Page 110 of Yours, For Now

But I had to try.

I lifted my eyes to him. He stared back at me, ready for my gaze. My heart began a race in my chest, the rhythm of each beat a drum against my breastbone.

Opening up was hard for me. It wouldn't have been a real option for me, if Gabe hadn't already shown me he'd keep my courage safe.

"I kept the flower," I blurted. The knot in my throat disappeared, but nerves took over my stomach. "The one from the wedding. I was always going to remember you fondly."

I bit my bottom lip. He soothed it with his thumb again, like he did before, like he couldn't take me causing myself even a hint of pain.

He smiled. "You kept it?"

"So maybe this one— this one can mean something else."

His eyes twinkled. "What could it mean?"

"Something permanent, maybe." Determined, I steeled myself and showed him the most tender part of myself. "I don't want to break up, Gabe."

His smile stretched slowly, the corner of his lips tilting in a delicious slant.

"I see." His fingers fanned on the side of my face, and his thumb pulled slightly down from my bottom lip. His eyes locked on my mouth. "You're a woman who goes for what you want."

"Yes."

Could he feel my breath, the simple word on his thumb?

Most of all, what would his answer be?

"I tried to go for what I want, too. I brought you here to show you I'd give you every flower if you wanted, hoping you'd want a special one instead."

"What I want right now is to know what you want." I curled my hands in the folds of his jacket, like he'd go away and I'd need to stop him.

"You." His hand moved to cradle my neck, fingers digging into my skin as he pressed his lips to mine. "I want you, Lina. I brought you here to beg you to stay with me."

"Beg?" A shockwave built inside of me, from the ground, up my legs, and to my hands; I pulled him to me with the power of it. "Fuck’s sake, you don't have to beg!"

And I kissed him. Kissed him hard, kissed him soft, kissed him like I could keep him forever. He wrapped his arms around me and brought me tight against him, his mouth following my lead for once. My hands traveled up his chest to his shoulders. I hooked my arms around his neck and lifted myself to the tips of my toes, only so I could kiss him even more. Dizziness took over my head, lightness in my chest, and maybe I needed to take a deep breath, but for the first time, I understood women of old who could faint when feelings took over.

"Lina—" his chuckle was at least halfway to a moan. "We'll make time. We have time."

"I'll wait, Gabe. You said this stage will last a couple of years for you. You don't have to ask— I'm offering."

"No— I mean, that's amazing." He shook his head as if he was as overwhelmed as I was, and a soft chuckle came out of him. "Wow. I didn't know I needed you to want it as much as I did until now but— I meant we need to talk, and we have time for that. I just needed to know you want to have it all with me, too."

"I want it all with you."

His grin filled the whole flower shop with light. "Then we'll have it all."

I echoed his joy with a smile just as wide, just as full of hope.

"C'mon," he said. "Let's go to my place. We have things to talk about. We'll change the rules. We'll figure it out."

After one last kiss, we let Martina close behind us.

Stepping out into the cool night air, the vintage flower on my lapel, I held Gabe's hand with no intention of ever letting go.

Chapter 31

Severalweeksafterourconversation at La Belle Fleur and later in Gabe's condo, I closed the folder in front of me, which contained all the information I'd worked so hard on for several weeks.