Always and Forever

Chapter 17

LIAM

She looked up at me in surprise, but I just grinned at her, then helped her back into the car. This time, there was no making out—just snuggling together as we rode to our next destination.

"The CN Tower?" she asked as we got out once the car stopped. "I haven't been here in years. High school, I think, on a class trip."

I nodded as I took her hand and walked inside with her. "Same for me. Grade 12. My girlfriend at the time, Isabella, kept trying to whisk me off to unoccupied corners to make out, but it was impossible. The place is round! Not a lot of corners. Plus, it was packed with students, so there was no unoccupied space."

I could feel Hannah tense up a little beside me as I paid the entry fee, but her face was carefully neutral when I glanced over at her. "Must've been pretty disappointing. I imagine it's quite romantic to kiss someone with the backdrop of the entire city behind you." Her voice sounded a tiny bit stiff, though I could tell she was trying to sound nonchalant.

Was she jealous? I couldn't help but smile at the thought. For some reason, I really liked the idea of a possessive Hannah, fighting for what was hers, even though we both knew I was hers through and through.

She did know I was hers, right?

I stopped and turned to her as we waited for the elevator. She had trouble meeting my eyes again, but I did see flashes of fire in hers as they bounced around, looking at me and then away and then back at me again. I hooked a finger under her chin and raised it, and she finally met my gaze, clearly struggling to keep it steady, though that fire was still there. She tried to hide it, but I could see it.

"I may have been disappointed at the time, but suddenly, I'm glad teenage me never got the chance to kiss anyone up there," I murmured, leaning closer to her. She licked her lips as she waited for me to continue, making it almost impossible to keep myself from capturing them with my own. I would never tire of kissing her. "Because now I get to do it with the only one who's ever mattered."

Her eyes softened, and she melted right in front of me. I only had a moment to appreciate being the one with the ability to put that look on her face before she suddenly threw her arms around me and kissed me. Hard. I chuckled against her lips and kissed her back, wrapping my arms tightly around her and pulling her in as close to me as she could get.

"Sorry," she said when she finally pulled away. She blushed as she gave me a sheepish smile. "I just didn't like the idea of someone else kissing you, even in the past, and then you said the most romantic thing, and I just couldn't help myself."

The elevator doors opened, and I was forced to pull away from her so we could step on, along with a handful of other people. I held her hand, holding her close to me as the attendant spouted facts about the tower in a high, perky voice. Most people watched out the window as we rapidly ascended the tower, but Hannah kept her gaze averted, her hold on my hand tightening more and more the higher we got. Was she afraid of heights? I wrapped my arm around her shoulders and pulled her close, feeling a sudden need to protect her, ease her worry, even though we were perfectly safe.

As soon as the doors opened, we stepped off, and I led her to an unoccupied spot a little down the hallway. Then I pulled her back into my arms so we could finish our conversation.

"First of all, never apologize for kissing me," I told her with a smile, leaning in and pressing my lips to hers once more. "Secondly, you'll never have to worry about me kissing anyone else ever again. These are yours to do with as you wish." I tapped my lips with my finger and smirked a little at her.

She blushed as her mind went to the same place mine had gone, and then I watched as she visibly screwed up the courage to speak. "I can think of a thing or two that you can do with them," she said boldly, her eyes connecting with mine.