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I nod, letting his words hammer into me. “You’re right. Fuck him.”
He chuckles and slides his fingers through my hair, rubbing them against my scalp. “Look at my shy little princess, growing fangs.”
I look up, a bitter part of me expecting his expression to turn mocking. But there’s only light teasing in those blue eyes of his, telling me he’d never mock me… and that he’d hurt anyone who did.
Or am I imagining, wishing for that last part?
A sudden whim takes me, and I bare my teeth. “Be careful what you wish for. I might go completely feral.”
His expression brims with interest, as though I’m never going to stop fascinating him. “Do you think that’s a bad thing? I can’t wait for feral Jessie.”
Here we go again, talking about the future as though we’re going to share one.
But what if he’s just a man trying to get into a virgin’s pants? What if he’s only saying this stuff because he wants to sleep with me and, after, he’s going to forget I exist?
No, no, no.
The response is violent, coming from that place deep inside of me, telling me Jaxon – my Jaxon – would never do that.
That makes me downright crazy. If I told him about all these thoughts swirling in my mind, he’d stop hugging me straightaway. He’d probably back up to the door with his hands raised, as though he’d just found himself in a cage with a certified psychopath.
“Are you ready for our date?” he asks.
I step back, waving a hand down at my work outfit. “I’m not exactly dressed glamorously.”
“I think you look amazing,” he snarls. “I think you’d look amazing no matter what you wear.”
I smile. I can’t help it. The compliment just lights me up.
“And we’re not going far if you’re worried about anybody else seeing you.”
“No? Where are we going?”
He takes my hands, his thumb stroking over my knuckles.
I can’t help but think the way we’re standing – hand in hand like this – is how it will feel when we’re beneath the altar, speaking vows that will bond us for life.
“Tell me if I’m crazy,” he says. “But earlier, on the roof, when we just held each other… Hell, Jessie, I’m not good with talking about my feelings. But it felt like it meant something.”
“It did,” I say urgently, needing him to know I feel the same. “It one hundred percent did, Jax.”
His eyes twinkle, his lips twitch, and his hands squeeze tighter onto mine. “Then I think you know where we’re going.”
Chapter Sixteen
Jaxon
I keep my attention on Jessie as we ride the elevator up toward the roof, uncharacteristic nerves bubbling up inside of me. I never get like this anymore. When it comes to business, even with the physical store initiative, the stakes never felt so high as where my angel is concerned.
She glances at me, her hair freed and wavy around her shoulders, her eyes so captivating that part of me is tempted to stop the elevator and simply stare at her instead.
Then the doors open with a ding, showing the rooftop.
“Oh my…”
She walks in front of me, looking left then right, right then left, as though she wants to take in as much of the scene as possible.
I step out after her, the nerves fading away, replaced with an all-consuming warmth. I almost blurt it all out, how I’m going to claim her, how I’m going to destroy any other man who even tries to touch her.
During the workday, I had the roof transformed into a gorgeous scene for our date.
Rose petals – thousands and thousands of petals – cover the ground, every inch of it. They’ve installed red lights beneath the petals, making it seem like the ground is glowing. A path has been cleared, leading up to a table that sits at the edge of the roof, overlooking the city. A candle flickers in the light breeze on the table, and dozens more are dotted around the rooftop, winking at us.
She turns to me. For a second I think she doesn’t like it. Her lips are twisted and her eyes are shining, but then she lets out a jagged sob, one I can read easily.
Because of course, I can. She’s my woman.
It’s a sob filled with relief and warmth and love…
No, don’t think that.
I can't even let myself think of the L-word before I’ve told her my intentions. Before I’ve shared the whole universe of lust inside of me. Assuming she doesn’t run for the hills, then I’ll revisit that word. The word that is causing my tongue to ache with the need to say it out loud.
“Do you like it?” I ask.
She nods as she strides over to me, staring up at me with glimmering tears. “I love it. I love it so much.”
Falling against me, she buries her face in my chest and begins to weep. Happy tears come at first, but then the quality of her sobs change.
