the fireworks. Instead, her phone was trained on him and Annie. He rolled his eyes and turned back to the only thing at the moment that mattered.
“You’re really here.”
Annie nodded.
“What are you doing here?” he whispered, almost too afraid to ask, but unable to help himself. Unable to shove down the insatiable curiosity gnawing at him, dying to know if she was here for good or if this was just a visit. A layover. A dream.
Too good to be true.
With one hand, Annie reached up, curling her fingers around the back of his neck, playing with his hair. She continued to smile up at him, and something in his chest crackled when fireworks burst in her eyes. “Don’t you know? I live here now.”
He choked out a laugh and his eyes prickled at the corners. “Yeah?”
“Mm-hmm.” Her smile brightened, the white of her teeth reflecting raspberry blue as the fireworks behind them burst. “I do.”
“When I said I hoped you were settling in...”
Annie leaned forward, nose nudging his. “I was. Settling in. Here.”
“Are you living with Darce?”
She shook her head, waves of her hair swishing against her bare shoulders, her skin golden. “I now live with Margot in Elle’s old room.”
He craned his neck, laughing because Margot was still recording, her tongue stuck out. She mouthedyuckand blew him a kiss.
Annie lived with Margot. Annie now lived in Capitol Hill. Annie lived in Seattle. Annie livedhere.
His eyes stung. “Really?”
Her head bobbed. “I know I told you you’d be the first to know, but I wanted to surprise you so—”
“I can settle for second. Or third.” He tried to wink and failed miserably, but Annie laughed anyway.
“Fourth?” Her eyes darted behind him. “It was a group effort getting you to agree to come here. But I know—” She pressed her lips together, eyes flooding, making his sting, too. “I know how you feel about fireworks.”
A confetti cannon exploded inside his chest. “Fireworks are nice. What I wanted was you.”
