I gasp against his mouth, and he groans, pulling me closer, his hands sliding over my waist, gripping me tightly like he’s afraid I’ll slip away.
I tilt my head, deepening the kiss, my fingers tangling in his hair. He makes a low, needy sound in the back of his throat, and heat spreads through me like wildfire.
His hands roam, familiar but hungry, learning my body all over again.
I press myself against him, sighing into his mouth as he rolls us over, pinning me beneath him.
I can feel his heartbeat, his love, in every touch, every kiss, every whisper of breath between us.
And this time, when we lose ourselves in each other, it’s not just about need.
It’s about us.
About everything we are.
“I love you,” I whisper, my voice steady. “Not too. Just—I love you. Not because you said it first. Not because I feel like I should. I’m not giving you what I think you want from me.”
I take a breath, feeling his skin warm beneath my palms, his breath uneven against my lips.
“I. Love. You,” I repeat, letting the words sink between us. “Regardless of whether you love me back or not. Although, the fact that you do is—well, great.”
A slow, disbelieving smile spreads across his face.
For a second, he just stares at me, like he’s committing this—me—to memory.
Then he groans, his grip tightening on my waist. “You ruin me,” he mutters, before crashing his lips to mine.
I laugh into the kiss, but it quickly dissolves into something deeper. Somethingmore.
Theo presses me back into the pillows, his body covering mine, his warmth seeping into my skin, his hands roaming like he needs to feel every inch of me.
I sigh into his mouth, fingers twisting into his hair, pulling him closer, wanting all of him.
And then—
Thud.
We both freeze.
Theo pulls back, eyes hazy, lips kiss-swollen. “What was that?”
I blink, momentarily lost, before I glance sideways.
The tub of ice cream.
It’s rolled onto its side on the floor, melting into a sad puddle of caramel disaster.
I gasp. “The ice cream!”
Theo groans, dropping his head to my shoulder. “Unbelievable.”
I bite my lip, trying not to laugh as I gently push him off me. “We have to save it.”
He flops onto his back dramatically. “I can’t believe this. I just told you I love you and now you’re abandoning me for ice cream.”
I grab the tub, inspecting the damage. “You knew who I was when you got into this relationship.”
Theo turns his head, watching me with amusement as I pluck the spoon from the sheets and scoop up a bite before shoving it into my mouth.
