to erupt in a fresh bout of cheers and wolf whistles.
Heedless of their audience, Mia sank her fingers into his hair, her tongue parting his lips hungrily as their bodies pressed together.
After an indeterminate number of dreamy, intense, lustful seconds, she felt Josh’s chest rumble with a growl, and he pulled back, panting. “Come on.” Wrapping a protective arm around her, he guided her toward the exit.
People made space for them to pass, clapping, cheering, and slapping Josh on the back along the way. When they reached the gate, he turned and offered a sheepish wave to the crowd before pointing up at the stage and giving his old bandmates a heartfelt salute.
Then he took Mia by the hand and led her away.
Chapter Twenty-Five
They only ended up making it as far as Josh’s truck at the back of the gravel parking lot. That was as long as Mia could stand to wait before she grabbed the front of his shirt and dragged him in for another kiss. His hands cupped the back of her head as his lips caressed hers, his tongue dipping into her mouth with a sweetness that made her knees go weak.
He caught her when she stumbled backward, his arms strong and steady as they held her. Music drifted over to them from the bar as he gazed down at her, his eyes shining bright in the moonlight. “Say it one more time.”
Mia didn’t need to ask what he wanted to hear her say. She smiled up at him, happy to say it as much as he liked. “I love you.”
His mouth curved in that beautiful smile again. “I love you too.”
Something brittle and heavy inside her softened, growing lighter as his words washed over her. They soaked into her pores and flowed through every nerve in her body before finally settling in her chest where they curled around her heart.
Josh lifted an eyebrow, his forehead crinkling slightly. “Is that okay?”
“Better than okay.” She felt like she could fly. Like her feet were hovering a few inches off the ground. She reached up to cup his face, loving the way his frown smoothed out at her touch. “I can’t believe you’re here. I can’t believe you got up on stage like that. How?”
“Andie called me last night. She told me what you said. Is it true? Are you really staying?”
“If I get the job at Bowman, I am.” It wasn’t guaranteed, even if she did have reason to think her chances were excellent.
Josh’s frown came back. “You don’t have to do that. I don’t want you to give anything up for me.”
“I’m not. Not anything I want, anyway. I thought about it a lot while I was home, and I realized this is where I want to be. Here in this town, at this university…” She stroked her thumb over his lower lip. “With you.”
He still looked doubtful. “Are you sure?”
“I haven’t been this sure about anything in a long time.”
His doubt melted away and he kissed her again, so softly and tenderly it felt like Mia’s heart would overflow with everything she felt. When her lip trembled against his, Josh picked her up again, holding her tight. He carried her around to the back of his truck, lowered the tailgate, and set her down on it.
She made a space for him between her knees and wrapped her arms around his waist, pulling him close. Luxuriating in the scent of him. Burrowing into his warmth.
“Mia…” His breath hitched as he cradled her against his chest. “I’m sorry I freaked out on you. You didn’t deserve that.”
Pulling back to look at him, she touched his cheek. “I’m not sure that’s true.” He opened his mouth to argue, but she shook her head. “I’m not always good at expressing what I feel.”
His lips tugged into a smile. “I don’t know, you did pretty well tonight.”
A laugh bubbled out of her. “I guess I did.” She grew serious again. “I don’t ever want to give you reason to doubt me. I want to be someone you can trust, the way I trust you.”
His eyes fell closed and he bent his head, brushing his nose against hers. “You are.”
“I know trust isn’t easy for you. I should have been more mindful of that.”
“That’s not on you.” He pressed his forehead against hers. “Yes, it’s hard for me to trust people after what Kayla did. But what’s even harder is figuring out how to trust myself again after my gut instincts failed