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“We should probably say goodnight.”
Julia could feel the vibration of Donny’s murmur against her temple, his hands shaking slightly as he gripped her fingers between their chests.
He was close. The warmth of his blue jacket seeped through her fingers, her heartbeat pounding hard against her ribcage as she ghosted her fingers over the material. Hesitantly, Julia nodded, braving herself to look up and meet Donny's gaze. His brown eyes enveloped her, wide and vulnerable as his lips twitched, dangerously close to hers.
“Good night.” The words stuck in her dry throat, coming out in a breathless gasp. Julia rocked on her heels, dancing between the ideas of stepping back and pulling him closer.
Donny’s shaking hand remained laced with hers for a split second before stepping back, clearing his throat.
Julia slowly let her hand fall to her side, empty from his touch as Donny left down the corridor, the growing space between them heavy with their confessions.
Closing her hotel door, Julia leaned against it, an intense yearning pounding in her soul as she pressed a shaking hand to her rapidly beating heart. An ache settled within her, different from the pang of grief she had been silently carrying the last few months. An ache to be held, to be kissed and to be loved. She recounted Donny’s small smile after agreeing to go to Sardi’s, stubborn strands from his hair falling over his forehead that she longed to fix; to smooth out the premature wrinkles above his eyes, etched there by nights filled with insomnia.
Before her mind could stop her, Julia’s hand was around the doorknob and yanking the hotel door open. She gasped sharply as she looked up to see Donny standing before her, one hand fisted in his jacket pocket, the other raised slightly in preparation to knock.
They froze, staring at each other.
“Julia.” He whispered it as a prayer, her name on his lips the saving grace to a helpless mortal.
“Donny.” She murmured back, her eyes widening.
Donny looked at her for a long moment, their mixed breathing the only sounds in the still hallway. Without breaking eye contact - as if that would crack the spell - Donny stepped forward, cupping Julia’s face in one hand, slowly tilting his face close to hers until their lips met.
The kiss was soft and revered, washing over Julia as she kissed him back, one hand tugging at the lapels of Donny’s jacket, needing him closer, their bodies pressed close together saving them this one moment in time.
Donny pulled back slightly, confirmation of what was happening in his eyes as Julia gazed softly at him. His eyes, which had seen the worst of humanity, and still looked at her with a devout tenderness and yearning.
Julia kissed him again, a flame birthing itself in her chest, setting her veins afire as her arms wrapped around his neck, her hand cradling his head, her waist tingling from where he tugged her close.
She could taste the martinis he had earlier, could smell his aftershave and hotel soap he used. The starch of his collar was rough under her fingers as she traced it, their hands grasping at each other, grounding each other in the reality they were creating for themselves.
Julia pulled back, breathing heavily as she gasped for air. Leaning forward to kiss him again, Donny hesitated, his hands frozen on her waist and hair. The knowledge of what they had done hung between them, growing in size as his lips ghosted over hers for what seemed like an eternity, finally gathering the strength to step back.
His gaze lingered on her mouth, refusing to meet her eyes as he turned and disappeared down the hallway.
Julia leaned against her door frame for support, tracing a finger over her lips, as if that could either erase or capture what had just happened between them.