Like I was finally back to where I was supposed to be all along.
Next to Hunter, cuddled up on his parents’ couch as he lightly traced patterns along my arm.
I’d forgotten how much I enjoyed his light touch and how it sent chills racing all the way from the top of my head and down to my toes.
He stroked his finger along the back of my left arm, and when I shivered with pleasure, he asked, “Is this okay?”
“Yes,” I said, relaxing my head even more against his chest so I could listen to his heartbeat. He drew in a quick breath as my arms went around him, like he hadn’t expected me to pull myself closer. But after a second, he seemed to relax.
At least, anyone looking at him would probably think he was relaxing, but since I could feel his heart beating against my ear, I knew he must be just as highly strung as I was right now.
This wasn’t necessarily brand-new territory: us cuddling on the couch during a movie. But it had been almost a year since we’d allowed something like this to happen, so it felt new.
Exciting.
Right.
Like I was back home after a much too long vacation.
I listened to his heart for a moment, and when it continued to race as fast as mine, I couldn’t keep a smile from my lips.
Because this was happening.
We were together on a date, and he was holding me close again. Holding me like I was his girlfriend and not just a friend.
It was like time had simply held still for the past ten months and we were just now picking things up from where we left off.
And if that was what we were doing—if we were right back to where we’d been before—it also meant there might be a chance I could kiss him again—to press my lips to his and see if he tasted and felt the same as I’d remembered.
He wanted that too, right?
Everyone knew that the only reason you choose to watch a movie you’d both already seen a dozen times was because you really were hoping to do something else.
I just needed one little sign from him, and I could tilt my head back a little and kiss him.
But since I wasn’t sure how he’d feel about me doing that, I tightened my arms around his torso instead and said, “Your heart is beating so fast right now.”
“Yeah?” he asked, his voice low and throaty.
“Yeah.” And just because I didn’t want him to feel like he was alone in having nerves, I added, “Mine is probably beating just as fast.”
“You think so?” he asked.
“Want to feel?” I sat up a little. Taking his hand in mine, I placed his palm on the side of my neck.
He looked at his hand on my neck for a moment, as if surprised to see it there. But then his eyes focused and he seemed to lock in on the tempo of my heartbeat.
“It’s pretty fast, too,” he whispered. He let his fingers slowly trail down my neck, leaving a path of fire where he touched my skin. And when his eyes locked with mine, my whole body swelled with heat because that look was familiar. The look I’d reimagined so many times over the past year—the one I’d been hoping to see tonight.
Because it was the look he used to get right before he kissed me.
“Scarlett, I—” he started to say.
“Yeah?” I licked my lips, anticipation thrumming in my veins.
He slipped his hand farther behind my neck to cradle it, and just when he was tracing his thumb across my jawline, the elevator doors opened and soft footsteps sounded on the floor.
“Crap!”I muttered under my breath right before launching myself to the other end of the couch—the place where someone who was just supposed to be Hunter’s best friend would be sitting.
