Page 95 of Say it Ain’t So

Especially when she leaned forward and smacked her lips against my cheek.

I grabbed her around the waist, yanking her into my lap, and she let out a squeal that had blood pumping in my veins. She felt like an adventure held in my arms, and I wanted to explore every last inch of her.

“Rylan!” She said my name on a gasp, her back arching into me, giving me better access to her throat. I ran my tongue along her delicate flesh and let out a groan.

“Maybe we should skip dinner tonight.”

“Rylan!” She laughed, then wriggled out of my grasp. “Don’t forget how much you wanted this.”

“Oh, I want it alright.” I tugged her closer, but she settled into the chair next to me and gave me a scolding glare.

“Not at work.” Those words didn’t stop her from tracing the corner of my mouth with her thumb. “You got a little⁠—”

I popped her thumb into my mouth and sucked, eliciting another laugh.

“You’re horrible.”

“Mmm. But you love me.”

Joss gave me a soft smile. “I really do.”

“I love you too, gorgeous. Hey.” I reluctantly let go of her and reached for my backpack. She’d started packing me a bag on my first day back, making sure I had things I might need, like snacks and drinks, my laptop, and a book about rock climbing she picked up for me the last time she went home to feed her fish.

This morning, I’d tucked a present for her inside, and I’d been waiting for the right time to give it to her. Since the office was quiet and no one was around, now was the perfect time.

“I got something for you.” I pulled out the box and handed it to her, and I wished I had a camera so I could capture the look on her face and cherish it for eternity.

She was smiling, her face pinched like she might cry.

“You didn’t have to get me anything.”

“Yeah? Well, what if I wanted to?”

She leaned forward, taking the box before she pressed a quick kiss to my lips. “What is it?”

I let out a laugh. “Usually you open a gift before you ask what it is.”

Joss looked over her shoulder as if verifying no one was there. Then she tore open the simple white cardboard and dumped the contents into her hand.

There was no need to explain what it was. Joss’s eyes widened, her mouth dropped open, and she lifted her gaze to mine.

Then she lunged for me, wrapping her arms around my neck and nearly toppling me to the floor.

“You bought me one?”

Holding on tight, I tried to right the two of us. It wasn’t easy with only one leg. “Of course, I did, gorgeous. Anything for my wife.”

She pulled back, helping me to sit up straight as she went. Then she glanced back down at the tool in her hand.

It was a safety hammer—a spring-loaded device that could break a car window if your vehicle went under water. It was attached to a keychain and even had a seatbelt cutter on the side.

Joss and I had talked extensively about her accident. About her fears of drowning while she was hanging from her seat, unable to get free from her seatbelt because of her broken hand. She admitted that driving over the bridges in Chicago amplified those fears, because the rivers that cut through the city were far deeper than the ravine she’d crashed into.

Unlike her, I couldn’t just run out to the store to find her a gift. But with my laptop and nothing but time on my hands, I’d researched the best products and had this delivered to my door.

“It’s small, but since it’s on a keychain, it’s easier to reach if something happens. You’d probably keep a bigger one in your glovebox, which wouldn’t help much if your seatbelt was stuck, and you couldn’t get out.”

“Thank you, Rylan. I can’t tell you how much this means to me.”