A soft breeze floats through the air, tossing her hair around her head, and she tucks the stray strands behind her ear. “It’s too nice to Uber. I think I’m going to walk.”
“That’s a long walk.”
She shrugs. “I need the exercise.”
“I’ll walk you.”
Shae shakes her head. “It’s not necessary.”
“It’s not an option.”
She pulls her bottom lip between her teeth and tosses a thumb over her shoulder. “Are you sure it’s not too far out of your way?”
I grin, casting my eyes down before gliding them back up her body. “It’s entirely out of my way. But I’m not letting you walk home alone.”
“Okay then,” she says, smiling back.
Relief courses through me because until this moment, I didn’t realize how badly I wanted to spend time with her, and maybe I need to put myself out there even more, tell her how much I enjoyed the other night.
I take a hesitant step forward, testing the waters to see if she’ll back away.
She doesn’t.
Her sweet smile falters, her eyes casting down but with a finger under her chin, I lift her eyes to mine.
“I should’ve called.”
She tilts her head. “I wish you would’ve. I thought we had something between us.”
“Do we?”
She blinks. “Well, yeah, I think so.”
Good, because I think so too, but I need more. I need to hear her say it.
“You think so?” I ask, lifting a brow. “There’s either something going on or there isn’t, Shae. We’ve moved past the one-night stand. I feel it, and I know you do too.”
Shae worries her bottom lip between her teeth. I gently press my thumb there, pulling it out of her mouth, and she sighs.
“I feel it,” she says softly.
We stare at each other, the sounds of the city surrounding us, and after several moments she reaches for my hand. Looking down at her fingers wrapped around mine, I’m given a renewed sense of hope.
“I wish I would’ve called you, because I haven’t been able to stop thinking about you either.”
That’s all I needed to hear, baby.
“Shae?”
“Yeah?”
“I’m going to kiss you now.”
She looks up at me, her eyes soft and gentle. “I was hoping you would.”
I drop my lips to hers, and Shae steps into me, pressing the front of her body against mine. One of her hands slides up my chest, into my hair, her fingers wrapping around the back of my head. Her other hand squeezes mine tightly, and I squeeze it back, needing her to keep me grounded because I’m seconds away from backing her up against the side of the nearest building.
Winding my arm around her waist, I gather her close. Her breaths are coming in short pants. Her eyes smolder as they focus on my lips, and she pushes up on her toes to kiss me again.