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“Oh, Lena,” he whispered emotionally, reaching up to touch her face as he gazed at her, his voice hoarse. “I love you so much and know you could do so much better than me. I’m selfish, and if we take these next steps, then I am never giving you up.”
“You promise?” she crumbled as a tear slid down her cheek.
“I swear it. If we go visit your home, you are going as my wife.”
She felt something in her crack as a choked, emotional sob tore through her – and she swatted him gently on the shoulder. “Now who’s being difficult or playing ‘hard to get’? I thought you said you didn’t want to marry me.”
“Hey!” he laughed, his own eyes glistening with emotion. “You said you didn’t want to marry me either.”
“Then let’snotget married as soon as the snow melts.”
“Fine, then wearen’tgetting married the second we can get the car out of the driveway.”
“Fine.”
“Fine.”
Both paused and looked at each other, sharing a smile.
“Fine,” she repeated once more. “And you betternotkiss me…”
“Oh, I’ll kiss you all right, but you have got to save my sanity and put some darn pants on because knowing you are sitting there in your panties is doing a number on me.”
“They're no different than bikini bottoms,” she protested innocently – and he barked out a laugh, throwing back his head.
“I promise if you sit in my lap in a bikini, I’m gonna have the exact same problems that I’m having now.”
They shared a smile, and he leaned forward to kiss her nose pertly before swatting her gently on the backside through the comforter.
“I’m serious… go,” he urged painfully, pinching his eyes closed and waiting.
Lena got up and moved to throw on a sweatshirt over her T-shirt and a fresh pair of sweatpants in the bathroom out of sight, before warming up the kettle once more for them to have some tea again. As she looked back at him, Jake was still sitting there patiently with his eyes closed, waiting.
He was a man of his word –and smiled at the thought, shaking her head and marveling at the understanding that her life changed the moment she’d called Shelby for help. Everything that had once been spiraling out of control was now laser-focused on what she wanted in the deepest recesses of her heart.
Him.
“Why don’t we play a board game?” she invited, smiling as he cracked open one eye warily and nodded.
“Fine, but I get to pick.”
“Then you get to cook dinner,” she countered, shrugging… and heard his amused laugh.
“Sheesh, rough crowd tonight. Here I am, trying to take care of you. You tease me horribly, kiss me all over like I don’t have any say in the matter, then pressure me to answer all these questions before finally bossing me around and telling me to feed you?” he retorted, but that soft smile on his face was everything as he stretched on the loveseat, before sitting up. “You betcha. If you’ll snuggle with me later?”
“You never have to ask,” she said tenderly and hesitated. “Oh, and Jake?”
“Yeah?”
“I play to win, so when you pick? Choose whichever game you would prefer to lose at,” she taunted evilly, smirking, while she poured the hot water into the two cups.
“Lumberjack,” he smiled slyly. “Is there really any other way to play?”
* * *
An hour later, they were both sitting on the floor with the small coffee table between them, laughing and mouthing off at each other.
“Go to jail,” Jake sang out happily, wiggling his head and shoulders slightly as he danced with glee.
