My knees were shaking for some reason. That my back rested against the wall was about the only thing holding me up.
“Why don’t you sit down?” he asked.
“Why don’t you answer the question?” My hand flew to my mouth and my voice went deathly quiet. “Shit. Did something happen? Did they take back the job offer? Was it something I did?”
He frowned. “Why would it be something you did?”
“I don’t know. I’m having a panic attack,” I grumbled. “You’re supposed to be on a flight landing in Hungary in a few hours and instead you’re here, and it’s really thrown me because it was everything you’ve been working toward and wanted since the moment I met you.”
“Yeah.” He winced. “It’s sort of a long story. First the flight got delayed. After all of that rushing. Some sort of last-minute mechanical failure that dragged on and on. And I was sitting there the whole time in the lounge just thinking about everything. Just going over and over it inside my head. And when we finally got told to board . . . I couldn’t get on the plane.”
“What?”
“I know. I just couldn’t do it.”
“Why not?”
“You,” he said.
“Me?”
“Yeah. You.”
My butt hit the floor. Which kind of hurt. But never mind.
Patrick rose so fast his chair scooted across the floor. “Are you alright?”
“I think so.”
He knelt in front of me. “I couldn’t get on the plane, Norah. The thought of leaving you so soon . . . it just didn’t feel right. Maybe if we’d been together for a while it would have been okay. But not right now. Since you couldn’t come with me, I’ll just have to stay here with you. At least for the next little while.”
“Wow.”
He shrugged. “Anyway, my career isn’t in such bad shape. And it’s not like there won’t be things getting filmed here in LA. In the meantime, I can work with Mei on setting up the production company. Won’t hurt me to take a break. I’ve been working pretty much nonstop since I was twenty-one.”
“You’re serious about this?”
“Absolutely. This way, I’ll be here to support you with whatever you’re doing for the next few months or so. Much better than screwing around on Skype and trying to figure out time zones.”
I collapsed back against the wall. “Paddy, you’re being pretty much perfect right now.”
“Don’t get too used to it. I’m bound to fuck up sooner or later.”
“I don’t believe it.” I sighed. “Though I had pretty much already decided to get the shop sorted and fly out and spend at least a couple of days with you before I started working with Zena full-time. You’d only been gone a few hours, but I missed you like crazy.”
“Baby,” he said with a gentle smile that made my heart swoon. I’d seen its facsimile in films, but this was about a billion times better. It was all true and it was all mine.
“You said I wasn’t a baby. That was like the first pet name you tried.”
“I lied. It just felt too personal or something. But now it fits you perfectly.” He grabbed me around the waist, lifting my ass off the floor. Then he deposited us both on a seat, with me on his lap. Of course I wrapped my arms around his neck and got as close as I could. I wasn’t a complete idiot. He looked me over with raised brows. “Not to be critical. But why are you dressed like Pollyanna?”
“You left. My heart was broken. I was trying to be cheerful.”
“Right,” he said. “Why weren’t you sleeping in our room?”
“It made me too sad.”
“It’s nice to know that being apart doesn’t work for either of us.”
“Not even a little.”
I lifted my chin and he met me halfway, pressing his lips against mine. The kiss stayed chaste for approximate half a second. Which was good and right. Then his sleek tongue slid against mine and we were devouring each other to the best of our abilities. Hot, wet kisses really were their own reward. I hoped we’d always be clutching hands and eager mouths. The familiar taste of him was delicious. The faint scent of his sweat mixing with his cologne a dream. Our teeth knocked against each other, our making-out getting frenzied. Because the feel of him hardening against my rear was nothing less than divine. We needed to get somewhere private and do away with our clothes as soon as possible.
But first, he’d made a huge concession by not getting on that plane. He’d put me first when no adult male had chosen to do that for me. I needed to put myself out there too. Take a chance.
“I love you, Paddy,” I said, my voice about as firm as possible, given the situation.
“You do, huh?”
“Yes.” I happy sighed. “You don’t have to say it back or anything. I know it’s early days. Though you did sort of say it before the TV interview. We never did get around to discussing that, did we? But I want you to know—”