My Dad's Bestfriend

Chapter 181 Love Is In The Air Again

Evelyn

My heart skipped a beat the moment our lips met, and suddenly, the...world stopped. It stopped totally, completely and utterly.

His lips, his scent, his warmth-I was here, in this moment, with him again. This time, there was no need to restrain myself. No need to hold back, no lingering ache in my chest as I walked away, haunted by the weight of unsaid words and unfulfilled desires. I wouldn't have to endure the days, weeks, or months spent craving his touch, consumed by the thought of him, wondering what it would be like to feel his arms around me once more.

There was no stopping now.

No pullback. No restraint. No obstacles. No judgment. No fear. No pain.

It was just love. Love, all over again.

Jacob's body froze the second our lips touched, as if time itself had stilled for him. But as I kissed him, I could feel him slowly awakening to the moment, his hands sliding around me, pulling me flush against his chest. The heat of his body enveloped mine, and I let out a breath I hadn't realized I was holding. God, I missed this. So much that it hurt to even think about how far we'd drifted apart. And no matter what happened in the uncertain future, I couldn't go back to that emptiness again. I didn't want to be without him—not for another second.

The month we'd spent apart felt like years, each moment slipping through my fingers like sand. I needed him close-every second of every day-if only to make up for the time we'd lost.

I kissed him with the hunger that had been buried deep inside me, fueled by the pain I had suppressed, the desires I had denied myself. Every touch of our lips was a plea for the warmth I had been aching for, the connection I had been deprived of. I kissed him like it was the only thing keeping me alive, and truthfully, I didn't want to stop.

But oxygen had other plans, and I reluctantly pulled away, our heavy breaths filling the silence between us.

His eyes, wide and intense, locked with mine. We were both breathless, as if we had been holding onto something too fragile to name, something that had just come crashing down around us. The wind caught my hair, and it whipped around us, doing the same to his perfectly styled, silky strands.

"Was... was that another goodbye kiss?" he asked, his voice barely steady, his eyes pleading silently-please, don't say yes.

A soft smile curved my lips as I leaned in, pressing a delicate kiss to his swollen lips. My fingers traced his stubble, brushing against the warmth of his skin, as my thumb caressed the lips I'd missed so much. Just as soft as I remembered.

"You're still terrible at reading people," I teased softly, a chuckle escaping me. "That wasn't a goodbye kiss. It was a kiss to stop you from leaving your home." My hand rested on his chest, feeling his heart race under my palm, echoing the wild rhythm of my own. "And it was a kiss to stop my home from leaving me."

the overwhelming relief. He was trying to piece together whether this was reality or some beautiful dream, his lips parted as if he were afraid to breathe too deeply in

a dream." His voice trembled, barely a whisper as he cupped my face, pressing his forehead to mine. His eyes slid closed, and I could hear the ache in his voice,

him wait far too

wasn't going to

dream, Jacob," I whispered, fighting back the tears threatening to spill over. "I want you back. I've wanted you back since the moment I boarded that plane. The second I set foot in America, my heart was already crying out for you, begging me to come back, to forget everything, and run to you before it was too late. No matter how hard I tried, I couldn't get you out of my mind. I couldn't hate you, not even for a second. And as hopeless as it is to realize

hands in mine, squeezing them gently. "I'm

opened his eyes slowly, and the soft smile that spread across his face made my heart flutter. "So... this

against my lips, and without missing a beat, I pulled him in for

me effortlessly, and sat me on the hood of his

it. It was like he was trying to make up for every second we'd spent apart in that one

sending shivers down my spine, "how long I've been waiting for this. For you to come back to me and say I can call

whispered, breathless,

an eyebrow, challenging me, his

"but you'll

"but no other

No more boy

added, his voice serious now. "Even if I piss you off, you'll stick around, beat

smiled, nodding. "Okay.

one kiss every ten minutes for

into laughter, raising my eyebrows in

smoldering, determined look.

"Well-"

still leave for Italy, you know. Probably catch a flight if I head

"So you're blackmailing me now?"

your boy toy all day, making me watch while my heart broke into a thousand pieces." He leaned closer, his lips brushing my ear, voice low and rough So yeah, I think I deserve a little more than what I'm

had a

Italy, he'd apologized for it. He meant it. And yeah, I did pull Cameron into all of this, probably more than I should have. A kiss every