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I bite my lip but then decide to just continue bringing up his father to gauge where he’s at emotionally with his father’s death, because last time I saw him he couldn’t handle it. “I really loved Henry. He was like a father to me too, so I understand why you lost it the way you did after he passed. He was pretty amazing.”

“That he was,” Jared says softly as he stares into my eyes. It seems that he has no trouble talking about his dad now.

He sighs. “I was wrong for taking off the way I did, London. I’ve apologized to Mom I don’t know how many times, but I’m so sorry that it took me until recently to tell you that. I loved you so much, and you don’t know how bad I wish that I’d never screwed things up between us. I would say that I wish I could have a second chance to prove to you how much you mean to me and how I would never leave you like I did before, but I know that’s not fair of me to say. You’re with Wes now, and I have to learn to deal with that.”

Tears burn my eyes. “You don’t know how bad I wish that too, but you hurt me so much. I cried for you—still do. You completely wrecked me. Wes and I—it just sort of happened. I was lonely and he was there for me through a really dark period in my life. I never meant for me and Wes—”

He steps to me and presses his index finger to my lips. “Don’t. You don’t have to be sorry for that. I wasn’t there for you, and Wes was. I understand why you gave it a shot with him.”

I stare at him in amazement. This wasn’t the reaction I expected from him. The old Jared would’ve been angry with me no matter how many times I apologized for marrying his brother. This new side of him seems to understand and has compassion for the mistake I made, which only makes me explain how I still feel about him.

“He reminded me so much of you. The things that attracted me to him pushed me away at the same time. Every day I was with him, I thought of you. Being around him reminded me of what I lost with you. Wes knew it—but he loved me anyway. I just couldn’t love him back in the same way—not the way I loved you. You were it for me, and that’s why things were doomed from the start with Wes and me.”

He cups my face. “London . . .”

“Jared.” I can only whisper his name in return before he pulls me in for a kiss.

He doesn’t move too fast. He holds my face in his hands as he presses his mouth to mine. There’s no urgency in his actions. It’s almost as if he’s taking the time to savor every second of this.

He wraps his arms around my waist and pulls me in tighter. “I’ve missed you so much. Can you ever forgive me for leaving you—for that night in the parking lot? For everything? You should hate me, I know that, but I swear to God if you’ll let me, I’ll make it up to you.”

For years I’ve dreamed of him saying this, begging for my forgiveness and promising that he would make it up to me. I know I should hate him and not give in so easy, but I’d be lying if I said I didn’t want this so bad. I still love him, and I need to know that I can trust him again and that his intentions with my heart are pure.

I lean my forehead against his. “God, I want to believe that, but I’m scared. I can’t take you crushing my heart again.”

He squeezes his eyes shut like it pains him to look at me, and then he opens them and pulls back to meet my gaze head-on. “I deserve that. God knows I did you wrong. Please give me a shot. I’ll understand if you guard your heart for a while until I can prove to you that I’m deserving of it.”

Jared cups my face. “You’re my girl, London. There’s no one else but you, and never has been, and I’ll love you until my very last day on this earth.”

I stare into his blue eyes and then touch his bottom lip with my thumb. “I want this with you so much.”

“I want you too, but I want to know that I’m your choice. That you and Wes—that whatever that was between the two of you is over. Finished. I need that peace of mind before we go any further.”

I can see the pleading in his eyes for the permission he needs to claim me as his own again. I bite my bottom lip as I speak the truth out loud. “Wes and I were over before we ever began. It’s you that I love, Jared. It always has been.”

Jared smiles as he grips my hips and lifts me up to the counter with ease before hitching my legs around his waist. “You don’t know how happy that makes me to hear you say that. I swear, I’ll never leave your side again. Not ever.”

I melt into his words. They mean so much to me. I’ve wanted to hear them for so long, and I can’t help but give in to the moment and kiss him with all my might. This, in turn, excites him. Jared’s hands are everywhere, tugging on my clothes in order to get his hands onto my bare skin. When he threads his fingers into my hair, he pulls me deeper into his kiss. This is the ultimate way to make a woman feel desired—to act like you can’t get enough of her and want her so much you can barely stand it. I absolutely love the way it makes me feel.

His hands settle on my hips as he pulls me even closer, pushing himself between my legs. The shorts I’m wearing creep up my thighs and stretch across the skin of my legs. His lips attack mine, and I find myself completely immersed in him.

I adjust my hips and feel the hard cock in his jeans rub up against me. No man has ever been able to arouse me this much. There’s something about Jared that attracts me, and I’m drawn to him no matter what bad shit he’s done. The way he so blatantly wants me—the way he’s laid it all out there on the line—is a complete turn-on.

“God, London, I’ve missed this—us—so much. No other woman holds my heart, never has. Only you,” Jared says. “I’m so sorry for what I’ve done. So sorry.”

He keeps chanting those words softly in my ear, over and over. Every instinct inside me tells me that he means it, which only reignites all the old feelings that I had for him, bringing them all to the forefront in full force.

It’s always been Jared who’s owned my heart. Wes has only been a crutch—someone I used to convince myself that I was over Jared. All those nights lying awake and wondering where Jared was and if he was thinking about me, I’ve finally gotten my answer. He was dreaming of me too.

The heat of his stare overwhelms me as he pulls back and then presses his lips to mine. My panties grow wet, and I’m so turned on by finally being in his arms again that I can’t see straight.

Dear God. I can’t believe he’s gotten even sexier with time.

“I want you so much,” he whispers before kissing the sensitive flesh below my ear. “Tell me you want me too.”

Those words flowing from his lips cause the rational side of my brain to shut down completely and allow my greedy body to take control of my actions.

I grab his face and crush my lips to his. My fingers find their way into his thick, dark hair as I hold him in place while he returns my kiss with such passion that I’m sure my panties are about to ignite.

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