“I hooked up my stereo speakers, finally. Watch.” He took out his phone and tapped the screen a couple of times. Madonna’s Crazy for You started to play.
Evan smirked as he set his phone on the end table. “Remember this song?”
I nodded. “Yes, this is my favorite classic Madonna song. Natalie had the DJ play it at our sixteenth birthday. How did you remember this song?”
Evan gave me a sideways glance. “I remembered guys making a line to dance with you during that song.”
“Oh right, I forgot about that. I can’t remember who started it.”
“Sean.” I laughed at the sour look on his face as he rolled his eyes.
“Really? Oh yeah, I guess he did. I think you were the only boy who didn’t get in line.”
Evan shook his head. “I didn’t want just a minute. I wanted a whole song with you. I didn’t want to just sway back and forth once and hand you off to another guy. When I asked you to dance after that, I had you all to myself. I think I said, ‘Dance with me, birthday girl.’ I put my hand on your back like this.” Evan placed his hand on my lower back and pulled me closer. “I held your hand, like this.” He laced our fingers together and pulled our joined hands to his chest. “And for almost three minutes—you were all mine.” The smoldering look on Evan’s face made my heart skip a beat.
“I should’ve never left your arms that night. Or ever.”
“You’re in my arms now. And I’ll never let you go again.” His lips found my forehead then inched down to my cheeks and over my lips. I nibbled on his bottom lip before he planted kisses down my neck then back up to behind my ear.
Madonna ended, and the beginning chords of an *NSYNC song blasted through the speakers. This I Promise You, the song we did dance to, started to play.
I crinkled my nose at Evan. “You have Madonna and *NSYNC on your phone. Should I be concerned?” I giggled, but Evan’s eyes still seared through me.
“Dance with me.” he whispered. His breath tickled the shell of my ear. I held on tight as my knees turned into jelly.
I closed my eyes and buried my head in his neck as he sang in my ear. Evan’s free hand stayed where it was but mine had a mind of its own. I let my hand drift up his back and then inch down until it rested on his ass. I gazed into his hooded eyes and smiled.
Evan pressed his lips against mine as we kept dancing. “No one told you about personal dance space, I guess.” I shook my head as I darted my tongue across the seam of his lips. Evan grabbed the back of my neck and crashed his lips to mine. We stopped dancing and pulled at each other’s clothes. I dragged his shirt over his head and raked my nails down his back. Evan broke the kiss and clutched my face in his hands.
“You’re sure, Daisy? I don’t want to pressure you.”
“God yes. I thought . . . maybe you didn’t want me anymore.”
Evan’s brow furrowed as he gazed at me. “You’re serious? How could you ever think that?”
I rubbed the back of his wrists and let out a long sigh.
“After all . . . you saw. And how I look now. I was afraid that you . . . didn’t feel the same way. That you didn’t see me the same way.”
Evan chuckled and shook his head. “What I see—is the most beautiful woman I’ve ever known. I see a gorgeous face, a smoking hot body, and toughness that you’re clueless about. Which, I have to say—is sexy as hell.” I smiled as Evan tucked a piece of my hair behind my ear.
“And . . . maybe I don’t see you exactly the same. I knew I was in love with you, but didn’t know how empty my life was without you. And how much I need you to feel alive. But make no mistake.” He wrapped his arms around me and pulled me towards him. I gasped when I felt the hardness against my stomach. “That is how much I still want you. How much I’ll always want you. Never, ever doubt that.”
Evan’s lips went back to my neck as his hands grabbed the hem of my tank top and yanked it over my head. He pulled down my bra straps as he licked his way across my collarbone. I was a whimpering mess when his tongue glided over a rigid nipple, flicking it before he sucked it into his mouth. I grabbed the back of his head as he sucked harder.
“Evan please . . .” He unsnapped my bra and threw it on the couch as he trailed open mouth kisses over my other nipple and down my stomach before settling on his knees. His darkened eyes gazed up at me as he unbuttoned my shorts. After I kicked them off, he grabbed my leg and hooked it over his shoulder.
“I’ve missed you so fucking much. Missed this . . .” He drew his tongue along the inside of my thigh until his mouth landed on my wet and swollen clit. Evan grabbed my hips as my knees buckled.
“Evan please . . . I need you.” He stood and covered my mouth with his. Tasting myself on his lips made me kiss him even harder.
“You have me—anytime, anywhere. Always yours, Daisy.” He lifted me into his arms, our lips still moving as he carried me into our bedroom. Our last night together flashed through my mind, the night I thought I had to let him go and would never be here again. Evan kicked off his jeans and lay me on the bed. We both groaned as he slid inside me.
“Sit up, Evan.” His brow furrowed as he leaned back on the bed. I sat up on my knees as I sank myself down on him. He bit his lip as he leaned forward, burying his head in my chest and grabbing my hips.
“So beautiful.” His hand caressed my cheek as I sank down harder. Sweat dripped off my brow as I moved faster. “So good, Daisy. You feel so fucking good.” He was much deeper this way, and everything inside started to quiver and throb as I came harder than ever before. All the buildup—the sadness, and the longing of the last couple of months—made every move that much more intense.
Evan flipped me over and plowed into me until he found his release. We were still breathless as he rolled to his back and pulled me on top of his chest.
“Now, that was insane makeup sex. Holy shit, Paige.”
I laughed into his neck. “We still got it, after all.”
I propped my head up on my elbow as a satisfied grin spread across my face.
“Of course we do. We get better all the time.” He kissed the top of my head as I cuddled into his side.
“Daisy?”
“Yeah, babe.” He wrapped both his arms around me.
“It’s so good to be home.”
Three months later, everything settled into a gratifying and delightfully boring normal. Evan and I were better than ever, and living together was amazing. He spoiled me every day, and I pretended to fight him. My steroid dose steadily decreased, and it was great to make plans and not wonder if they would fall on a good day or a bad one.
The holidays snuck up on us. It was Christmas, but it sure didn’t feel like it. As I stood in my aunt’s kitchen, cutting cheese to put on her fancy silver tray—just like I did last year—I couldn’t shake the feeling of something missing inside. That something being my smart ass cousin teasing me for most of the night, the way he always did.
A lot had happened between last Christmas Eve and this one. We all tried to put on a happy face for Jack Junior’s sake. It was the first holiday that he was old enough to tear into the huge pile of presents waiting under the tree. I tried not to dwell on the fact his father wasn’t there to share it. Maybe my uncle was right: my dream was real and Jack was always here. My aunt and uncle had an eight-by-ten photo by the tree of Jack holding his baby last Christmas. I still couldn’t look at it without tearing up
“Feels weird, doesn’t it?” Aunt Marie traipsed into the kitchen wiping her hands on her apron. I nodded and gave her a sad smile. “But seeing my grandson makes me happy, and Jack would be mad if we moped around all night, wouldn’t he?” She squeezed my chin and I giggled. “I got the rest of this. Evan could use some help bringing chairs up from the basement, I think. Why don’t you go see if you can give him a hand?”