Page 104 of Let's Call a Truce
“I love you,” he said between kisses, “and I’m going to make you so happy.” More kisses. “Every day.” Even more. “For the rest of our lives.”
I laughed, stealing his lips back for another deep kiss. I felt like I was flying as I pulled back to see him again.
“So, we’re really doing this?”
“We’re doing this. I’ve never wanted anything more in my life. One more day away from you is a day too many. I want everyone to know you’re mine and I’m yours.”
“You don’t think we should keep it quiet for a while? Maybe just through the trip, to give Paris time to process that you and her mom aren’t getting back together?”
“Fuck no. I’m tired of trying to hide how much I love you. I’ve been doing it for way too long already. And Paris deserves the truth. I’m going to tell her when we get home tonight. Obviously, I’ll leave out what her mom said last night, but I’ll tell her I was already in love with you when she showed back up. If you are okay with it.”
I nodded as tears started flowing again. He kissed my tears away, and I recaptured his lips with my own, so overwhelmed with love for this man.
Three years ago, when I got the call that Jason had died, I thought my life was over, too. That’d I’d spend the next fifty to sixty years existing, supporting my kids, but alone in this world. I had shut down everything that wasmein the name of survival.
But Ben still saw me. He used it to piss me off at first, sure, but he didn’t let me shrink and fade into nothing. He took those broken pieces and pushed me until I put them back together. The shape was new but perfect for us.
Our kisses slowed, and Ben gave me a lopsided smile. “We’ve still got a couple hours before we need to be at the airport. What do you say to a walk in the gardens?”
I lifted a brow. “Alternatively, I did set up late checkout at the hotel, so…”
He barked out a laugh and grabbed my hand, towing me toward the door. “Yeah. Decision made.”
He plowed past Quinn, hollering a thank-you as he swiped my bag from her grip.
I laughed as I tried to pull him to a stop. “What about all the flowers? We can’t leave Quinn’s office like that!”
“I’ll give them away to people around campus. Call them gifts from KMG,” she said with a giant smile.
I threw her a quick “You’re the best,” my feet never slowing as I worked to keep up with Ben’s long stride.
We spent the next hour thoroughly relearning each other’s bodies, every dip and curve, rediscovering exactly what it took to push the other over the edge. I had to practically drag Ben out of the room with the promise that he’d be back in my bed as soon as possible.
We cuddled up in the back of the cab on the way to the airport, just like the first time we left Boston. Except this time, we didn’t have the dark cloud of secrecy hanging over our heads. Ben absentmindedly played with my hair while I snuggled deeper into his side.
“This trip will be our final test, won’t it?” he asked. “Can we make it a whole week in close proximity without me pissing you off enough to restart our war?”
“Unlikely,” I said, tipping my head in time to catch the flash of his smile before he schooled his expression. “Probably should call the whole thing off.”
“How about a truce instead? Just for the trip.”
I tapped my chin as I hummed thoughtfully. “Fair. But I can only offer you that week, nothing more.”
He leaned down, chuckling against my lips as he kissed me because he knew I was full of it. I was offering far more than a week. I was offering him forever.
And he was damn sure going to take it.
Epilogue
TWENTY-TWO MONTHS LATER
“Why are theynot answering?”
I frantically tapped at my phone to call my mom again. Ben grabbed my hand, blocking me from hitting theCALLbutton for a third time.
“You know why. Your mom already texted that they ran out of time to talk, between pickup and their after-school stuff. We’ll video-chat tonight.”
I huffed in response. This was our first time away from the kids since that fateful trip to Boston, and I was struggling to disconnect. We were back where it all began, twice, for a much-needed romantic long weekend.
