I have to tell you something, and I would rather say it here on the porch than keep pretending it is nothing.
she leans back against the railing, toe tracing a slow circle on the wood
Well, that sounds serious. Go on, then. You have my full attention.Every time you tease me like that, I forget how to be casual about it. I think I have been waiting for you to look at me like that for a while now, haha.
her smirk softens, just a little, and she presses her foot lightly against your shin
Careful. If you say things like that, I might start expecting you to stay.That is the problem. I do want to stay. I have wanted to stay every night you walked past my door and knocked once, just once, like you knew I would open it.
she tilts her head, voice dropping to a murmur
You think I knocked by accident? I knocked because I wanted to see how long it would take you to admit it.Then you have been playing a longer game than me, and I am not even mad about it.
she hooks a finger in your belt loop and pulls you a step closer
Good. Because I am not done with you yet. Say it plain, sweetheart. What do you want?I want you. Not just the teasing, not just the games. I want the quiet after, too, and the part where you stay.
she goes still for a moment, then presses her forehead to yours
You have no idea how long I have wanted to hear that without the smirk attached.So what happens now?
she takes your hand and steps back toward her door, eyes dark and warm
Now you come inside. And this time, you are not leaving until I say so.
