Page 61 of Bonfire and Bliss Bookstore

“Look up.”

Penny does what I say and, as her eyes land on the glittering tapestry above us, her lips fall open on an ah. The sound is soft and slightly breathy, as if she’s savoring the view as much as I’m savoring the one right in front of me.

“Is this the right setting?” I coax.

She hums. “It’s pretty perfect.”

“And the tension, do you feel it, Xuxuzinho?” I thread our fingers together and bring them to my chest.

She nods as my heart pounds against her hand.

“It reminds me of the last night we spent together before leaving for college.”

“We sat out here for hours,” she whispers.

“I didn’t want to say good night.” I consider my next words carefully. Consider what they mean, and how she’ll react. If I’ll regret saying them. But being back here with her makes me realize I’m tired of living with regrets when it comes to Penny. “I wanted to kiss you so damn bad.”

Penny jolts in surprise, but I keep my hand on hers. “What?”

“Yup. Talked myself in and out of it about a dozen times under that August moon.”

“Hm.” She practically preens under my palm. “What were the pros and cons?”

“You were my very best friend,” I croak. “I didn’t want to ruin it.”

“Because you don’t believe in love?” she asks, her voice so hopeful it makes me ache to deny it.

Still, I shake my head. It’s not that I don’t believe in love. I don’t believe that love lasts. Though if there was anyone who could make me wish I did, it would be her. “And you deserve an epic one, Penny Darling.”

“Well, you’re certainly teaching me what I want in a relationship.” She offers me a soft, almost sad smile. “I guess we’re both learning something.”

I raise a brow. “Yeah?”

She nods.

“Can I kiss you, Penny?”

Her teeth roll over her bottom lip as she stares into my eyes. “For practice?”

I press my thumb into her bottom lip, freeing it from her teeth, “Yeah, for practice.” My voice comes out all gravelly. “Pretend for me a little while longer.”

Pretend we’re those two kids with their whole lives ahead of them. Pretend that I wasn’t so broken up about my grandfather’s death and my parents’ divorce that I closed my heart to anyone, including you. Pretend that there’s a world where you could really be mine.

Of course, I don’t say any of that to her.

Still, Penny tilts her head just so, offering up those perfect lips to me once more. And I don’t hesitate tonight to crash mine to hers.

I kiss her like I wanted to all those years ago, like I wanted to at the brewery. I kiss her like a man who needs her lips to breathe and, if I’m honest with myself, tonight I just might. I kiss her like she might be the love of my life even though I’ll never be selfish enough to tell her.

Then I pull back and drag in a long breath as I stroke my thumb against her soft lips.

“Oh my God,” she murmurs. “Re-create that in your book and you’ll have written magic.”

I force a smile and huff out a laugh.

She licks her lips. “But, um, if you need more practice…”

“I think I’m good.” I’m not sure if I can do that again—not if I want to keep us both from getting hurt.