Page 132 of Desserts for Stressed People

Shane cups my cheek. “Five years later, Billy tells me he’s sending me his best project manager, and you appear inside my office.”

“That’s—” I let out a shaky breath. “But I liked you when we hadn’t met yet. When you were just a handsome guy on RadaR and had no idea who I was. And you were into me all along?”

“Yes,” he says, his hands cradling both sides of my face. As his thumb grazes a spot on my right cheek, he smiles. “Heaven, for five years, you’ve eaten about three lunches a week in the cafeteria,” he says with a loving smile. “You’ve taken out a box of Oreos from your bag, grabbed two and put the box away, then ate them and snatched two more.” He pecks the tip of my nose. “For five years, I’ve seen you unable to resist dessert.” Pressing his lips to the side of my head, he inhales deeply and whispers in my ear, “You might have liked me first, but I started loving you five years ago, and I’m still not done.”

My head feels light. Shane loved me even before I found his RadaR profile. He was waiting for me in the future all along.

A single tear falling down his cheek. “Loving you changed my life, Heaven. Losing you would too.”

It feels as if my heartweeps.

People always say you know it’s love when your person smiles and that makes you smile too, but as I watch Shane cry for the first time, it dawns on me that’s not it. It’s when their agony wrenches you, splits you in two, leaves you open and raw, that you know it’s love. And right now, witnessing Shane’s pain feels as if someone’s stabbing me, puncturing my heart with a million wounds.

Erasing the distance between us, I take his face into my hands, then use my thumb to wipe away his tear. “You could never lose me, Shane, because this is not temporary.”

He leans closer, grazing his lips on mine, then halting at the last second. “I think I’m gonna kiss you now.”

With a playful eye roll, I smile. “Thank God. You’ve become so damn chatty.”

He smiles for half a second, pure joy pouring out of him, then his lips are against mine. I don’t know how they can possibly feel even better than before, but they do. My hand buries into his hair just as he cups my thighs and pulls me up. Once my legs are wrapped around him, he groans against my mouth. “I love you sofuckingmuch.”

“Say it again,” I demand, staring deeply into his eyes.

“I love you, Heaven.”

Tears spill out. “Say it ag—”

His tongue spears into my mouth with the same hunger I feel, then he steps to the right until my body is pressed between him and the bricked wall. “Your turn,” he says, using his thumb to dry up my tears. “I’ve waited long enough.”

“I love you, Shane,” I breathe. My heart’s exploding, I’m pretty sure. “I love you.”

When he bursts into something between tears and chuckles, I quickly follow. We kiss, again and again, tasting each other’s lips in every way possible, mumbling “I love yous” as if they’re the most natural words in the world.

Once again, chocolate is all I can feel, smell, taste. Chocolate all around.

My advice?

It’s the best dessert for stressed people.

Two Years Later

“Hey.”Shane’s voice caresses my ear, his nose gently nudging my neck. “Wake up, sleepyhead.”

“Leave me alone,” I moan, pushing his face away. “Lunatic.”

As he moves some hair off my face, I feel the vibration of his chuckle against my cheek. “That’s what you say every morning. And every morning you text me all pissed off because I didn’t wake you up before leaving.”

I know he’s right, but at this exact moment, my pillow is too comfortable for me to listen to anything he’s saying.

“Okay. I tried.”

His lips peck the corner of my mouth, and as he’s about to retreat, I grasp onto his shoulders. “I’m up. I’m up,” I grouch. “What time is it?”

“Four a.m.”

I groan, opening my eyes. He looks impeccable in his black coat and his rested smile,though ourTerminatormarathon kept us up until late last night. How does he never look tired? “C-3PO has nothing on you, you robot.”

He kisses my nose, then my lips. “I’m really late.”