But I don’t tell her that. Instead, I roll up the sleeves of my dress shirt and step up beside her. “Does the pro get a chance now?”
She waves her hand toward the machine. “Be my guest.”
I pop a few quarters in, position myself against the machine, then pull the lever back. I hit my target immediately, then again. I do it over and over until my points far exceed whatever Summer had up on the board, and I delight in how salty she looks beside me as I keep going.
“You suck,” she says when I finally lose, my score three times as high as hers.
I point out the numbers with multiple commas. “That says otherwise.”
She huffs. “Whatever. It’s not fair. You’ve had more time to practice over the last few days than I have.”
It’s the first time she’s mentioned her absence, and now that I know what she’s been up to, I feel like I have to tread carefully.
“Well, that wouldn’t be the case if you were around.”
She grins, and there’s something flirty about it. “Why, Ezra, is that your way of saying you missed me?”
Yes.
“You wish,” I say instead, grabbing her by the waist and tugging her close. She comes to me easily, her arms going around my neck, that smile stretched across her ruby-red lips.
“Hi,” she says on a giggle, batting her lashes up at me.
“Hi yourself. How was your day?”
“Better now.”
“Do anything fun?”
It’s marginal, but I feel her stiffen in my arms, and I don’t miss when she darts her eyes away as she answers me. “Not really. Just been working on the menu.”
I wait for her to tell me about the recipes she’s testing out, the ones that have worked and the ones that haven’t, but she doesn’t elaborate.
I should probably be mad that she’s holding her cards so close to her chest, but I can’t be. Not when I’ve missed her so much, and I’m just glad to have her in my arms.
“It’s going to be amazing,” I tell her, dragging her even closer. I run my nose against her cheek, loving the hitch in her breath. “And you want to know how I know that?”
“H-How?”
“Because ...” I kiss her cheek, then again, this time closer to her lips. “You’re amazing, Sunny.”
Then my mouth is on hers because I can’t wait another second. I have to touch her. Kiss her.Devourher.
I don’t think I have an option anymore.
She kisses me back with equal ardor, and all it does is make me want her that much more.
Summer’s hands drop to my belt, then my zipper, and I’m being pulled free from my boxer briefs in record time.
“Fuck,” I hiss as she takes me in her hand. “That feels so good. It’s been too long.”
She laughs. “Three days is too long?”
“When it comes to you? Yes.”
We pause becauseholy heavy, but I don’t regret saying it. Not when I mean it as much as I do.
Then we’re more frantic than ever before, our lips connecting as Summer continues to stroke me. I tug her T-shirt free because Ineedto feel her bare skin beneath my hands.
