Page 85 of 1001 Dark Nights: Bundle Forty-Two

“You didn’t make a fool of yourself. You just acted out ofcharacter. I’m glad you did. It’s been the best trip of my life, and I’ve madenew friends.”

I cup his jaw, rubbing the shadow of bristles coating thestrong line. “I’ve had you, Naz, and I’ve never felt more, never wanted anyonethe way I want you.”

“And next week?” He grasps my wrist, trapping my handagainst his face. “When we get back to LA, do you honestly expect me to let yougo?”

I swallow, glancing down at the aged wood of the benchbetween us. “No. I just…I have to figure out what wesay to Cliff. The best time to tell him.”

“I got an email tonight.”

I frown and shoot him a huh? look.

“Okay,” I say. “And?”

“It was from Myron.”

“Myron from St. Cat’s?” I ask, stiffening. “What’d he want?”

“Coach Lipton is retiring, and they’re asking all of us fromhis one championship team to come for the ceremony.”

I close my eyes and turn to press my back against the bench,letting both feet hit the ground with a thud. “Cliff is just getting over thatdamn documentary, and now they want to memorialize the night that ruined hislife.”

“No, now they want to honor a man who devoted hisentire life to teaching young men a sport he loves. They want some of the menwhose lives he impacted to come celebrate a stellar career as one of Texas’swinningest high school coaches in history.”

“I know. It’s an amazing achievement.”

“If Coach Lipton hadn’t recruited me to St. Cat’s senioryear, my life wouldn’t be what it is now.”

“I know.”

“Do you? Because it seems like you think other people’slives should revolve around Cliff’s, including your own.”

“That’s not fair.”

“I want to be with you.”

I suck in a shuddering breath,stand, and put a few feet between me and him on the bench, but I’m unable tolook away from the intent in his dark eyes. “Also not fair.”

“Why? Because you’ll have to do something about this? Whenthis trip is over, we’re not over, and I’m notpretending we are for Cliff.”

“Naz.”

“No, listen to me.” He stands and reaches me in one longstep, tugging me to him by my wrist. “This, what’shappened to us, it’s fast. I know that. As cautious as I am, do you think Idon’t know that? But is it two weeks? Or is it twelve years in the making?”

I swallow and don’t try to pull away but press into hischest, breathing in his clean, masculine scent.

His hands, big and gentle, drift around to cradle my back.“I’ve watched you for years.”

At his quiet words, I look up. His eyes are set on me, hissensual lips parted on a laugh at himself.

“I saw you announce on social media when you were leavingHouston, moving to the A.”

“You did?”

“And then leaving Atlanta, moving to New York.” He grinsdown at me, tracing the shell of my ear and sending shivers down my spine.“When you posted you were leaving New York and coming to LA for DessiBlue, somewhere in my heart, even subconsciously, I said tomyself…now I have her. This close, I’ll have her, but I didn’t know how. All mylife, opportunities have found me. Have fallen into my lap.”

He hugs me tight and, arms folded under my butt, lifts meoff my feet so our faces are level.

“Naz!” I squeal, legs dangling.