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Sanjay met Jake’s gaze. “What have you fought?”
“I’ve fought against my own nature,” Jake said softly. “Being a wolf shifter, I’ve always had this primal urge to protect people. But you... You’ve been pushing me away since the moment we met. It’s like you’re afraid of me, of us, and I don’t understand why.”
Sanjay looked away, his gaze fixed on the horizon.
“I’ve fought against my pack, Sanjay. I’ve had to fight my way through life. Nothing has ever been easy for me. There’s a lot in my past that I want you to know. Over time, we’ll figure each other out, but that’s not going to happen if you keep pushing me away.” He got up from the steps and moved to stand in front of Sanjay, and then Jake hunkered down. “I know you’re hurting. Let me help you through this.”
Sanjay’s breath caught when Jake took his hands. “You are the most important person to me,” Jake said.
Tears welled up in Sanjay’s eyes. “You’re the first person to say that to me.”
Aside from his family.
Sanjay’s heart ached as he looked into Jake’s beautiful eyes. He wanted to believe him, to trust him, but the fear that had taken root inside him was like a stubborn weed that refused to be pulled out.
“I want to trust you, Jake,” Sanjay whispered. “I really do. But my past... It’s not something I can just forget about. It’s always there, lurking in the shadows, ready to pounce at any moment.”
Jake squeezed Sanjay’s hands gently. “I understand that, and I’m not asking you to forget about it. I’m here to help you through it, to be your partner in this journey. But I can’t do that if you keep pushing me away.”
Sanjay took a deep breath, trying to calm his racing thoughts. He knew Jake was right, but the fear was still there, gnawing at him like a relentless enemy.
“I’ll try,” Sanjay finally said. “I can’t promise anything, but I’ll try.”
Jake pulled Sanjay from his chair and enveloped him. Sanjay rested his head against Jake’s chest, sighing in relief as he felt Jake’s strong arms around him, a sense of safety and security surrounding him. He couldn’t believe he was finally allowing himself to open up to someone, but something about Jake made him feel like he could trust him.
“Thank you,” Sanjay murmured into Jake’s chest. “I mean it. I know I’m not the easiest person to deal with, but I want to try.”
Jake pulled back slightly and looked at Sanjay with a warm smile. “I’m glad. And I’m not going anywhere. We’ll face your past together, and I’ll be here every step of the way.”
Sanjay felt a surge of gratitude toward Jake and impulsively leaned in for a kiss. Jake responded eagerly, deepening the kiss as he wrapped his arms around Sanjay again.
When they finally broke apart, Sanjay felt lightheaded and exhilarated. “Wow,” he breathed. “That was...incredible.”
Jake chuckled and brushed a stray lock of hair from Sanjay’s forehead. “I’m glad you think so. But we have more to talk about, and I don’t want to leave you alone tonight.”
Sanjay nodded, still reeling from the intensity of their kiss but also feeling a sense of relief that he had finally taken the first step toward opening up to someone.
Chapter Five
“He’s at it again,” Dario whispered into the phone. “He’s on my front porch, Sanjay.”
“Call the cops,” Sanjay said. “I’m at work and can’t shut down, Dario. You have to call the police to get Trenton away from you.”
“But you know what he’ll do if the cops show up,” Dario said. “He’s very vindictive. He’ll wait until the wee hours of the morning and try to come into my house.”
Sanjay looked around his bakery. He had customers, and one guy was even placing a nice-sized order. There was no way Sanjay could kick everyone out and lock up.
But what Dario was saying was true. Trenton was vindictive as hell. He’d see the police, assume it had been Dario who’d called, and exact some kind of revenge.
“I’m going to call Jake,” Sanjay finally said as he politely smiled at two women who had just stepped to the register. “Pack some stuff. You’ll stay with me tonight. I’ll call you right back.”
“Call me back,” Dario said. “Quickly, Sanjay.”
Sanjay took care of the women and then called Jake.
“Hey, handsome,” Jake said. “I miss you already, too.”
How Sanjay wished it was that kind of call. True, as soon as he’d heard Jake’s voice, his heart melted all over the place, but he promised to call Dario right back.
