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He went still. "What?"
I panicked. I'd said too much and pushed too far. "I mean, when you care, you fight for someone."
"That isn't what you said, Grace."
"I...I..."
"Say it again."
I shook my head, but his grip tightened.
"I'm falling hard for you, Jax. I know it's too soon, and that long-term relationships scare you, but it just happened. I'm—"
I was cut off when his lips dipped to mine. "One more time."
Not saying it didn’t make it any less true. I went for broke. "I love you, Jax."
He closed his eyes and shuddered in my arms. I heard a catch in his voice as he whispered, "I’m falling, too. But it’s not hard and fast.”
My heart gave a leap, but from happiness or discouragement, I wasn’t sure. “It’s okay, Jax. You don’t have to reply the same way. I knew it was too early to tell you. I mean, I know this is all new for you, and I’m just glad you were willing to…”
He was smiling and shaking his head against mine. “Are you done?”
I gave him a sheepish nod.
“I’m not very good with words, so I’m not explaining myself right. Hard and fast would only push me away. Instead, with you, it’s slow and gentle, secure but not restrictive. I’m enjoying the same fall, Grace, so much I’m not sure I ever want to land. I know I'm not very good at it, but if you'll be patient with me, I promise—"
Tears streamed down my face. "You're perfect." And then we were kissing again, sweetly exploring this newly confessed emotion. He lifted me into his arms and started to carry me toward his bedroom.
"Wait," I whispered. "I need my purse." With a puzzled look, he leaned toward the table so that I could pull my phone out of my clutch. I turned it off, then dropped it back on the table. "No cock-blocking tonight."
He laughed. "Good thinking. I hope no one expects to hear from you the rest of the weekend."
He continued into his bedroom where he set me on my feet, his shirt falling from me with the movement. "You're so beautiful," he praised as his eyes slowly moved all over me and then returned to my face. "I’m here, too, Grace. Not perfectly, but completely. And I'm going to spend the rest of the night showing you."
"Then you better get started."
By the time I fell into an exhausted, but satisfied, sleep, I don’t think there was an inch of my body that Jax hadn’t tried to convince.
32
Grace
Faith elbowed me, cutting off my yawn.
“Thanks,” I mumbled, blinking hard and sitting up straight. Jesus, Mary, and Joseph, I could really use a caffeine IV drip!
“You must be exhausted.” She kept her voice low since we were sitting in church waiting for the service to begin. “But for what it’s worth, I thought the carnival yesterday was amazing. Caleb had a fantastic time.”
I smiled. “I’m so glad,” I whispered back.
“It was really sweet of Jax to spend so much time with him and to treat him to so many games and sweets. I can’t
believe Caleb didn’t go home with a tummy ache. He fell asleep before I could even get his teeth brushed.”
Good thing Adam wasn’t in town yesterday or that would have never happened. But I bit my tongue. Faith didn’t need me to point out the obvious.
I’d seen my nephew yesterday while I was working at a booth alongside Micah. I’d been listening to the suddenly vocal preteen ramble on about working in Jax’s office.
