Page 60 of Falling

But I didn’t think I wanted that.

“I have something to show you, actually,” I said. “In the back.”

“Oh?” Booker’s brows shot up. “Well, uh. Lead the way?”

I turned to hide the smile on my face and led him through to the office I barely used, closing the door behind us and then trapping him against it, surging forward for a kiss I’d wanted since the minute I left him this morning.

Booker chuckled into the kiss, resting a hand on the small of my back and letting me take what I wanted.

“That’s very interesting,” he said. “Thank you for showing me.”

“Sorry, there are kids out there,” I said, nodding to the door.

Booker tilted his head. “And you don’t think kids should see…?”

“Oh, no! I just think they’ll make fun of me,” I said. “I’m not as good with them as you are.”

“They can smell fear,” Booker said.

“I believe that. I’m terrified.”

Booker chuckled. “You’re not having your own, then?”

I bit my lip. Were we talking about kids already?

Of course we were. Not our hypothetical kids, but of course Booker was talking about kids. He loved them. He loved taking care of people. Of course he’d want some of his own.

“I always wanted to,” I admitted. “I always fantasized about being a dad. I thought… I mean… I stayed with, umm, Robin, because I thought one day we’d have kids and then everything would be fine because that’d be enough. I always knew she didn’t really like me but I figured no one else would, either. If she didn’t, I mean.”

Booker sighed, then pressed a kiss to my forehead, my nose, and then my mouth. Just a soft, gentle touch of our lips together.

“I like you,” he said.

“I know,” I said. “Between you and me, you’re not doing a great job of hiding it.”

“I don’t mean to,” Booker said, tilting my chin up to kiss me again with the barest hint of tongue, just enough to make me want more. “Now that I know you’re okay with it, I don’t want you to doubt that I like you,” he paused to kiss me again, lingering for a heartbeat. “And I want you,” he added, punctuating it with another kiss. “And I haven’t stopped thinking about you all day.”

If I was supposed to stop myself from kissing him for that, I didn’t know how. All I knew was that when our lips touched, I felt like I was exactly where I was meant to be.

“You been practicing while I wasn’t looking?” Booker teased, pressing a kiss to the tip of my nose.

“Researching,” I said.

“Well, it’s paying off.” Booker ran his fingers through my hair, tucking what I thought was probably an imaginary strand behind my ear. “You’re learning what you like.”

“I like to be kissed,” I said, surprised at my own confidence. Twenty-four hours ago, I didn’t know that.

Now I was so absolutely positive of it that I could’ve gotten it tattooed on my butt. At the risk that I might’ve given a slightly wrong impression about where I liked to be kissed. Although, I hadn’t tried that yet. Maybe it wouldn’t be a wrong impression.

Booker smiled at me and pulled me in for another kiss, indulging me this time, squeezing my hip and letting me lick my way into his mouth. Letting me experiment with what I wanted.

“Wanna know a secret?” Booker asked when I backed off.

I nodded.

“I like kissing you,” he said. The way he smiled at me made me feel like the clouds had parted and the sun had come out and it was going to be a beautiful day.

“That what you came here for?” I asked, beaming up at him.