She spins in my arms and links her hands behind my neck. “I’m pretty mad at you, you know.”
I lean in and kiss her, grinning as I pull away, leading her inside and shutting the door behind us. “Are you?”
She pulls me into the kitchen and hops up on the counter, chuckling as I lay my hands on her knees, pushing her legs apart to crowd between them.
“I am. I sent you the best package in the history of care packages, and then you went radio silent on me after it was delivered. I mean, not even a thank you, J? Disappointing.”
I run my hands slowly up and down her thighs, smiling when she sucks in a breath. “Your New York package was the best present I’ve ever gotten.”
“Ever?” she asks, and I immediately hate the tiny flicker of doubt in her eyes.
I lean in and kiss her softly. “Ever, Jo,” I say against her lips. I pull back so I can look her in the eyes. “You gave me our love story. Every single amazing part of us was in that box, and the second I opened it, all I could think about was getting to you as soon as humanly possible, to tell you I love you. That I’m always going to love you. I was in the car five minutes after I opened the package, and now I’m here. You’re my favorite everything too, Jo Jo, and I’m so sorry it took me so long to find the words to tell you.”
Jo shakes her head, her hands coming up to cup my face. “It doesn’t matter. You’re here now.”
“It does matter. I was scared. Terrified, actually, at the idea of opening myself up to this kind of love, knowing what it feels like to lose it. But the thing I realized last night is nothing is as terrifying as the idea of spending the rest of my life without you. And that’s what I want most of all. To love you as well as I can, for as long as I can. I never expected you, Hurricane, but you found me when I needed you most, and I promise to be my absolute best for you, to give you everything you need, and to never, ever stop telling you how much I love you.”
Jo gives a watery laugh, leaning her forehead against my chest. I lean down and kiss the top of her head, trying to memorize everything about this most perfect moment.
“I quit my job.” Her voice is muffled against my shirt and when she lifts her head she’s beaming. Her gorgeous green eyes sparkle.
“You did what?”
“I never told you, but toward the end of the summer, I got an opportunity to start consulting—to work with museums all over the country to set up the kinds of programs I started here and in New York. I love the Carnegie, but the idea of being able to do what I do on such a massive scale was too exciting of an opportunity to pass up. It involves some travel to the museums I’ll be working with, and there are a bunch of other details that aren’t that interesting, but basically, I’m my own boss now. Hurricane Consultants, LLC.”
I smile even as emotion tightens my chest. “You named your company after the nickname I gave you?”
Jo shrugs as if this isn’t one of the best things I’ve ever heard. “I wanted you to be a part of this piece of my new life.”
I bring my hands to her hips, running them up and down her sides. I can’t stop touching her. I don’t think I’ll ever be able to stop. “Any chance this new life involves you moving in with me? I want…” I pause for a second, swallowing against the bubble of emotion still clogging my chest. “I want you to be with me in every way imaginable, Jo. If you want to stay here, then I’ll come back here too. I don’t care where I am as long as I get to be with you.”
Jo leans forward and kisses me, smiling against my lips. “I didn’t quit my job for you, but the flexibility is a really good side benefit. You’re not coming back here, J. You belong in Boston. It’s your place, and it’s where you were meant to be. If you’ll have me, I want to come with you. I love it there, and I love your family. I don’t care where I am either if I get to be where you are. You need to be there, so I need to be there too. I set up my LLC in Massachusetts.”
“Really?” I ask, the grin spreading over my face.
Jo nods, grinning back at me. “Really. Just doing a little manifesting.”
“Fuck, I love you so much.”
“J, I love you so much right back.”
We grin at each other like idiots, and then we move at the same time. The kiss is wild and free and full of love and the knowledge that whatever we do from here forward, we do together. There is nothing in this world I want more.
“I didn’t tell you the truth about why I haven’t found a place to live yet,” I murmur, running my lips down her jaw, licking at the spot behind her ear, smiling against her skin when she gasps.
“Oh, yeah?” Jo says, a little breathlessly, as my lips continue their journey down her neck where I flick my tongue over her pulse and then over her collarbone and the shoulder bared by her oversized T-shirt.
I tug the T-shirt further down over her shoulder to give me more places to kiss and then slide my hands under the hem, running my fingers slowly back and forth over the waistband of her shorts. “Yeah,” I say, bringing my mouth back to hers for a long, slow kiss before breaking apart and bringing my gaze to hers. “I never really looked all that hard because I didn’t want to do it alone. If I’m going to start a new life, I only want to start it with you. When you’re ready to come to Boston, I want to find a place to live together. I don’t want anything to be just mine. I want everything to be ours.”
Jo smiles, fisting my T-shirt and tugging me closer to her. “That sounds perfect, J. And I’m ready right now.”
I give her a sly smile and slide my hands up her torso, rubbing my thumbs over her nipples and relishing in her sharp intake of breath. “Like, right now, right now?”
Jo crashes her mouth to mine, all teeth and tongues and absolute fire. “I mean, it’s like six-thirty in the morning, so no one is moving states right now, but I can think of all kinds of other things that can be ours right now. Like multiple orgasms right here in this kitchen, and maybe another one or two in my bedroom?”
I laugh, pressing my lips to hers. “You are my absolute favorite human.”
“J, you’re mine too. This is my favorite morning.”
