Blackmailing his own son with revenge porn? I feel like I’m going to be sick. Especially when I grasp that all the time I lost with Taevin was because my father stole it from us.
I’ll never forgive him.
The urge to call my mother and tell her about what he’s done subsides slightly when I feel Taevin’s shoulders tremble against my chest.
As much as I wish she would’ve come to me about this then, there’s nothing we can do to change the past. She must’ve been so scared. And felt so alone.
Taevin lifts her head and looks at me with tear-filled eyes. “I’m so sorry, Jackson.”
Shaking my head, I take her hands in mine. “Don’t be. You have nothing to apologize for.”
She closes in on herself and looks down, avoiding my gaze. “I should’ve come to you. We could’ve tried to come up with a solution together.”
Lifting her chin, I stare into her eyes so she can see how sincere I am. “We can’t do the whole could’ve should’ve would’ve thing. We decided we’re moving forward together, and I meant that. This changes nothing aside from the fact that my father is cut out of our lives for good.”
I pull her into my arms and she lets out a heavy sigh against my chest. We stay like that—silently soaking in the afternoon sun—for I don’t even know how long until I finally suggest, “We should get going to the apple orchard before it closes.”
Taking her hand in mine, we make our way to my truck. Even though what she just admitted was hard to talk through, it’s like a heavy weight has been lifted off her shoulders.
The apple orchard lifts both our spirits, and each time a soft smile lights up her face, I can’t stop myself from kissing her cheek or tugging her under my arm.
I love this woman with everything I am, and I refuse to let skeletons from our past cast shadows on what we have. Letting go of what lies behind allows for brighter days ahead.
28
Now
My hands shake slightly as I slide the lace garters into place on my thighs.
After a moment of hesitation, I lift my eyes to meet my reflection in the mirror. Blowing out a deep breath, I nod once.
I can seduce my husband.
Just open the door.
I’ve got this.
Jax loves me.
And he’s going to love this.
My stomach twists with nerves as I open the bathroom door, but the nerves quickly turn to ribbons of lust when I take in the sight before me. I’m graced with the sight of Jackson sitting up in bed against the headboard with nothing but a sheet slung around his waist. He looks fine as hell sitting there with only a composition notebook in his hand, a pencil braced between his lips, and his guitar slung across his lap.
“Aren’t you a sight for sore eyes,” I murmur as I dig deep to find the confident, badass version of myself.
Jax looks up from his notebook and when his gaze rakes down my body, I have to stifle a laugh when the pencil plops out of his mouth as his jaw hangs open.
“You like?” I question, doing a slow spin so he can take in the black, lacy bodysuit I put on after my bath.
He swallows—actually no, it’s more like a gulp because it’s loud enough for me to hear from across the room.
“Baby, what are you trying to do to me?” Jax asks as he tosses the notebook and pencil on the bedside table next to him and sets his guitar on the ground. Flinging the covers off, he strides over to me at a pace that would be impressive if I were to focus on that. I can’t though, because my focus is wholly on the man before me and the way his black boxer briefs hug his hockey thighs.
Jax closes the distance between us but instead of embracing me the way I thought he might, he stands before me and slowly rakes his gaze over me again, undressing me with his eyes.
He swallows and then rasps, “You look so fucking exquisite.”
With one hand, he reaches behind me and palms my ass before giving it a squeeze while using his other to tip my chin up so he can steal a kiss. His kiss is hungry, frenzied, bordering on desperate, and I love that I can still get this reaction out of him.
