Page 121 of Ghost Note

“Hey, baby,” Danny said, slightly slurred. “I just got your voicemail. Fuck, you sang for me.”

“I did,” I confirmed, too asleep and lost in the memory of my first time with Danny. “What time is it?”

“Four a.m.”

“What the hell?” I groaned.

“I know, and I’m sorry, but I couldn’t wait. I needed to hear your sleepy voice. I’m never going to delete that voicemail, Zee.”

“Have you been drinking?”

“Little bit.”

“You need to go to sleep.”

“I need to be with you.”

I couldn’t help the lazy smile that tugged at my lips. “You’re crazy.”

“Andyou’resmiling, I can tell. You’re smiling, even though you’re trying to be grumpy. And you fucking want me, too, baby, I know you do. God, I can still feel you everywhere. Every time I close my eyes, I can see you riding my lap, staring down at me. These new memories of you are making it impossible for me to sleep. Every time I see your face, that smile makes my dick hard because I know… I just fucking know you want me as much as I need you.”

“Youaredrunk.”

“Give in to it. For me. For us. Give in to that desire and let yourself be happy. Let me send a car for you. I’ll put you on a damn plane no matter when you say yes, as long as I know you’re going to say yes soon. I won’t last another day without you, Zee.”

“Isn’t that a Carpenter’s song?”

“Yeah.” He laughed softly, lowering his voice. “Want to sing it for me while I wrap my hand around my dick and get off to you?”

“Danny,” I laughed fully, my legs scrunching up in bed.

“You know you want to.”

“You’re an idiot.”

“I’m in love.”

Those three little words made the air in my lungs pour free, and my body melted into the mattress beneath me.

“I’ve never stopped being in love,” he added. “But what I feel for you now seems like so much more than anything we had before. Maybe that old saying is right. Maybe absence does make the heart grow fonder.”

“Perhaps we should stay apart a little while longer then.”

“Any longer, and I’ll burst. You can die from being too in love. You know that, right? You don’t want that to happen to me, do you, Zee?”

“Of course not,” I chuckled.

“Then come save my life and be by my side for the rest of it.”

“The rest of your life is a long time,” I whispered.

“If you’re there with me, it’ll be too short no matter how long it lasts.”

I sighed softly, that pull to him so damn painful now, I was starting to forget why I said no to going with him in the first place.

“Okay,” I said quietly.

“Okay?”

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