Too Complicated (The Lewis Cousins 2)

Chloe gulped some air in and nodded.

“That sounds good.”

“Good,” I said, my smile more carefree than it had been since she’d come back into my life.

“So, was that what you wanted to talk to me about?”

Chloe’s face lit up and she shook her head.

“Actually, no, it wasn’t. If I’m being honest, I was leaning more toward pretending nothing happened,” she admitted. “I seem to be a bit of a coward where you’re concerned.”

“Don’t be,” I said, bringing the hand I still held up, then turning it so I could lay my lips gently on her palm. “You never have to be afraid to say anything to me.”

Chloe’s eyes seemed to glaze over for a moment as she watched what I was doing, but she shook it off and brightened again.

“You’re never going to guess what we are going to be doing next Tuesday,” she taunted, and I grinned, happy to play the game.

“Well,” I began, putting a finger to my lips and looking toward the ceiling as if in deep thought. “The wedding is Saturday, so we’ll probably be sleeping it off Sunday. Hell, it’s an open bar, so maybe still recovering on Monday … Tuesday, hmmmm … Well, your answer wouldn’t be going on our first date, because you weren’t planning on talking about the kiss with me, so … fishing?”

“Fishing? Why would we ever go fishing?”

“It’s a good a guess as any.”

“No,” Chloe said with a laugh. “It’s not. In fact, it’s the worse guess ever.”

“Okay, so you’re not a big fisher. Noted.”

Chloe punched me in the arm and said, “We’re going with Zoey and Gabe to Comic Con.”

Shocked, I said, “Get the hell out of here.”

“No, I live here,” Chloe quipped, then jumped up and down and I swear to God, I was seconds away from doing the same. “I’m serious. Me, you, and Chris are going to join them on their honeymoon, yeah, I know, but we’re going!”

I clutched a hand to my chest, sure that it was either about to leap out or break down. I’d never felt this excited in my life.

“We’re going … to Comic Con?”

“Yup,” she said with a nod, and I don’t know if it was the excitement, or her stunning beauty, but I had the sudden insane need to feel her lips on mine once more.

I pulled her to me and captured her laughing mouth with mine, and when her laughter turned to a groan, I felt it with every fiber of my being.

I kissed her until I needed to pull away for fear I’d never be able to stop.

“Wow,” she said dreamily, as her eyes fluttered open. “That was even better than the first time.”

“I have a feeling, with us, it’s just going to keep getting better.”

“Slow,” Chloe reminded me.

“Slow,” I assured her.

Chapter Twenty-Two ~ Chloe

The rustic signs were perfect, the sun was shining, and the outdoor setup looked amazing. The twinkling lights in the barn looked magical, and the centerpieces and decorations were exactly what Zoey wanted.

She was going to be thrilled with the way everything had come together.

I took one last look around the barn, the party planners and servers bustling around as if I weren’t even there as they worked to be ready on time, and smiled even as my eyes filled.