Page 76 of Yours, Finally

I pulled her closer. "This feels right."

She gave me one of her most brilliant smiles before kissing me. My insides did a somersault with the tenderness in her gesture.

"It does, doesn't it?"

I lifted a hand to her face and kissed her again, with the same soft, glittering energy she'd filled the room with. "When I write music, I'm seeking to put into words the indescribable. I could try to put this moment into lyrics, write a thousand songs trying to capture it… and I know I never would manage."

"If you ever try, I would love to hear it."

"I might even play them for you."

She sighed and came close enough to burrow her head into my neck. "Yes, this feels right. I would love that."

I held her in my arms, until her stomach rumbled, and I continued on my quest to win the book boyfriend challenge.

The way she moaned while eating my food was like getting all tens by the judges. She having me for dessert was my prize.

Chapter 23

Vi

We slept in onour only full day away. After deliciously lazy sex, we went out for brunch and then for a walk down the town's main street. Old trees lined the avenue, and shops with freshly updated storefronts kept us entertained.

Hand-in-hand, we entered a shop full of knick-knacks and other souvenirs. Shelves were stock-full of little ceramic collectibles, fridge magnets, keychains, and bottle openers.

"Caesura," I said, trying out the word.Seshura— a sudden stop in music. "That's the word we'll use?"

"You said we should come up with a musical word." He arched an eyebrow at me. "And it's weird enough we wouldn't naturally say it in the middle of things otherwise."

"Yeah, it's totally unsexy." I took a candle from a shelf and smelled it.

Jake chuckled. "Then it's a good word, and we need a good word."

The candle wasn't to my taste and I put it back. Jake leaned into my ear and a shiver went down my spine at the mere hint of his breath on my skin. I clung to the shelf under my hands.

His voice was a warm caress on the shell of my ear. "If you're going to be bratty, I may need to put you in your place, and it might be too much for you to handle. You have to have options."

I shifted until we were nose to nose, my head flirtily over my shoulder. He stayed close.

"What if it's me in the mood to make that cocky smile falter?" I asked. "When I decide I want you to shatter, it might be you who needs an emergency brake."

"Mmh." The kiss he gave me was quick, in deference to the public space we were in, and yet he managed to infuse a playful threat into it. "We'll see."

Before I forgot we were out and about, I turned away and let the wares around me rescue us. Lucky for us, my eyes landed on the wall of clothing stacking up one side of the store.

"Oh, I know what I want." I pulled from Jake's hand until we reached the gray piece that had caught my attention. "This hoodie is perfect."

It was big and cozy, and made in a thick material. It had a wonderful print of horses on the chest, following the local motif, and with the town's name embroidered across it.

"You will look adorable in it," Jake said. "Let me get it for you."

"No, you misunderstand." I searched the hoodies for the largest size available; plus sizes were hard to find in these types of stores. "I want it for you. I might borrow it sometimes, but it's not the same if it's not your hoodie to begin with."

"Oh, I see." He watched me with humor in his features. "You'll give it to me only to take possession at a later day."

"Occasionally, I said. It's still yours."

"We'll see, but all right. I'll get it."