Smoked (The Invincibles 5)

I shook my head. “No, Smoke. I’ve told you, I left the ranch because of the conversation I overheard between you and Decker.”

“What about now?”

“Do you mean my memory?”

He nodded.

“I believe the trigger was being flattened on the floor of a burnt-out building and having a ceiling fall on me.”

“That’s when it came back?”

“So it seems.”

“Come here.”

I walked closer to Smoke, and he wrapped me in his arms. “I need to tell you what you didn’t hear that day.”

“It isn’t important.”

He cupped my cheek with his palm. “It’s the most important thing of all.”

/> We both sat on the bed. Smoke kept my hands clasped in his. “You said the last thing you heard was me saying something about our not working together again once your amnesia went away.”

“That’s right.”

“What happened next?”

“What do you mean?”

“Decker and I were still talking.”

“Oh. I left.”

Smoke took a deep breath and let it out slowly. I thought he was about to speak, but instead, he kissed me. He cupped my face with his hands, and his mouth made love to mine. His touch was soft and gentle, slow and oh, so sweet that I felt my body and my heart melting into him. He pushed me back onto the bed and looked into my eyes.

“How does it make you feel when I kiss you?”

I turned away.

“I’ll tell you what I feel,” he said, gently turning my head back toward him. “I feel everything.”

I smiled. “Vague.”

“Things I’ve never felt before.”

“Such as?”

“Hope.”

“What are you hopeful for?”

Smoke laughed. “You aren’t going to make this easy on me, are you?”

“You could just tell me what you and Decker said after I left.”

“Okay.” Smoke took another deep breath. “I said that I was falling…that…you know…um…that I…uh…love you.”

“Did that hurt?”