Coming Home(84)

Leah hiccupped on another sob, and he ran his hand down her hair again. “When you told me about this at The Cheesecake Factory, I wanted to tell you. I really did. But I wasn’t sure it was still there, or if it was still in one piece, and I just wanted to make sure before I got your hopes up. I went down to Gram’s and brought it up here while you were at the wedding this weekend.”

Leah stared at her hand resting in the imprint of her mother’s, and she said the only thing she could think of to say, even though it didn’t come close to expressing what she was feeling.

“Thank you,” she whispered as two more tears rolled over her cheeks.

“You’re welcome,” he said, his voice soft, and then she felt him press his lips to her temple before he stood. “I’ll bring this up to you whenever you want it.”

Leah sat there for another few minutes, letting her fingers meander over every dip, every bump, every line. Danny stood behind her, allowing her the silence and time she needed.

Finally she stood, turning to look at him for the first time, and his eyes met hers as he ran the backs of his fingers over her cheek, wiping away the remnants of her tears.

“Are you ready to go back upstairs?”

She nodded, and he held his hand out for her to take. “It’s gonna be really dark out there again because your eyes are used to the light. Just hold my hand. We’ll walk quick, okay?”

She nodded again, and he clasped her hand before he reached above them and pulled the string, submerging them in darkness. They walked the few steps out into the hall, and Leah stood behind him, holding his hand in both of hers as he locked the storage unit before they made their way back toward the elevator.

They rode the entire way back up to Danny’s floor in silence, but the air between them seemed to sizzle and crackle with electricity. She kept sneaking fleeting glances at him, wondering if he could feel it—the current in the air that made every hair on her body stand on end. By the time the doors opened, her heart was racing, and she was struggling to keep her breathing even.

They walked to his door in silence, and she stood behind him as he fumbled awkwardly with his keys. She heard him inhale slowly, and she reached forward, bringing her hands to the sides of his waist as she pressed her lips to the back of his shoulder.

His head fell forward as the breath left him in a rush, and his hand tightened around his keys for a moment before he lifted his head and opened the door.

Danny tossed the keys onto the entryway table as he walked briskly into his apartment, and Leah took a step inside and closed the door softly behind her, leaning back against it with her eyes trained on him. He was standing a few feet ahead of her, his back to her and his head down.

“Danny,” she said gently, and his shoulders rose with a slow breath before he lifted his head, turning to face her.

They stood there, motionless, both staring at the other.

And then he moved.

With three long strides, he was suddenly in front of her, grabbing her face as he crashed his mouth to hers.

Leah’s hands slid up under his arms, gripping the backs of his shoulders and pulling him against her as her heart thundered in her chest.

It was like their first kiss all over again; the second his lips touched hers, a thousand butterflies exploded in her stomach, sending searing tingles down her spine and across her skin.

His hands left her face as he wrapped his arms around her waist, hoisting her up and causing their lips to break contact, and Leah wrapped her legs around his hips as he buried his face against the side of her neck.

“Leah,” he said roughly, pressing her back against the door before kissing the skin just below her ear, and she tilted her head to the side, giving him better access.