Page 105 of Almost Rotten

It’s not over, as much as I want it to be.

I’m going to have to pry myself out of Tytus’s grasp. It won’t be easy or pretty, but I have to unravel myself from his life if I’m going to be with Mercer and Noah fully. I owe it to them.

Most importantly, I owe it to myself.

“I want to be with you,” I tell him. “And with Mercer. I want the three of us to be together.”

“That’s what I want, too,” he assures, nodding. “From here on out, you’re my girl. Mercer’s, too.” Grinning, he leans over the console to place a kiss on my head. “I don’t need to know any details if you don’t want to talk about it. I just want to be with you. Right here, right now. Today, tomorrow, and all the days to come.”

My heart settles at his easy acceptance.

But then the other shoe drops.

“You do need to talk to Mercer, though. Ideally as soon as we get home. I can’t keep something like this from him, and it’s not fair that he doesn’t know.”

I puff out my cheeks and nod. “I will.”

He grasps my hand and interlaces our fingers once more.

Chapter forty-five

Noah

“This is incredible!” Sawyer shouts over the blast of the horn.

Her fingers are linked in the fencing, the force of the freight train below causing her copper hair to whip around her head.

I’m supposed to be counting cars.

But I can’t take my eyes off her.

She leans back, hanging off the fence, showing off the elegant arch of her throat.

God, I want to kiss her.

It occurs to me in that moment, with the sun shining down on my face, that there’s no reason I can’t act on my urge.

Garnering all my courage, I abandon my post on the opposite side of the bridge.

When my shadow falls over her, a smile blooms on her face.

Funny, that blocking her from the light, taking away the warmth, made her smile even brighter.

Maybe it isn’t always about the sunny days.

Maybe it comes down to who you get to share them with.

Wordlessly, I step in close so the top of her head nearly brushes my chest. Then I weave my fingers in her hair and kiss her, my nose bumping her chin and hers bumping mine.

She laughs into my mouth, the sheer joy emanating from her bringing with it more warmth than the sun could ever provide.

After a few clumsy seconds, we adjust to the angle, and then I kiss her in earnest.

I keep her head steady, supporting her as I press my lips hard against hers. With a little sweep of my tongue, she opens for me.

She welcomes me in, welcomes me home.

As her mouth caresses against mine, the warmth spreads down my back and through my core.