AllFreeNovel
Share Us
My lower lip trembles. “I didn’t realize—” I pause briefly to swallow the building lump. “I’m terribly sorry. Will you ever forgive me?”
His full attention snaps to me. “Of course.” He promises and then smirks. “As long as you guarantee not to disappear on me again.”
Rolling my eyes, I swat at him. “Thanks, Jacob.”
“You’re welcome, Avery.”
We separated on good terms, and I head back to Jaxton while he studies my approach. “You’ve been crying.” He states gruffly, searching out Jacob, and glaring.
“Oh, stop it. I’m fine.” I wave him away but plop on his lap, seeking the comfort of his touch.
We decided to call it. The drama of the day dragging the vibe down. Jaxton tucks me in the backseat to finish loading the trunk, and we’re on our way home.
“You’re welcome to stay for a bit.” I politely offer, even though the sun’s drained the life out of me.
Cameron speaks for everyone. “No thanks, Avery. We’re going to hang at the hotel, but you guys can come by when you’re done here.” He wolfishly smiles.
“Thanks for the offer, but I’m probably going to crash early tonight.” My focus turns to Jaxton. “Are you staying over?”
“My car’s back at the set…” he starts, but then changes direction. “Let me swing back with them to grab by car and I’ll come right back.” He nuzzles my neck, confirming he’ll be warming my bed within the hour.
After saying goodbyes, Jaxton walks me to the door, and ensures I’m secure inside. “See you soon. Be safe.”
“Always.” He pecks my lips, then locks and shuts the door behind him.
As much as I love his company, it’s nice to relax after the debacle of today, boomeranging from highs to lows, and then back again. We appreciate the moment alone.
Instantly, the suit comes off, and I’m hopping in the shower. The suds wash the negativity of the day away, relaxing the tense muscles in my back and shoulders. After the sunscreen and lake water are replaced with the scent of pear and vanilla, the water shuts off, and the cool air nips until I’ve towel dried.
My loungewear’s just being pulled into place when a loud banging hits the front door and the doorbell rings. Glancing at the clock, my brows dip, wondering who’s stopping by. I snatched my phone on the way to the door, checking to see if I’ve missed a call that would inform me who’s on the other side. When the screen comes up blank, I glare at the door, as if it’ll turn translucent.
“Who’s there?” I request before opening.A peephole is on my to-do list.The buzzard rings again, enticing me, but the raised hairs on my arms are preventing me from action. “Yeah, who’s there?” They can hear me, since I’m standing next to the door. Several rings of impatience echo throughout the house, which just serves to piss me off, and has me ripping the door open to give them a piece of my mind.
My mouth hangs open, poised to gripe, but there’s no one there. Glancing both ways on my property, there’s no one in sight, but a giant bouquet of white roses is resting on my welcome mat.
Instantly, my heart melts as I swoop the flowers into my arms. The smell is invigorating. The last set of flowers are on the verge of replacement, so these will come in handy.
Once the roses replace the last set, I fluff them to appear fuller, and then stand back to appreciate their beauty. It’s then that I notice the red smears dotting the pristine petals—distracting me from snatching the card and reading his silly poem.
Reaching forward, I trace my thumb across the blemished silk petal, and it comes away red. Whoever delivered these must have sliced their finger when removing the thorns. No wonder they wanted me to hurry and answer the door. After scrutinizing the pedals, I try my best to wipe them clean. The distraction eats up enough time that Jaxton’s texting, saying he’s pulling in now.
My stomach flips as I open the front door again, but this time to Jaxton’s smiling face. “Hey!”
He instantly crowds me, one arm wrapping securely around my waist as he walks me backwards and slams the door with his foot. His mouth finds mine, hungry and desperate. Our lips tangle feverishly as I trace my hands down his sides, eliciting a quiver. His bag drops to the ground and his hands cup my ass, lifting me effortlessly.
“Wrap your legs around me, Kitten, and hang on.”
My legs bind his hips on command, placing him snuggly against my core—a sensation I’m helpless to rub against. His heart’s pounding a rhythm with mine, a dance of seduction that’s hypnotizing us both. My fingernails drag down his back, marking him as mine, while he’s fisting my hair and feasting on my lips.
He whispers, “I love you,” against my bruised flesh before nipping the skin and continuing his assault.
A moan slips free before releasing my reply. “I love you, too.”
His grip tightens in my hair and then snaps our gazes together. The intensity in his eyes is like watching the sun melt into golden pools of sincerity. “You’re stuck with me now, Kitten. No getting rid of me. This is forever.”
My breathing is embarrassingly out of control, listening to the promises that I didn’t know I craved until this very moment. “Mm-hmm… yes, to all of that.”
Jaxton laughs against my neck, tickling the skin below my ear, ripping a giggle free. The ring of my phone breaks our interlude, displaying dad’s name across the screen. It’s later than normal for him to call, so I want to see what he needs, signaling Jaxton to put me down.
