Page 103 of Until The Lights Go Out

“Hi,” he said sleepily, voice rough enough to make heat curl low in my stomach all over again.

My lips twitched helplessly. “Hi.”

Theo stared at me for a long second like he was still waking up enough to process that I was actually here. Then his arm tightened around my waist, and he buried his face briefly against my neck with a groan.

“You’re real,” he mumbled.

A laugh slipped out of me. “Disappointed?”

“No.” He lifted his head again, blue eyes still sleepy and devastatingly affectionate. “I think this might actually be the best day of my life.”

My heart nearly exploded on impact.

“Theo.”

“I’m serious.” His thumb brushed lazily along my stomach beneath the sheets. “Woke up and you were just”—he looked at me again like he couldn’t help himself—“here.”

God.

How was this the same man who glared through press conferences like smiling physically pained him?

Theo reached up slowly, brushing messy hair away from my face before his fingertips traced gently along my cheek.

“So beautiful,” he whispered quietly. Heat rushed to my face instantly.

“You’re disgustingly sweet before nine a.m.”

A sleepy grin tugged at his mouth. “Only for you.”

I physically had to look away for a second before I combusted. Theo laughed softly under his breath at my reaction before leaning forward to kiss me, slow and warm and entirely too distracting for this early in the morning.

“You have meetings today. If I keep you, Sebastian will kill me,” I reminded him weakly against his mouth. Theo made a low unhappy sound.

“Don’t remind me.”

I laughed again as his face dropped dramatically into my shoulder. “Professional athlete suffering the consequences of being a professional athlete,” I said solemnly.

“Cruel woman.”

“Mmhm.”

His fingers threaded through mine beneath the blankets absentmindedly, holding my hand there against his chest. That tiny gesture nearly undid me. It was so painfully simple, but it made my heart skip a beat, then pick up speed. I had missed him so much.

Theo brushed his thumb over my knuckles quietly for a moment before speaking again.

“Come with me today.”

I blinked. “To meetings?”

A grin tugged at his mouth. “No, Red. On the flight.”

My stomach flipped. “You want me to fly with you?”

Theo looked almost offended. “Private jet has its perks.”

Warmth settled beneath my ribs. “You’ll get sick of me eventually,” I teased softly.

His expression shifted, serious now.