Page 102 of Stuck with my Guarded MVP
“I love you, too,” she whispered.
I pulled her into me, holding her against my chest like I could fuse us into one person.
Then I slanted my mouth over hers, kissing her with a depth and intensity that left no room for doubt.
I was hers. For keeps.
We were buckled into our seats, the plane climbing over the desert we’d left behind. The weekend played in my head on a perfect loop: her face under the stars, the feel of her saying she loved me.
She sighed, a happy, contented sound, and laced her fingers through mine on the armrest. “That was the best birthday of my life.”
I brought her knuckles to my lips. “Good.”
She turned her head toward me, a mischievous glint in her eyes. “You know, you’ve really given me a tough act to follow.”
I frowned, confused. “How?”
“Your birthday is in two months. Now I have to top that.” She said it like it was a delightful challenge.
I groaned, letting my head fall back against the headrest. “Claire, no. Don’t. I don’t need a trip. I don’t need anything. Just promise me you’ll be there. That’s all I need.”
She squeezed my hand, her smile softening. “It’s your own fault for being so good at this. You set the bar impossibly high.” The glint returned to her eyes. “You don’t expect me to back down from a challenge now, do you?”
“I regret everything,” I muttered, but I couldn’t fight the smile pulling at my mouth. I loved this. I loved her like this—playful, determined, already plotting.
She laughed, seeing right through me. “Too bad.” She leaned across the armrest and kissed me. “You’re getting a trip.”
Constant
Claire
Iglanced sideways at Liam. He was slouched in the passenger seat, one leg stretched out, thumb tapping absently against his knee, the other hand curled around his coffee. His eyes were half-lidded, tracking the trees as they blurred past.
“You’re really not going to ask?” I said.
He didn’t move.
“Not even a guess?”
He took a slow sip. “You’ll tell me when you want to.”
I gripped the wheel tighter. “I asked a million questions before my trip, and you don’t have a single question?”
“Nope.”
He didn't even look at me, but I saw the telltale crinkle at the corner of his eye.He is loving every second of this.
I let out a breath through my nose. “You’re impossible.”
He smiled into his cup. “You love that about me.”
I did. Unfortunately.
The road curved gently, climbing into hills that were just starting to turn. Not full-on fall yet, but the edges of the leaves were flirting with red. The air had shifted too, less city, more dirt and pine. I cracked the window and let it in.
Liam hadn’t commented on much since we left the city. Just quiet hums when I pointed out a view, or a nod when I asked if he wanted to stop. He wasn’t bored. He was… off. The easy slouch was still there, but the thumb tapping against the knee was new. And his eyes seemed distant.
I didn’t push. Not yet.
