“How are we supposed to breathe until we know if he’s going to take her from us?” Lizzie asked.
“We have to keep it together for our daughter,” Jared said. “Let’s focus only on her, like we always do.”
“I’m so scared.”
“I know, honey. I am, too.”
* * *
By the time Morgan knocked on her door shortly after seven o’clock, Sierra was about to spontaneously combust from excitement. She couldn’t recall the last time she’d been so amped up for anything as she was to see him after the long day apart. And while a tiny voice inside her head said to slow her roll and chill the hell out, she couldn’t seem to make that happen when he came through the door, smiling and obviously as happy to see her as she was to see him.
Then he wrapped his arms around her and kissed her, and her knees went weak under her. Only his tight hold on her kept her standing as he kissed her face right off.
“Mmm,” he said when he finally came up for air. “I’ve been looking forward to that all day.”
“Me, too. Was it a particularly long day, or did it just seem like it?”
“It was endless, but it just got a whole lot better.” He nuzzled her neck. “What do you feel like doing tonight?”
“I, um, my brain is currently scrambled, and I have no coherent thoughts.”
His low rumble of laughter against her neck made her shiver from the sensations that rippled through her.
“Do you want to go out?”
“I heard there’s good live music at the Wayfarer tonight.”
“That sounds fun. Should we go check it out?”
“I mean, we could, but we could also stay right here.”
“I don’t want you to think that’s all I want.”
“What if it’s all I want?”
He pulled back to look at her, seeming alarmed. “Is it?”
“No, not at all, which is terrifying, actually.”
“How come?”
“Things are unsettled for you right now, but I’m very, very settled, and, well… That’s kind of scary.”
“How about we go have some dinner, enjoy some music, talk about this stuff and come back here later?”
“That sounds good. I’m starving.”
“Me, too.”
“Let’s get to it, then.” He kissed her again. “To hold me over.”
“Once more should do it.”
He smiled as he brought his lips down on hers for a kiss that quickly turned hot and had her moaning as he ended it minutes later. “If we don’t cut that out, we’ll never go.”
“Fine. Be that way.”
“One of us has to be an adult around here.”
