Page 216 of The Night Shift
I stare at the hammer. At the engraving. I don’t know what to say. This is… the most bizarre, most fucked up, most thoughtful gift anyone’s ever given me. I love it more than anything.
“You didn’t have to get me anything,” I say, voice quieter than I intend.
“I know,” he replies. “I wanted to. Do you like it?”
It takes every ounce of self-control not to grab his stupid, beautiful face and kiss him right here in the parking lot. “It’s all right.”
His smile grows.
“Wait, what are you even doing here?” I ask.
Theo frowns. “What do you mean? I'm picking you up for dinner."
“I thought we weren’t —”
I don’t get to finish.
Theo’s hand finds my waist, pulling me flush against his chest. My breath hitches as he kisses me. Firm and warm and entirely comforting. There’s no hesitation in the way he tilts his head, deepens it, his mouth parting just enough to drag mine open with it like he’s been waiting all day to do this.
It’s the kind of kiss that makes the whole world fade away.
When he pulls back, it’s only an inch and our mouths still brushing. “Hi,” he murmurs.
My heart is pounding. “Hi.”
His hand tightens at my waist, anchoring me like I might bolt and he’s not planning to let that happen. I’m glad.
“I missed you,” he says.
“It’s been less than a day.”
“Mm. Tell me about it.”
And since I’m now a moron who doesn’t have a single coherent thought in her brain, I spit out the first thing that comes to mind. “Kennedy’s being discharged tomorrow.”
Theo narrows his eyes. “I know.”
“She made you a card.”
“I know,” he says again. “I lent her my colored pens.”
“Why the fuck do you have colored pens?”
He just shrugs.
“She’s also really adamant about setting you up with her biology teacher.”
“Not my type.”
“You don’t even know what she looks like.”
“Don’t care.” He kisses me again, and I smile against his mouth. Stupid, traitorous mouth.
He opens the car door without breaking contact, his lips still brushing mine. “Shall we?”
“You could’ve just told me where we’re going,” I say, sliding into the passenger seat. “I would’ve called an Uber.”
He leans on the doorframe, grinning. “You wouldn’t have gotten a kiss from the driver.”
