“Care if I join you?” I ask.
Offering me the leash, he sways it back and forth a few inches from my nose. “Only if you’re not too exhausted.”
I kiss Nala’s forehead one more time, clip the leash onto her collar, and stand. “Nope. I’m good to go. Let’s get you outside, Li’l’ Miss.”
Before I have a chance to head toward the elevator, Henry’s hands wrap around my waist, and he tugs me into him.
“Whoa.” I loop the leash onto my wrist and slide my hands along his chest. “Hey, there.”
“Tell me you’re okay if I kiss you.”
“I’m okay if you kiss––”
His lips are on mine in an instant, and I laugh against his mouth, kissing him back. My endorphins spike from the intimacy, but it feels nice. Natural. Easy almost. And relationships have never been easy for me.
When he finally pulls away, I’m sporting a dopey grin as I ask, “What was that for?”
“Missed you,” he murmurs.
“I was gone for what? Two hours?”
“Still missed you.”
Caught between surprise and a strange sense of ease, I stare back at the man in front of me, unsure what to think.
We haven’t had a chance to talk about our encounter in Ohio yet. After our shower sex, he carried me to bed, and we spooned all night. The next morning was a blur thanks to our early flight, and I rushed to my meeting after we landed.
Which leaves us…where exactly?
I’m not sure.
And it’s weird. Being openly intimate without the guise of friends with benefits. It’s weird listening to someone express their feelings or even expressing my own when I’m used to bottling them up. But the truth is, even if it is weird, I like how he missed me. How he can tell me he missed me. How, apparently, we aren’t hiding behind said bullshit guise of friendship anymore. Not after my encounter with Shorty. Not after Henry promised he wouldn’t let me down if I dared to open up to him.
I like this. Having him at my apartment when I get home. Watching him interact with Nala without making me feel like a burden. Having his lips pressed against mine in the middle of a hallway where anyone can see us.
“Is it bad I missed you?” he asks carefully after pulling away.
I shake my head. “Not at all. I was thinking how much I missed you too.”
With a soft, satisfied smile, he closes my apartment door behind him. “Good.”
“How was your meeting?” he asks as we step into the elevator.
I shrug. “Fine. I have a shift tonight, which kind of sucks.”
“You know you don’t have to work at SeaBird anymore, right?”
“Yes, Professor. I’m well aware.”
“All right. Just making sure.”
“Mm-hmm,” I hum. When we reach the main floor, the doors slide open, and I ask, “Any chance you’d wanna babysit Nala tonight?”
“Does it mean I get to see you after your shift?” He grabs my hand and laces our fingers together like it’s the most natural thing in the world. Like he’s been wanting to do it for weeks and is taking full advantage since I’m not pushing him away. I stare at our entwined hands, unsure what to make of the gesture and how perfectly they fit together.
When he catches me studying them, he asks, “Are you okay?”
My eyes snap to his. “Never pegged you for a hand-holding kind of guy.”
“Only with you.” He lifts our hands and kisses the back of mine. “Do you have a thing against hand-holding?”
“Honestly, I’m not sure,” I admit. “But I don’t think so.”
“You don’t think?”
Ignoring the way my cheeks heat, I mutter, “It’s kind of a first.”
His chin dips in understanding. “Well, if you change your mind and decide you’re not a hand-holder, let me know. For now, I’m going to enjoy it.” He kisses the back of my hand again, guiding us toward the exit and continuing our conversation like I didn’t have a minor––and very random––existential crisis in the middle of the elevator.
“I’ll order pizza, so you have food by the time you finish your shift,” he continues.
“You don’t have to––”
“Humor me, Mia.”
I hesitate near the entrance to keep from tripping over myself as Nala tugs at her leash. But seriously. Who is this guy? I mean, Henry’s always thoughtful and has a way of putting me first. But this Henry is even more swoony than friends-with-benefits Henry, and I’m not sure how to handle it. Honestly, I didn’t even think it was possible.
“Are you craving something other than pizza?” he asks when I’ve been quiet for too long.
“No, pizza’s fine. It’s…”
“It’s what?”
“It’s really thoughtful of you.”
“I’m a very thoughtful guy,” he agrees, and I laugh.
“I’ve noticed. And I’m sorry if I’m acting weird. I’m trying to connect friend Henry and”––I wave my hand at him––“this one.”
“I’m still the same Henry, Mia. Only, I’m not holding back anymore. If I want to kiss you, I’m going to kiss you. If I want to hold your hand, I’m going to hold your hand. If I want to buy you dinner, I’m going to buy you dinner. Is that a problem for you?”
I shake my head. “No problem.”
“Good.”
Nala leads the way as Henry opens the door for me, bypassing David at the main entrance, and I step over the threshold with the same dopey grin making my cheeks hurt. It happens a lot when I’m around him.
So. Damn. Thoughtful.
The air is turning cooler now. Summer is long gone, and autumn is upon us. But I’ve always liked autumn. The boots. The sweaters. The scarves. The fallen leaves crunching beneath said boots. And pumpkin spice everything.
My mouth lifts as we walk down the sidewalk. Henry asks, “What are you thinking about?”
I glance at him and smile wider. “Pumpkin spice.”
His brow lifts. “You like the stuff?”
“You don’t?”
“Never pegged you for being trendy.”
“Pumpkin spice is trendy?” I question.
The guy looks at me like I must be an idiot for even asking and replies, “Very.”
“Is there something wrong with being trendy?”
He shakes his head and takes the leash from me, allowing Nala to walk on the grass as we continue moseying down the pathway side by side. “Not at all. You continue to surprise me, Mia Rutherford.”
“To be fair, Ash is the one who got me hooked on the stuff,” I inform him.
“Ah, that makes more sense.” He nods knowingly. “She seems like someone who would be a big fan of pumpkin spice and everything nice.”
I laugh under my breath and give him a nod. “Sounds about right.”
“How did you two meet?”
“Both of us saw an advertisement for a townhome near campus our freshman year and jumped on it. When we first met, I was sure we couldn’t be more different if we tried. I thought she was a Goody Two-shoes, and she thought I was going to throw parties and get shitfaced every weekend, which would prevent her from keeping up with her scholarships. However, we took the time to get to know each other, and what do you know? We wound up being two peas in a pod.”