“I was starting to think you weren’t coming,” he tells me, taking my hand in his as he turns us back out toward the amazing view the rooftop offers.
“I didn’t want to draw too much attention to my departure. I had to wait for the right moment.” I smile, taking in the gorgeous sight of the city before us.
“My brother and your best friend.” He grins, turning toward me. “I still can’t believe he’s actually married.”
“You? Blue’s the one that claimed for years she didn’t believe in love. Now look at her.”
“Seeing them together tonight made me realize something. Something I already knew really. But I guess maybe it just pronounced it more.”
“What’s that?” I ask when he doesn’t continue.
“That I want that, too. I want to put my heart out there and risk it all for the chance to be even half as happy as they are right now.” He reaches up and cups my cheek, looking down at me in a way I don’t think anyone has ever looked at me before. It’s enough to make me want to profess my love right here on the spot.
Do I love him? No. At least not yet. But what I’m feeling is something almost as overwhelming. The possibility of love.
I knew there was something there the moment I stepped into the restaurant and locked eyes with Everett nearly five months ago. I could feel it in my bones. And when we parted ways that night, deep down I knew that if what I felt was real, we’d find a way to explore whatever this thing between us is. But the more time that passed, the more my belief faded as well.
Now, to have him standing in front of me, saying all the things I’ve been dreaming he would say, I’m not sure if I’m more elated or terrified. I think maybe I feel both things equally.
My heart lodges somewhere in my throat as Everett shifts, his face lowering to mine. He stops mere inches from my mouth, his soft gaze holding mine.
“I’m going to kiss you now, Hannah.”
He doesn’t wait for a response. The statement is no more than off his tongue before his lips are pressed to mine.
Despite the cold temperature, warmth spreads through my entire body. Like tiny fireworks going off inside of me, I feel myself shake and pulse under the feeling of his kiss.
It doesn’t take long for things to escalate. What starts out as slow and cautious, quickly morphs into hunger and need. I kiss him like my life depends on it, and he kisses me right back with the same intensity.
And while I’m not the kind of girl that just hops into bed with a man, right now it’s the only thing I want to do. I want to feel Everett. I want him on me, against me, inside me. I want to know every part of his body. I want to touch him, explore him, and feel him in a way I’ve only ever dreamt about.
Maybe it’s the buzz of alcohol running through my veins. Or maybe it’s that I’ve known all along that Everett Avery is who I want.
When Everett finally breaks the kiss, we’
re both panting like we’ve run a marathon. My heart is thudding so loudly against my ribcage it’s the only sound I can hear.
“I have a room,” I say, not the least bit embarrassed by my forwardness. “I wanted to stay here so I could drink and not worry about driving home.”
“Seems you and I had the same thought.” He smiles, pulling a key card from the front pocket of his jacket. “So I guess the only question now is, your room or mine?”
“Tell me something about you. Something I’d be surprised to know.” I snuggle into Everett’s side, running the tip of my index finger along the dips of his perfectly sculpted abdomen.
“Something you’d be surprised to know.” He thinks on it for a long moment. “Let’s see. Well, I’ve never been in love before. Does that count?”
“You haven’t?” I lift my head from his chest and look up at him. He looks so perfect. His messy hair. His lazy smile. It’s everything I thought this moment would be and yet so much more at the same time.
“Nope. What about you?”
“Um, yeah, I guess. I mean, I’ve loved people before. But I don’t know that I’ve been in love.”
“In a way I haven’t wanted to find it.” He admits. “I’ve been married to the military for fifteen years. My life is unpredictable at best. I guess I never wanted to bring anyone else into that chaos.”
“But you don’t feel that way now?” I’m trying to keep up. His words are saying one thing but his tone is saying something else entirely.
“My situation has changed. Or well, it is changing.”
“How so?”