Page 71 of Keep Me Still

The world around us disappears—the people, the planes, all of it, as his eyes widen and he sucks in a breath, taking in my confession. His gasp fills my ears as my heart thuds hard in my chest. I barely have time to blink before I’m lifted swiftly from the ground. Then I’m in his arms, where I belong. Where I’m still. And loved. And safe. I never want to move again. But I have to because they’re paging my seating section to board. His mouth closes in on mine and I open for him, coming to life as he presses his tongue into me.

I’m clinging to him for all I’m worth; writhing so hard against him he chuckles against my mouth as he sets me down gently. “And you definitely want to go to Spain? You’re positive?” he breathes against my forehead.

“I do and I am. Corin’s going to help me work out the details with school and everything.”

I can feel his grinning mouth against my skin. “I love you, Layla Flaherty. But if we’re going to make this flight, I have to go get another ticket. Because I returned mine.”

“Why?” I lean back and look up into his beautiful face. “Why would you do that?”

He tilts his head in the way that always gets me. “I couldn’t go, couldn’t leave you. Not again. Never again.” He reaches out to stroke the left side of my face, near my scar, and my hand meets his.

He couldn’t leave. Not everyone leaves.Now my tears do come, tears of happiness, hard and fast as I throw myself at him once more. I can taste the saltiness of my joy on our lips. “Wait,” I say, forcing myself to break the kiss but not my grip on him as we make our way to the gate to see if he can get his ticket back. “Do you think they have milkshakes in Spain?”