Page 66 of Ghost Note

“I’ve fucking missed you saying my name like that,” he croaked like it was an admission he hadn’t meant to make.

Glancing down at my almost-empty glass, I tried to find something appropriate to say. Instead, I drained the wine and dropped that glass down on the fireplace before I shuffled closer to Danny. He looked at me warily, as though he wasn’t sure if I was about to slap or hug him.

“You will always matter to me, Danny Silver,” I whispered. “Even on the days when I want to throw darts at pictures of you, deep down in here,” I tapped my chest with my free hand, “you’ll always have a place. I can’t unlove you, no matter how hard I try.”

His eyes searched mine, and my heart raced. “Do you have any idea what I’d give to kiss you right now?”

“Please… don’t. I can’t go there with you again.”

“Not even once?”

“Once would never be enough. You’ll still leave on Saturday.”

Danny swallowed, and his lips parted before his eyes fell to my mouth. “Okay,” he whispered.

Reaching up, I ran a thumb over his bottom lip. “You made your choice, superstar. Now it’s time I made mine. As much as I want to stay, I have to go.”

“No, you don’t. I can control myself.”

“You might be able to, but I’m not sure I can for much longer.”

“You still want me?”

“No. Maybe. I don’t know… the wine is blurring the lines, and this long old trip down memory lane is making me focus on the good times instead of the times where I was left pining for you. Which is why I should—”

Danny moved quickly, his hand reaching around to grip my neck and pull me closer to him. His lips smacked against mine with such a fiery need, the kiss took my breath away, making my body sing with an electric current I hadn’t felt in so, so long. His fingers dug into my skin, and I watched his eyes close before mine followed, and I allowed myself to sink into it.

When his mouth moved, massaging mine with a familiarity that made my heart sing, a small moan rumbled in the back of my throat—a hello to an old friend that my body had missed. His tongue soon found mine, massaging it with the perfect amount of pressure that had a knot of want and need forming in my stomach.

Everything I’d been searching years for with Ben came back after two seconds with Danny.

Thisshould have been our first reunion kiss, not the messed-up attempt in the stockroom of my shop. This felt different, and against the glow of the fire, I let myself believe for a small second that I could survive his touch just one more time. I wanted his fingers between my thighs. I wanted his breaths washing over my cheeks as he drove inside my body, panting and sweaty. I wanted to scrape sharp nails down his smooth back, and I wanted it to last until the sun came up.

But my heart winced, despite my body’s pleasure.

It groaned under the weight of want, reminding me of its weak repairs, and how I could have the most intense night of my life, and it would be that heart that would have to pick up the pieces the morning after.

It wasn’t strong enough for that anymore.

With a jolt of reality, I gasped and pulled an inch away. “Danny, stop. I… I can’t.”

His eyes were still closed, and his hand curled around my neck firmly.

“I can’t do this,” I whispered.

“I’m… sorry…” he breathed out. “I just…” Danny dropped his forehead to mine, and the two of us sat there for a moment with heavy breaths, pounding hearts, and his touch burning the skin on the back of my neck. “Fuck, I want you so badly, everything aches. Being here with you… it’s so damn easy, Zee.”

“You don’t want easy anymore.”

“I wantyou.” His brow creased, scrunching his eyes tighter together. “Right now, I want to bury myself inside of you and lose a night by your side.”

“You can’t say things like that to me.”

“I know, and that only makes me want to say them even more.”

“I should go.”

“Should. I fucking hate that word.”

---