“A penny for your thoughts.”
He chuckles quietly against me. “You can have them for a dollar.”
“Deal,” I whisper.
“This will take some time, but hear me out,” Jax explains. “When I thought you wouldn’t forgive me, I completely lost it. I couldn’t even imagine life without you in it. We’ve had such a rollercoaster of a start to our relationship, so no wonder ourfeelings got overwhelming. But I don’t regret my decision to help your family. You should know that.”
“Well, if every decision, stupid or not, led us here, then I have to say this; I don't regret a single thing either.”
“You aren’t alone. So, I’m asking you to forgive me despite all your memories. Let me show you that we can make better memories together—I want to share every single one of my future memories with you. I want to wake up next to you every morning and share my days with you. And that’s because I love you. I love you so fucking much.”
He loves me.Jackson “Jackass” Bennett loves me. The guy who I wouldn’t say I liked only months ago. Those three not-so-little words have never sounded better. I’ve wanted to say the same for a few weeks now, but I was waiting for him to catch up. The waiting is over.
“You love me?”
“If I die tomorrow, I would hate that I never got a chance to say any of this—the thing is that I love you so much that it scares me. I have never loved anyone like I love you. I know you want more than my words, but these are the ones I need to tell you right now.”
My eyes fill with tears as I stare into the beautiful eyes of the only man with whom I can imagine the rest of my life. “Are you sure you’re ready for this, Jax?”
“My life without you has been so empty these past few days. I need you to fill those gaps you left.”
“I love you, too, Jax.”
Jax’s eyes fill with tears. I’ve only seen him this emotional twice before—the day we traveled to Omaha for his uncle’s funeraland when Jordan found Jax’s father. It’s new but such a beautiful sight. And I get to enjoy this side of him because he’smine.
“Damn, darling, you’re something else. With those five words, you make me want to dance on the streets.”
I laugh as tears fall down my cheeks. “Well, why don’t we dance then?”
“Or maybe I should take you back to my place and show how much I missed you…”
“That sounds like a plan, my love.”
“Anything for you, firecracker.”
If I’m a firecracker, he’s dynamite. And us two together create the explosions they feel across the river.
“Do you trust me?” Jax asks as we sit in the backseat of a taxi on our way to his place two hours later—we enjoyed a round of sweet lovemaking and a shared shower before leaving my place as we couldn’t wait until his.
“Always.”
And I mean it. Even though he has been testing me lately, I trust the guy next to me.
“I have another surprise for you,” he tells me, holding my hand, circling my palm with his thumb.
I laugh nervously and he winces. “Is it too soon?”
“No, it isn’t that. My love language is physical touch and quality time, so your acts of service are new to me.”
He looks at me skeptically. “I have no idea what that means.”
“Just know that the ways we show our love are different. And that’s completely normal. We have to discuss these things to understand each other. Okay?”
“Okay.”
It takes the cab around ten minutes before it stops in front of a new Asian Fusion restaurant I have wanted to try. Jax helps me out of the car, and I admire him in the light orange haze that blankets the city as the sun sets. Even though I love who this guy is inside and how pure his heart is under the facade he has built around it, I will admit, his looks are what get me hot and bothered.
I’m about to say something naughty when I spot someone I wasn’t expecting to see next to the restaurant entrance. I do a double take because I know Jax’s cousin Angel lives in LA, but he’s currently walking towards us with a big grin.
