When he stopped and bit his lip, it was so damn adorable she almost dived into his arms, but she forced herself to wait for him to finish.
“But I trust you,” he said huskily. “I trust you, baby. And I need you.”
Her heart soared. “You do?”
He nodded, then stepped closer and stroked her cheek with his callused thumb. His gaze was earnest as it fixed on hers. “I love you, Skyler. I love every goddamn thing about you, and I promise you, if you give me another chance, I’ll show you what I was too afraid to show you before. Me.”
Aw, hell. Her eyes were leaking. She was actually going to cry in the middle of her place of business.
“Dude,” a male voice cracked, “this is some real Jerry Maguire shit over here.”
Gage jabbed a thumb in the direction of the frat booth. “Shut it. I’m trying to win back my girl.”
His girl. God, Skyler didn’t think she’d ever heard more beautiful words.
“Is it working?” Gage asked, turning back to her.
His sheepish expression, combined with the love shining in his eyes, melted away all the hurt and anger and longing she’d been plagued with these past two weeks.
Grinning, she grasped his chin between her hands and said, “You had me at hello.”
A round of groans erupted from the booth, along with several loud remarks all featuring the word “cheesy,” but Skyler was too focused on Gage to care.
The smile that filled his face stole the breath right out of her lungs, and then he was kissing her, those incredible lips brushing over hers before disappearing much too soon.
When she tried to pull him close again, he chuckled and murmured a reminder. “You’re at work.”
Right. She’d totally forgotten. “I get off in an hour. Will you wait for me until I’m done?”
The smile never left his face. “Damn straight.”
When he took a step in the direction of the bar, she grabbed the front of his T-shirt and shot him a stern look. “Two more things.”
Gage waited expectantly.
“One...I love you, too.”
His breath hitched, and the joy that flooded his gaze was the most wondrous thing she’d ever seen.
“And two…” She moved close again, bringing her lips to his ear. “If you think you’re off the hook for breaking up with me, think again, big guy. I plan on punishing you the second we get home.”
Those gray eyes darkened with heat. He shifted his head, his five o’clock shadow scraping her cheek as his mouth slid over hers in another brief kiss. “Yeah?” he said, sounding intrigued. “What kind of punishment can I expect?”
“Sex,” she whispered into his ear. “Lots and lots of sex.”
A seductive chuckle slid out of his mouth. “Bring it on, bad girl. Bring it on.”