Page 169 of Until August

I grinned. “Girl of my dreams.”

“Is it too late for us?” She clamped her lip between her teeth and looked at me with those big brown eyes swimming with uncertainty.

Was it too late?

She’d set me free to go and live a life without her. The problem was that I was still too hung up on her to move on with someone new.

But now that she was standing in front of me asking for the very thing I’d been hoping to hear for almost an entire year, I wanted to make sure this was whatshewanted.

Not looking to get my heart broken again. Not looking to go down this road again, only for her to turn around and tell me our timing was still off. “I don’t think it’s ever too late. The question is… is it too soon?”

“I wouldn’t be here if I wasn’t ready. I would have stayed away if I didn’t think I could be everything you need.” She wrung her hands. “I know I don’t have a right to ask, but… will you give me another chance?”

I’d never been sure if Nicola would come to me when she was ready. But in the back of my mind, I’d always held out the hope that she would.

Love is only for the brave. Or the very foolish. Turns out I was both.

“Well, I don’t know. That depends.”

“Oh.” Her face dropped. “On what?”

I paused. “I sure as hell hope you brought a boombox. I don’t want you to think I’m easy.”

She laughed. “You’re expecting a grand gesture?”

“Are you saying I’m not worth it?” I pretended to be offended.

“Hmm. Good point. I brought you a gift.” She reached into her bag and came out with an enormous bag of pistachios. “I splurged on the ten-pound bag. And as you know, they’re worth their weight in gold.”

“So are you, baby. So are you.” I took them from her and set them on a bar stool to free up our hands. “And the answer to your question is yes. Hell, yes.”

Her eyes widened in surprise as if she’d expected a different answer. She grinned, and then her smile fell. “Do you think it can really be this easy?”

“You call this easy? It’s been hell. I’ve waited seventeen years for this day.”

“Pfft. Liar. You weren’t waiting seventeen years.” She cocked a hip and planted her hand on it. Her gaze flitted over my face and then roamed down my body. “For someone who supposedly went through hell, why do you look so good?” Her eyes narrowed in suspicion as if she was annoyed that I looked good.

I returned the favor and let my eyes roam over her from head to toe in a leisurely descent before returning to her face. “I could ask you the same question.”

She grinned. “You think I look good?”

“I think you look like someone who needs to be kissed.”

“Oh, God, I really do. I need it so badly.”

I grabbed the back of her head and pulled her against me. Our lips crashed like a thunderstorm. Boom.

She tasted like lemonade laced with honey. A little bit tart, a little bit sweet.

She tasted like sunshine and hope and promise.

“Welcome home, Honey Bun,” I murmured against her lips as my hands roamed over her curves.

A sigh escaped her lips. “It’s so good to be home,” she said, digging her fingers into my hair as my tongue delved into her mouth, and we tried to touch each other everywhere at once.

For the first time since we’d met, I knew we’d finally gotten the timing exactly right.

This time I wouldn’t settle for anything less.