Me: If there aren’t crunchy tacos and chips and salsa, I’m not coming.
Milo: That’s cute, smartass. What’s your ETA?
I glance up to see his apartment is now only one stop away.
Me: Ten minutes, tops. Your stop is the next stop.
Milo: Pretty sure you mean YOUR stop is the next stop.
I furrow my brow in confusion.
Me: But I’m coming to YOUR place…
Milo: Exactly. And by the end of the night, I’m going to convince you to move out of Evan’s old apartment and become my permanent roommate.
Me: Is this your clever way of asking me to move in with you?
Milo: If I say yes, is it working?
The subway begins to slow down, and I glance up to see we’ve arrived at my stop.
Me: Hold that thought. I’m getting off the subway now.
Off the train, through the evening rush of people, I head up the stairs and onto the sidewalk.
And when I catch my reflection in the window of an expensive chocolate shop, I don’t miss the stupid grin that is apparently permanently tattooed on my face now.
Holy moly. I’m a loon. A happy, in-love, fucking loon.
I wave to Gill when he opens the lobby door of Milo’s building and briefly chat with him about his wife and kids while I wait for the elevator.
“Have a good night, Ms. Willis,” he says as I step onto the waiting cart.
“You too, Gill.” I smile, and he taps in the code for the penthouse level. “Oh, and next time you see Milo, don’t forget to give him shit for the Yankees losing last night.”
“Will do.” His responding chuckles follow me several floors up.
When the doors open, Milo is standing there, bare feet, jeans, and a simple white T-shirt.
God, he’s handsome.
“Took you long enough, kid,” he teases, and I drop my bags and stride right out of the elevator and jump up into his arms.
“Well, hello there,” he says through a shocked laugh as I wrap my legs around his waist. “What do I—”
With my mouth to his, I cut him off completely.
It takes a second or two for him to understand what I’m putting down here, but eventually, he does. He deepens the kiss, slipping his tongue into my mouth, and before I know it, he turns on his bare feet and has my back pressed up against the wall.
Oh yes, please.
I moan against his lips, and he doesn’t disappoint.
His hands grip my ass, and I can feel his growing arousal against me.
Yes. Yes. Yes.
I’m desperate for him. My body damn near shaking with need. And I try like hell to convince him we need to relocate so I can remove all of his stupid clothes.
“To the bedroom,” I say through a moan. “Take us to the bedroom.”
“Always in such a rush.” He smiles against my mouth. “And I think you’ve forgotten about the food.”
“Fuck the food.”
He laughs. “Fuck the food?”
“Yes.” The impatience in my voice is more than obvious. “Forget about the food and take me to your bedroom.”
He presses his arousal against me. “And what exactly are we going to do in our bedroom?”
“Get naked. Get…” I pause and lean back to meet his eyes. “Hold up. Did you just say our bedroom?”
“That’s exactly what I said.”
“So, you were serious?” I question. “You really want me to move in with you?”
“Maybe…” His blue eyes search mine. “I’m in love with you, kid. And when I see my future, I see you and me, together. I see us waking up together. And I see us going to bed together at night. I want and need you to move in with me.”
If my heart grew any bigger inside my chest, it might start cracking ribs.
“I’m in love with you too,” I whisper, and emotion starts to clog my throat. “And I want that future too.”
Literally the future I’ve always dreamed of…
“Well then, what are we waiting for?” he questions and leans forward to kiss my lips softly. “Let’s start our future right now. Tonight.”
“Wait…does this mean you’re finally going to deflower me?”
“No, kid.” His lips crest up into a giant fucking smile. “This means I’m going to marry you.”
He’s going to marry me? Holy wedding bells, I’m so in.
“You are?”
He nods. “I am.”
I tilt my head to the side, narrowing my eyes and using the opportunity to tease him a bit. “Don’t I get a say in this? It’s not the eighteenth century, you know,” I say and rub my nose against his. “Arranged marriages aren’t a thing anymore. Ole Bruce isn’t going to sell me off for some kind of bridal dowry. And I sure as shit don’t want to lose my virginity on my wedding night.”
He quirks a teasing brow. “Is that right?”
“That’s a certainty.”
“Well, then I guess we have some things to accomplish before I get down on one knee, huh?”
I snort. “You bet your tight ass, we do.”