He blinks and then side-eyes me. “Never?”
I nod. “That’s right. Never.”
“Wh—Can… Can I ask why?”
I can’t help my smirk. I might actually burst into giggles. I can’t remember the last time I felt this good. “You need to ask why?”
My barely restrained laughter must be contagious because a smile breaks over his mouth and grows wide and tall. All the way up to his eyes. “Yes. Tell me why.”
“That’s actually the second thing...” You’d think telling someone you never want to marry them would be about the hardest thing you’d ever have to say out loud. Turns out, not so. I take a deep breath. “I love you.”
I’ve never said the words to anyone outside of family and Pen, and they seem impossible to utter right up until I actually do.
And then it’s easy. So easy, I giggle like a child. “I love you.”
Before I can even take in Lark’s reaction or worry about whether or not he’ll say it too, feel it too, he pulls me tight against him and smashes his lips to mine.
He breaks the kiss just long enough to say my name. “Stella—” And then he’s kissing me again. Urgently, I might add. And then, “I love you. I love you, too.”
More kissing. I’m getting dizzy in the best possible way.
“Oh God,” he gasps, like a man coming up for air. I’m breathless too, but getting oxygen is secondary because the look on his face is so pained. “I thought I’d ruined everything. I thought you hated me.”
“No.” I shake my head, caressing his face, smoothing his hair, wanting to erase his worry. “No, I thought you weren’t mine to keep. That you’d come into my life to teach me how to love and break my heart open. At least, that was one of the interpretations Pen made about my tarot reading—”
“Tarot reading?” Lark’s confused frown is so adorable, I laugh again.
“Are you really surprised?”
His mouth quirks into a smile. “No, but I’m curious.”
I brush my lips twice against his, unable to get enough of him. I can’t ever remember being this happy. My body is exhausted, but my heart is weightless.
“It’s a long story,” I say, blushing a little at the memory. “I mean, Pen is—”
Lark shakes his head, grinning widely. “Don’t be embarrassed. Pen is the reason I met you, remember? You wouldn’t take my calls.”
And now I’m really blushing. Groaning, I drop my head to his chest and feel the soothing rumble of his laugh. He tucks a finger under my chin and guides it up until I meet his gaze. Joy shines in his eyes.
“Tell me about this tarot reading.”
I sigh in resignation, but it’s a happy sigh. “Let’s just say it predicted good things for my love life, but it was unclear whether that would be with you or if letting you break my heart would open the door to someone else.” I shrug. “Basically, it was about me being ready to love.”
His brows lower like storm clouds. “Someone else?”
Am I imagining it, or is he holding me tighter? I bite down on my laughter. I shouldn’t find Lark’s jealousy so gratifying.
But I do.
I stand on tiptoes and kiss his stormy frown. “Never mind that. Clearly, that wasn’t meant to be,” I say.
“Clearly,” he growls. My feet leave the ground as he lifts me, kissing me so long and so well, I’m sure I’m floating.
When he finally sets me down, we’re both breathless and bothered, but tonight is not the night for anything more.
I take his hand. “C’mon.” I tug him toward my room. He halts.
“Are you sure? Maisy’s in there.”
