“And if it weren’t snowing, I would go with you,” I reassure him.
“Angel, you’re a temptation.” His lips twitch, and he kisses the top of my head. “Come on, let’s get you home. We’ll leave your car here.”
“Okay,” I agree easily. I’ve lived in Moonlit Pines most of my life. I know how quickly a storm can turn into a blizzard and how dangerous it can be to get stuck in the elements.
I watch as he tosses his thermal back on, and we walk out together hand in hand to his truck. It’s cold, but the moment our eyes connect in the cab, I start to warm up and look forward to getting home.
11
JACOB
Itold her I would take her home, but she doesn’t blink when I pull my truck into the driveway of my garage and the truck idles while the door to the attached garage opens. She doesn’t ask a thing. All she does is snuggle in close to my side, humbling me with the trust she shows in me. The trust she handed to me blindly with her body. And what I hope, her heart.
“I love you,” I break the silence in the truck and feel her lips press against the material of my long-sleeved shirt just as I put pull the truck inside.
I park, and darkness starts to enclose us as the garage door slides shut. For a moment, we sit there. The air is still warm from the heater I blasted on the drive home. Sweet with her scent. I secretly hope it stays in the cab of my truck forever.
“Wait for me to open your door,” I rumble. She looks up at me. Her big blue eyes are going to be the end of me.
“Okay,” she whispers. I hurry and get moving to open the door for her, taking her by the hand before leading her inside my home.
A home I hope she will call hers. The sooner the better. I give her a tour of my cabin, not that it’s huge. The place has threebedrooms, an open floorplan that lets you see straight from the living room to the kitchen that still needs to be updated.
I try to look at it through her eyes and wish I had finished more of the renovations than what’s already done. When I turn toward her, she’s grinning from ear to ear.
“This is incredible.” Her voice is almost dreamy. I lose her eyes for a moment while they soak in the space. “I love the kitchen.”
“You do?”
“Yeah. Is that weird?” Her head tilts.
“No, I just—" My voice cracks. “I thought maybe you would like something a little more modern.” Her shoulder rises and falls.
“I don’t know. It looks great here. It feels… homey.”
“Homey,” I repeat, not tearing my eyes from her.
“Your home is beautiful, Jacob. Cozy and welcoming.” I swallow hard and thank all the damn stars up above she feels that way.
I want her to be comfortable here.
If I’m honest, I never want her to leave. I thank her, my voice a little hoarse. “Umm, would you like to—” I scratch the back of my neck, “To eat something or?—"
“Later,” she whispers, cutting me off. She steps closer, and my arms automatically wrap around her.
“Later?” My lips twitch slightly because I have a feeling I know where she is going with this. “Okay, if you wanna eat later, what does my sweet angel wanna do right now?” She smiles like a cat who ate the canary, but then her expression changes.
“Why do you call me that?”
“What?”
“Angel.”
“Ah…” I open and shut my mouth. “You really want to know? The truth?”
“Always,” she responds, and I nod. I pick her up, and she yelps, but she what doesn’t do is fight me or say something stupid like she’s too heavy. My good girl simply wraps her arms around my neck. I carry her to the couch and sit, placing her on my lap with her legs hanging over my thighs, loving the feel of her weight on top of me.
“The night before you moved back?” She nods, and I lick my lips and sigh. “The night before you moved back, I was sitting outside looking up at the sky, wondering what the hell I was doing in Moonlit Pines.” Her lips part in surprise, and I keep sharing.
