Page 91 of Escape

While she seemed excited now, I had the events from the middle of the night lingering in the back of my mind. For that reason, I wanted to be sure Josie knew that if anything happened, or if she simply needed reassurance, all she had to do was call me.

“Not that I don’t enjoy talking to you, but I’m hoping I don’t need to call you,” she said.

Returning her smile, I replied, “Me, too. Just relax, get yourself back into the groove, and enjoy your first day back. And if I don’t hear from you before then, I’ll be here at four o’clock to pick you up at the end of your shift.”

“Are you sure you don’t mind doing that? I feel bad that you’re going to be leaving work early.”

“Honey, I love my job and doing what I do to help people there, but you are my number one priority, so no, I don’t mind leaving work early,” I assured her.

Somehow, she seemed to melt deeper into me, her mouth coming close to mine. “You make me feel so lucky.”

My hands were resting on her hips, and with her pressing in like she was, I had to admit I was struggling not to get turned on. “You do the same for me.”

“Do you really mean that?” she asked.

“Why would I make it up?”

She shrugged. “I don’t know. I guess I’m still trying to come to grips with the fact that I can give you the same feeling you give me.”

“I don’t know why that is. Do you not know just how incredible you are?”

She shook her head slightly. “Now I’m wishing I didn’t have to go in to work, so I could stand here and have you tell me what makes that so. But I guess I’ll have to wait until another time.”

I could tell by her tone that Josie was simply teasing and being playful. Sure, she might have had some questions she wanted to ask to clarify how I felt, but it was safe to say she’d reached a point with me that led to her taking my word as the truth.

“I’ll tell you everything you want to know later,” I promised. “How about you use these last thirty seconds you have with me to kiss me? This is my first day having to spend hours away from you, so I’m going to need something to last me.

She beamed at me, the smile lighting up her beautiful face. “I can totally do that.”

God, I loved it.

I loved seeing her so happy. After having watched her for so long when we were in high school and after several weeks of being so beaten down and broken, any time she allowed me to see this side of her, I always wanted more.

As content as I would have been to stand here all morning and afternoon looking at her just like that, I didn’t have the chance to even get started. Because no sooner had I taken that look in, she touched her lips to mine.

Then it was a matter of seconds before I forgot about how she looked and focused on the way she tasted.

One of my hands drifted up her back and into her hair, while the other gripped her hip firmly. I didn’t trust myself to allow that hand to roam. I’d been trying to do right by Josie, and although she seemed more than content to kiss and cuddle, she hadn’t indicated she was okay with anything beyond that. The last thing I needed to do was put myself in a position to be even more worked up than I already was. So, until she gave me the signal, I was going to do my best to hold myself back. And given how much I enjoyed kissing her, it wasn’t as though I felt like I was missing out.

When the time was right, I knew things would happen for us.

When Josie pulled her mouth from mine, she asked, “How was that? Do you think you’ll make it until later?”

“It’s going to be a struggle, but I’m going to do my best,” I asserted.

She let out a laugh. “You’re crazy. It’s only going to be a few hours. I’m sure time is going to fly by for both of us today.”

“I hope you’re right.”

“I am.”

She said those two words with such confidence, I had no choice but to believe her. With that, I pressed a chaste kiss to her cheek and whispered, “Have a great day today, honey.”

“Thanks, Huck. I hope your day is just as wonderful.”

“You want me to walk you inside?” I asked.

She shook her head. “No. As much as I love that you offered and the sentiment behind it, I think I should do this on my own.”