Plus, I wanted him to experience a shower where the water didn’t take half an eternity to heat up.
“Come on, I wanna see those abs up close.”
He laughed under his breath and wiped at his face.
We weren’t really ready to laugh yet, but a pressure release was always nice.
It was like coming home.
Nate and I, holding each other under the hot spray—nothing was more comforting.
The levees had clearly broken for me too, ’cause I couldn’t get my eyes to stop leaking.
I pressed my face against his neck while he drew shivers from me, each time his fingers brushed up and down my back.
“I like your bathroom,” he murmured. “The dimmed lighting is a nice touch.”
“Our bathroom,” I muttered.
I was getting increasingly sleepy, which was his fault. The dumbass separation combined with having my back scratched and rubbed for the first time in over a year…? Fuck, I needed a nap. With him in my arms.
“That’s bizarre.” He exhaled a laugh. “This morning, I was in agony because I was so sure I’d lost you forever. And now…”
Now he was moving.
“Hey.” He nipped at my shoulder. “When are you gonna kiss me?”
That one drew a smile from me, and I lifted my head.
We were gonna have plenty of “for the first time in over a year” in the nearby future, and I wanted to savor each one. We inched closer at the same time and finally met in a slow, warm kiss that sent shivers down my spine.
Fucking hell, I’d missed him.
I slipped my hands down to his ass and pulled him flush against me, and he deepened the kiss.
“I’ve missed you so much, Ash.”
I shuddered and swept my tongue against his. “Me too.”
He exhaled unsteadily and touched my cheek.
Forehead to forehead again, we just stood there and breathed.
Great, more waterworks.
We didn’t have much time left before we had to go back to the old house, so I was gonna relish every damn second and keep him close to me. I could already feel the next topic creeping in, the logistics of it all—talking to Dylan and Hallie, telling our folks, coming up with a strategy for Mikey and Lily… And I wasn’t ready yet. I wasn’t ready to do anything but keep myself fused to Nate.
I sniffled.
I missed you, I missed you, I missed you.
We were gonna have to be mindful with Mikey, though. One second, he was an average boy who wrinkled his nose at cooties. The next, he was incredibly aware of tensions, energies, and emotions. And he’d just spent the past year with two dads who’d barely shown any affection toward each other.
“I’m gonna sleep well tonight,” I sighed contentedly.
He hummed and kissed his way down to my shoulder. “Me too. Despite the pullout couch.”
“Is it no good?”
