But then—right as he was about to lose himself in the next kiss—something hit him.
I need to say it.
It gripped him with the same urgency as the need to feel her against him. Maybe more.
He pulled back slightly, his hands still resting on her hips. Her breath was warm against his cheek, her lips just inches from his, and it took every ounce of self-control not to dive right back in.
“Wait,” Jesse rasped, his voice rough with emotion—and, okay, a little bit of desperation. “I need to do something before the next round of kisses makes me completely mindless.”
Lauren blinked, slightly breathless, her brow furrowing with confusion but her smile teasing at the corners. “What?”
Jesse swallowed hard, his heart thudding like it was trying to escape his chest. “I’m asking you out.”
She arched an eyebrow, amused. “We’re… already going on a date.”
“No,” he said quickly, shaking his head, a grin tugging at the edges of his mouth despite the pounding in his chest. “I’m asking you out on a thousand dates.”
That got her attention. She tilted her head slightly, her confusion deepening, but there was a spark of something else in her eyes—something softer, warmer. She reached up, her finger trailing slowly down his chest, and he swore he forgot how to breathe for a second.
“A thousand dates, huh?” she murmured, her voice low and filled with curiosity.
Jesse’s grin grew, but his throat felt tight. “Actually, make that a thousandplusdates… because I’m in love with you.”
For a heartbeat, she froze, her hand still resting against his chest, her eyes searching his like she wasn’t sure she’d heard him right.
Then she smiled, wide, real. And it hit him harder than any bullet ever could.
“Good,” she whispered, her voice soft but sure. “Because I’m in love with you, too.”
She loves me.
The words echoed in his head, grounding him even as everything else spun out of control in the best possible way.
He pulled back just enough to look into her eyes. “A thousand dates,” he whispered, his thumb brushing over her cheek. “And every single one of them starts and ends with this.”
Lauren grinned and pulled him back to her. “Then what are you waiting for?” she whispered against his mouth.
Jesse wasn’t waiting for anything. Not anymore.
“Sex, then pizza,” Lauren muttered, kissing his neck and heading toward the bedroom.
Jesse made a sound of agreement. “Sex, pizza, and more,” he amended.
Lauren made a sound of agreement too, but it was somewhat muffled with their next kiss.
The sixteen-year wait was over—the regrets, the what-ifs, the ache of lost time. It all faded, replaced by the undeniable truth that everything he wanted, everything he needed, was right here with Lauren.
And this time, he wasn’t letting go.
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