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“I’ve missed you.”
His deep voice resonated inside her, wrapped around her heart with a warmth his presence always offered. She briefly closed her eyes before she turned.
“I fucked up, Jared.”
“Yes, you did but that’s in the past.” His expression didn’t change. “If there’s one thing I learned at a very young age, it’s to let go of what you can’t change and concentrate on the things that are important— those that strengthen the foundations of happiness and success. My past blocked me from opening my heart for too long and allowing love to form. You pushed me over that final hurdle, Paxton.” He swallowed hard; overcome with an emotion she couldn’t identify.
“Did it change how you feel about me?” His voice dropped low, filled with uncertainty. Paxton yearned to hold him close to reassure him but she checked herself, realizing that this moment was crucial in their relationship. He had to make the first move but she knew he wouldn’t do so until the doubts in his mind had been cleared.
“Did what change my feelings? That you’re the boy whose father brutally threw him to the sharks? That same father none other than a Mafia Kingpin of The Commission? That you were born a Boneiro?”
Jared’s gaze remained glued to her while he munched on the muffin she’d handed him.
“It shook me to hear it. Yes, Jared, all of that matters but the only reason it does is because it made you the man you are today. A strong, intelligent man with integrity and a moral compass. A man who would fight with and protect his team. A brother who would give his life for his sister. A lover who revels in giving more pleasure than he takes for himself. A Dom who has such control over me that it leaves me breathless and yearning for more. A man I’m honored to know. A man... with whom I fell in love without consciously realizing it... and yes, I still love you, Jared Bates. Just you. Whatever your birth name was, it doesn’t matter.”
They met in the middle of the kitchen, both reaching for the other simultaneously. He dragged her against him and hugged her so tight, she struggled to breathe. She didn’t complain but held onto him with her heart in her throat. That he had forgiven her meant more than she realized it would.
“I don’t deserve you, love, but I’m going to spend the rest of my life making you happy.” His lips caught hers in a tender kiss.
His promise filled her with joy. He had yet to say the words but she knew he loved her. She had felt it since that day at The Sea Ranch with every look and touch. The realization dawned to rid her of the disjunction of fear and belief that she’d lost him which had plagued her mind for weeks.
Jared deepened the kiss as he amped up the passionate demand. He meant to overwhelm her and he did... leaving her a complete mess.
“I’d love nothing more than to make love to you right here, perched at the edge of the counter but I need to take a shower,” he said against her throat. “We’ve been on the road for three days straight, I must stink like a skunk.”
Paxton laughed at the expression on his face as she wrinkled her nose in pretend disgust.
“Your kiss managed to distract me but now that you’re standing way over there...” She brushed her fingers over his cheek. “I can wait another ten minutes, my love. Go, take a shower. I’ll heat up some lasagna for you.”
“Hmm. What gave me away? My growling stomach or the way I gobbled down that muffin?”
“Both. Now go. Take your espresso with. I’ll bring a tray up to the room.”
Jared took a sip of the coffee. He planted a hard kiss on her lips. “I could get used to being spoiled like this.”
“It’s a done deal... as long as you return the favor.”
Paxton watched him until he disappeared from view at the top of the stairs. She hummed a merry tune as she placed the leftover lasagna she’d made for dinner in the oven. Her heart was overrun with love and joy.
“I’ll always love you, Rex,” she whispered with her eyes closed and her hand resting over her heart. “But it’s time for me to be happy again. He’s so different from you but I know I made the right choice. You always told me I’m a hard ass when it comes to love— that I don’t trust easily and don’t give my love without a fight. He swept in and changed all of that. He showed me it’s okay to take a leap of faith. You also told me that when I love, I do so with passion. You unleashed it in me first... now he managed to tap into so much more. I’m not justinlove with him. I love him with a depth that is difficult to comprehend. Thank you, Rex, for teaching me to trust in my instincts. It's what has brought me to this point. I’m ready to let go and live a happy life with another man... with Jared Bates.”
Paxton always had little talks with Rex in her mind. He had been a part of her life for so long that she’d needed to hold onto his wealth of knowledge about her as a person to survive after his death. He’d become her coping mechanism over the years. Now it was over. This had been the last conversation she’d have with him. She knew he was happy for her.
She could finally close the chapter of their life together and move into the future.
“And you better hustle with Jared’s food, Paxton. You’re gathering wool and the poor man is starving.”
She toasted four slices of ciabatta and dished up a large helping of salad along with the lasagna.
“That should ease his hunger,” she muttered as she ascended the stairs. She stopped in the door of her bedroom. “Poor man must be exhausted.”
She placed the tray on the dressing table before approaching the bed. Jared was lying on his back. Naked, with the sheet covering one leg— fast asleep. Undressing quickly, she slipped in beside him.
“Hmm,” his moan brushed over her as he turned on his side and pulled her into his arms.
Paxton wrapped her arm around him as she cuddled closer, reveling in the heat of his body. It didn’t take long for his even breathing under her cheek to lull her into sleep.
“NO!”
