Suddenly the depths of Jake's loneliness hit harder. Not only did he live out here alone, but he had a secret he couldn't share.
So why was he sharing it with me?
"Does anyone else know?" I asked. For some reason, a selfish part of me hoped the answer was no.
It almost felt like Jake read my thoughts because he grinned brazenly and said, "Nope. You're the only human in the world who knows about me."
My chest squeezed. It was a huge display of trust to let me hold his secret. What had I done to deserve it? Could he possibly find something special about me the same way I did about him, or was I getting way ahead of myself? There was no way Jake could be attracted to me, too.
Dammit, this rugged cowboy jackalope was stealing my heart right out from under me.
Jake took a few strides closer, moving fluidly across the sand like he was one with it. He was mesmerizing. I was frozen to the spot, and I couldn't take my eyes off him.
Up close, Jake's features softened. His eyes glazed with seduction as they reached mine, sending a tranquilizer to my heart.
Wait.
Seduction?
My heart beat rapidly. I wasn't hallucinating the jackalope, but the lust in Jake's eyes had to be a mirage, right? He couldn't possibly be attracted to a nerdy city omega who couldn't fix a car to save his life.
But if he was, would that be so bad? Jake wasn't like the other alphas in my life. The lust in his eyes was laced with affection, not an emotionless glaze. He didn't just want sex. He cared for me.
"So, Frederick," Jake said. "Even if my existence goes against everything you know, can you believe in me?"
I couldn’t even dare break eye contact with him. At this point, I might have given him my soul if he’d asked for it.
"Yes."
The sunset blazed behind us like a fire in the sky, illuminating Jake’s smile.
"There's something else, Frederick," Jake murmured. His voice was soft, like the words were only meant for me and that he didn't want anybody else to hear them.
"What is it?"
A shy grin flitted across Jake's face. "Actually, I've gotta hold my horses. It ain't a big deal to me, but I just realized I've been standing here naked this whole time."
I blushed furiously. It seemed less like a dream and more like reality when he drew attention to it. "Oh. Erm, yes."
"Does that bother you?"
I couldn't help myself. My eyes flitted down to Jake's lower half and got an eyeful of his dick—not literally or I would've lost the eye. I swallowed at the sight of it, my throat bobbing, then I yanked my gaze back up.
"No, not in the slightest," I blurted out.
Jake’s smile left an imprint on my soul.
"Are you... curious about me?" Jake asked mischievously, quirking a brow.
"I'm always curious. Science demands it."
He chuckled. "So I'll take that as a yes?"
I wanted to reply with a witty comeback, but I was too enamored by this kind, rugged cowboy.
The confession spilled out of me like water.
"I'm fascinated by you, and not just because you're a jackalope shifter," I said. "I can't stop thinking about you."
