“Yes . . .”

I moan out the word, and Smith bites down lightly on the space where my neck and shoulder meet. And that’s all it takes. My climax seizes me like some kind of otherworldly experience, forcing my body into a state of what can only be compared to weightlessness. Everything feels suspended in that one moment of pure, unadulterated bliss. It’s all the more sweet, more powerful as I feel Smith shudder against me, finishing deep within me as my body just begins to land back on earth.

For a long moment, the only sound is the breathing between us, harmonious in its own way—despite the fact that we both sound like we’ve run a marathon. After a few more second, Smith props himself up and grins down at me.

“Good?”

I sort of smirk at him. “Uh, yeah. You could say that.”

He rolls over onto his side and pulls me into the crook of his arm. We both look up at the ceiling, and I revel in how warm and comforting his skin feels against mine. Slowly, I close my eyes. I can’t remember the last time I felt this content. This complete.

“Hyacinth?”

“Hmm?”

“Can I tell you something?”

I yawn, then nod, still not opening my eyes. “Sure.”

Smith is still for a moment, then he starts stroking my hair with one hand.

“I think I’m falling in love with you.”

I pull back to look up at him. “You are?”

He nods at first, then frowns.

“Actually—no. I’m sorry. That’s a lie.”

I bolt upright.

“Are you kidding me? Who in the fucking hell tells a girl something like that, then takes it back?”

He grins and tugs on my arm.

“Come back here—let me finish.”

I narrow my eyes. “No.”

“Come on, Cyn.” He runs a hand up and down my arm. When I don’t budge, he sighs.

“What I was going to say is I’m not falling in love with you—I’m already there. The falling has already occurred.”

I blink at him, then slowly lower myself until our eyes are almost mirror images.

“You love me?” I ask. He nods.

“Yeah. I do.”

I smile. “Even when I drink too much and fall on my face?”

“Even then.”

“Even when I get stressed and act like a lunatic?”

“Even then.”

“Even when I—”

“Let me stop you right there,” he says, pressing a finger to my lips. “I love you—all of you. The crazy parts, the sweet parts, the angry parts, the brilliant parts. All of you. All of me loves all of you.”

I tilt my head and press a kiss to the pad of his finger before lowering it from my mouth.

“Well, that’s good.”

Smith cocks an eyebrow. “Yeah? Why’s that?”

“Because,” I say softly, leaning in to brush my lips against his, “I love you, too.”

Smith’s smile is one of my favorite things ever, but the smile he gives me now is in a whole other realm. When he flips me over and cages me with his arms and lowers down to kiss me, I can feel his heart beating hard against my chest and I know mine is doing the same thing.

“So, what should we do now?” He asks, running his lips along my earlobe, then just below to my neck.

I shiver. “We could play a board game. Or cards.”

“Nah.” He shakes his head. “No games.”

I purse my lips. “No games, huh? Does that mean no dress up?”

His eyes widen a bit. “Oh, fuck, please tell me you have some kind of sexy getup you’re going to prance around in for me.”

I laugh. “I was actually thinking more along the lines of your uniform.”

He raises an eyebrow. “Oh, were you now?”

I shrug a little, toying with the edge of the blanket. “I mean, we don’t have to if you don’t want to . . . I just though we could have a little bit of fun.”

He gazes at me and his smile turns wicked.

“Can fun involve handcuffs?”

“I don’t know—have I done something bad?”

Smith leans in to capture my mouth with his, then pulls back and gazes into my eyes.

“Sometimes, Hyacinth, the police get to actually do some good.”

“And I’m the good?”

He grins at me, then leans in until our foreheads are touching again.

“The truth, Hyacinth Hendricks, is that you’re the best thing I’ve ever done in my life.”

Then his hands slide back over my body and his mouth presses against mine, and I spend the rest of the night trying to prove to him that he’s right. That everything good we need in this bed, in this apartment, and between our bodies as we love each other into the night.

***

“To Rainey and Hyacinth!” Carson says.

I raise my glass and clink it against hers before taking a sip of my champagne. She’s grinning at me and her smile is genuine. Even though I feel terrible that she didn’t get to walk across the stage with us today, I think she’s beginning to feel better about delaying graduation.

“Hear, hear!” Dad says, reaching over to squeeze my shoulder. “I can’t believe my princess is actually a college graduate.”

He sniffles a little and Wyatt rolls his eyes. “Come on, Gary. Don’t start the waterworks. “

Dad sort of grumbles something at him, and I shake my head. My cheeks are starting to hurt from smiling so much. I reach for my glass of champagne again just as a hand runs over my bare arm.

“Hey—sorry I’m late.”

I turn to smile at Smith, then tilt my face up for a kiss. He obliges me, but his eyes flicker to my dad first, and he makes it a chaste peck. I pout a little as he sits down in the empty chair next to me.

“What?” he says, shrugging. “It’s your dad. I’m not going to grope you in public.”

But then he reaches under the table and grabs my thigh, letting his hand slide up and under the hem of my skirt.

“At least not so he can see,” he says, lowering his voice.

I clamp a hand down on his and he grins, then slides his hand back down to my knee. I don’t know if I’m thankful or distraught when he does.

“Hey, food’s here,” Carson calls out as the server sets down a large tray of burgers and fries.

It took a little convincing to get Rainey to have our graduation dinner at Dino’s, but once I’d assured her they had champagne, she was all in. Well, okay, technically, it’s sparkling wine and it might be from Detroit or Alabama or something, but it sparkles, and Rainey seems to approve as she downs her second glass.

As we start to eat, I glance around at the table, and my perpetual smile erupts again. Dad and Wyatt are digging into their fries and discussing the merits of microbrews. Carson is giggling at Rainey for taking apart her burger and putting it back together in some kind of arbitrary order she made up. Wyatt hasn’t said all that much to Carson tonight, but she told me he’d called her and set up a tutoring session for next week. Guess that means he got over his hang-ups—or at least decided to ignore them.

“I’m so proud of you,” Dad says then, giving me a wide smile. He shakes his head and looks over at Smith. “And I still can’t believe you’re a cop.”

Smith grins. “Guilty as charged—no pun intended.”

Dad chuckles a little. “Is public service a family business, or are you and your brother gluttons for underpaid punishment?”

“Dad,” I hiss. “Don’t be rude!”

But Smith squeezes my shoulder with one arm. “It’s fine—he’s right. And, no, sir—it’s not a family business, but my brother and I have a lot in common. Both of our dads were on the wrong side of the law during our childhood. I guess we’re just trying to even the score.”

Dad nods approvingly, then looks at me. “You got yourself a good one there, Cyn. I’d hang on to him if I were you.”

I can feel my face redden a bit and I look at Smith. His eyes are crinkled at the corners, and, beneath the table, he runs his hand up my thigh again.

“Don’t worry, Dad,” I say. “I intend to hang on to him as long as he’ll let me.”

Smith leans in and brushes his lips along my earlobe.

“Then you better get ready for forever.”