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That voice. That golden-brown hair with the long, soft curls trailing down her back. The fit body and lean, muscular legs. It couldn’t be, but it had to be.
“Jenn!” he called out.
She darted a gaze over her shoulder at him.
The air was knocked from Tristan’s lungs as surely as if Ray had punched him in the sternum. He almost faltered and fell to his knees to praise the Lord that she’d returned.
Instead of throwing herself into his arms, Jennifer picked up speed.
Tristan was baffled by her response. He couldn’t falter or fall to his knees and pray. Not now. Jennifer was here, within his grasp. He wanted to talk to her, touch her, look at her. He needed some answers about where she’d been, why she’d left when he needed her most, and how she could walk away and not love him any longer.
Tristan pushed his legs into an all-out sprint. His longer legs closed the distance between them.
He reached her, wrapped both hands around her upper arms, and tugged her to a stop.
“Help!” she screamed.
“Jenn.” Tristan whirled her to face him, out of breath and confused.
“No, please … I’m not supposed to …” Her eyes were wild, darting around as if someone would jump out of the bushes and tackle them. The thick lashes framing her dark eyes fluttered quickly as she refused to look at him and tried to pull away.
“Jenn … it’s me,” he said softly, releasing her and stepping back, putting his hands up in a non-threatening gesture, hurt that she either didn’t recognize him or truly didn’t know or love him any longer.
She blinked and then focused on him. Tristan braced himself. He didn’t know if he could handle Jennifer looking at his scars, seeing the revulsion and shock in those deep-brown eyes that had always seen and loved him. All of him.
Jennifer’s gaze held his, and she didn’t even look at his scars. Their souls reconnected in that moment and she saw him, just as she always had. She saw him. She loved him. He wasn’t his scars, wasn’t the crown prince. He was the man Jennifer knew and loved—her Big Bad Wolf, her true love. The spark between them burned brighter than ever.
Hope filled his chest and made his heart race. It had to be her move as she was the one who’d left him, but it seemed a certainty that she would throw herself into his arms, they’d share the reconnection kiss of the century, and then she’d explain everything to him. There had to be a deep, dark reason she’d left. There must be a reason she’d been so terrified a moment ago.
They could fix all the agony of being apart. He’d keep her safe from whatever was scaring her. She’d reassure him of her love with her words, her gaze, and her lips. He could easily reassure her of his. No one but Jennifer would ever be the right match for him. His one true love.
Their gazes got tangled up, and he took a step closer. “Did you not know it was me?”
With all the many, many questions he needed to ask her, he wasn’t certain why he’d started there.
“No,” she admitted. “I hoped, but I didn’t know, and I have to be very careful …” She trailed off and studied the trees behind him.
“Jenn …” He couldn’t take his eyes off her beautiful face, ravenous to be close to her, soak up her sparkling and consuming presence, feast on their love and connection.
Her gaze met his again, and a world that had been spinning out of control suddenly stabilized into a smooth and perfect rotation. His Jenn was back. Had she come for him, or for her mum? The details couldn’t matter. She was here, and he would make the most of every moment he had with her. No. He’d do one better than that. He would never let her go again.
“What do you have to be careful about?” He’d protect her, stay by her side every minute. Well, every minute he wasn’t in important meetings. But Ray’s men could keep her safe then, if needed. Why had she been so afraid? Had someone dared hurt this caring and angelic woman?
She studied him, her dark eyes beguiling and captivating, and only focused on his eyes. His scars didn’t bother her. She didn’t even seem to notice them.
“It was good to see you,” she murmured before turning away.
Tristan’s eyes widened. No way was she murmuring that lame line and then turning away from him. Not now. Not when they’d finally found each other again.
He grasped her arm and turned her to face him. “No way are you walking away from me again. I won’t have it, Jenn. I need answers.”
He needed her—her love and understanding and light.
Her eyes narrowed. She yanked her arm free and folded both arms across her chest. She was defensive, closed-off, and the most glorious woman Tristan had ever laid eyes on.
“Oh my, Mr. Crown Prince, what a large ego you have.”
“All the better to keep you in line with, my dear,” he said.
