Page 138 of After the Burn

It was beyond rare to see Lucas showing this kind of emotion.

“How bad it would be.”

I stayed quiet.

He looked back at me. “I’ve spent so much time worrying about whether wanting you was wrong that I never really stopped to think about what losing you would do to me.”

My throat tightened. “Lucas…”

“I watched Finley look at Harper, and I knew.” He swallowed. “If I woke up and you were like that…” His voice broke slightly.

I reached for him.

Lucas caught my hand and pressed it against his chest. I could feel his heart pounding. “I’d lose my mind, Taryn.” His thumb moved slowly across my knuckles. “I watched Finley realize Harper was gone, and for one second I imagined you in her place.”

I felt my stomach twist.

“And I couldn’t breathe.” His grip on my hand was so tight it became uncomfortable.

I leaned closer. “Lucas.”

“I know this new world we’re living in doesn’t offer guarantees, and any of us could die tomorrow.” He cupped my face in his hands. “But if it’s you… I’m done.”

CHAPTER TWENTY-SIX

TARYN

“Ilove you, Taryn.”

It was hard to believe that those words had come out of his mouth after everything we’d done and said to each other.

“You don’t have to say it back.” Lucas brushed the hair from my forehead. “I know it seems sudden, but after everything with Harper and Finley, I didn’t want to wait.”

His eyes moved slowly over my face, warm and nearly unbearably tender, as though he was trying to commit every curve and plain to memory.

It made my chest ache, and for once I didn’t have a smart-ass response waiting.

Lucas Rowen had spent months looking at me like I was a headache he couldn’t shake, and now he was looking at me like I was worth keeping.

“I’m afraid you’re going to have to repeat that,” I whispered.

He rained kisses all over my face. “I love you”… kiss… “I love you” … kiss… “I love the fuck out of you”… kiss… kiss.

I grabbed his face and held him still. “I love you too.”

Lucas stared at me in shock.

A smile crossed my face, despite the uncomfortable tightness in my throat. “You really thought you were going to drop that on me and not get one back?”

“With you? I never know what the hell I’m going to get.” He smiled, his face more open than I’d ever seen it before.

“I wouldn’t want you to get bored.” I gently kissed his lips.

Lucas threw his head back and laughed.

“What?” A wide, irrepressible smile spread across my face, and I felt a lightness bubble up inside me.

His laughter, which seemed to go on forever, finally subsided, and he wiped his eyes before drawing me into a deep, lingering kiss, nipping my lip softly. "We’re living in an apocalypse; the dead are walking around trying to eat us.” He bit the side of my neck, then sucked gently.