“I am. I’m trying.”
“Can you accept me?” I asked, my voice trembling. “For my past wild behavior? And my not-so-wild life now?”
“I love you, Bess. You have to know that, boring or not.”
I leaned forward and kissed Lane, winding my hands through his hair.
And then I stopped suddenly, pulled away and asked, “How’s Jake?”
I hadn’t seen him in a few weeks. I loved the man in front of me, but I’d come to care for his brother. And now I realized how much they both kept bottled up inside.
Lane gave me a wry look. “I hear you two are friends now. In fact, the little fuck used it against me, pushed all my hot buttons, made me jealous enough to get on a plane and come back here.”
I laughed. “He’s sleeping with Camper, I think.”
He shook his head. “Well, I hope she doesn’t get too attached, because Jake doesn’t do commitment.”
“But how is he?”
“He’s okay. How’s he been when you’ve seen him?”
“It’s been a while, but he’s always his same cavalier self.”
His tone impatient, he said, “Well, I think he’s going to be shedding some of that. He’s going to work with a therapist that my doctor connected him with.”
Apparently Lane was done talking. He pushed me back onto the couch and slid on top of me, taking my mouth.
When he whispered, “Bess, I love you,” against me, my whole body shuddered.
It was cold and wet outside, but I was warm underneath Lane, his long body covering mine. His hands were everywhere, touching, bringing life to my skin and meaning to the blood pulsing through my veins.
Taking my hand, he lifted it and slipped it inside his pocket without ever breaking the kiss. My fingers caught something sharp inside his jeans, and Lane broke free only to say, “Take it out.”
With shaky hands, I pulled out the necklace. It shimmered and sparkled in the evening light, catching stray colors streaming in from the window.
“I think this belongs on you,” Lane said, moving to attach it around my neck.
It was the first time I’d worn it; I’d never gotten the chance to put it on before it had disappeared. The pendant was cold against my skin, and I reached up to stroke it as my eyes pricked with tears.
“Don’t cry,” Lane said, and wiped a tear from my cheek that had dared spill over my lashes.
Then with a twinkle in his eye, he took my hand again and brought it over to his other pocket. Something else awaited me in there.
Pulling it out, I found a bracelet. It had two strands of plain white gold rope that came together into a knot, like you would see on a gift bag. Dangling from the two loose strands were jewel-encrusted charms: a yellow-stoned B and an onyx-lined L.
“Lane, it’s too much.”
He shook his head and moved back to kissing me.
Brooks interrupted with a bark. Jealous, he nudged his head under Lane’s hand, begging for attention.
“I’ll do you one better, Brooks,” Lane said, grabbing his small piece of luggage he’d dropped by the door and pulled out a huge dog bone. It was shaped like a skeleton for Halloween, and had an enormous black and orange bow tied around it.
Unwrapping it, Lane tossed it in the corner for my dog, and then scooped me up and carried me back to my bedroom. After laying me down on the bed with my hair spread out around my face, Lane kicked off his boots.
“Those are kind of silly,” I said.
He gave me a mock pout. “Hey, I was rushing to see my girl in the country, and ran to get a pair of shit kickers.”
