along. They helped me to my feet, a bit overzealous in their pushing. Since they’d caged me in, they also scooted away chairs and opened a pathway for me to break free.
A light, floaty sensation flooded me as I rushed the stage. I minded the cords, determined not to trip or headbutt him or kick him in the face this time. Archer set down his guitar and jumped from the lifted semi-circle to greet me.
We crashed into a hug, my arms going around his neck as I planted a heated kiss on the lips I’d been missing. My legs went around his waist, his large hands automatically planting against my ass for extra support, just like I knew they would.
“I’m sorry, too,” I said, and he shook his head.
“You have nothing to be sorry for. I’m the one who’s sorry.”
I pulled back and cocked my head. “Are you seriously trying to outdo my sorry? You really want to disagree seconds after making up? Didn’t you promise to declare defeat?”
A slow grin curved his sexy lips, and he didn’t waste any time brushing them over mine. “Are we making up, then?”
I laughed against his mouth and ran my hands along the muscles in his back. “Don’t think I didn’t notice the way you sidestepped my question. But yes.” I ran my tongue along the seam of his mouth, soaking in his scent and his taste and all things Archer. “We’re making up.” I gave him another kiss, keeping it on the shorter side so I could say one last thing before letting myself getting carried away. “And as much as I like the idea of you always yielding to me, we do have to have a few arguments now and again that get ugly enough to require makeup sex.”
Archer lowered his voice and moved his lips right next to his ear, giving the shell enough of a nibble to send goosebumps skating across my skin. “Make up sex? That means tonight…”
“We have a whole lot of making up to do.”
Epilogue
Penny
Before we could get to the R-rated part of the evening, we stopped by the table to talk to Cat, Ellie, and Izzie. There wasn’t a chair for Archer, so we had no choice but to share one. He pulled me onto his lap, and I draped my arm around his neck and made googly-eyes at him, so blissfully happy I didn’t care if we’d landed in sappy territory.
“Aww,” Izzie said, and Ellie nodded her agreement.
Cat stirred her drink with her straw. “I’ll admit that they are pretty cute, if you’re into that whole monogamy thing.”
Izzie crinkled her nose. “Sometimes I wish I wasn’t. Not that I have a lot of experience, but it is a nice idea. Soulmates and meeting that one special someone. As long as there’s not any of that patriarchy bullshit involved. And don’t get me started about this argument I had with a classmate who thought women owed it to the world to have babies. As if we’re just human incubators.”
Intrigue filled the arch of Cat’s eyebrow as she swiveled toward Izzie. “Girl, I think you and I need to get better acquainted.”
Archer’s shoulders tensed beneath my arm, and I did my best not to laugh at the alarm in his features as they launched into a conversation.
I toyed with the ends of his hair and kissed his cheek. “It was bound to happen eventually. My advice is to just let it. When it comes to the courtroom, Catalina’s one badass bitch. But she’s also got a huge heart, is great at finding kindred souls, and will steer Izzie right. Not to mention, she’ll bail her out if she ever finds herself in trouble.”
He relaxed slightly, twisting his head to capture my lips. “That first night I introduced you to Izzie, I was a bit worried about being outnumbered, but since then I’ve learned there are actually some benefits to being outnumbered.”
“Actually?” I shoved his chest before winding my arms around his neck and immediately pulling him back to me. “Honestly, I thought you were overreacting when you claimed that word changed compliments to insults, but I hear it now.”
I kissed the lips I couldn’t stop kissing, and then swung my attention outward to check on Izzie and my friends. With the lights turned up to the typical bright-enough-to-find-your-drink-but-dim-enough-to-facilitate-iffy-decisions, I noticed two giant black Xs on Izzie’s hands.
“Yeah,” Izzie said, twisting her wrist to study the Sharpie. “Archer was super worried one of the bartenders might not