I jumped and turned with my heart pounding to find him standing before me dressed in a sharply tailored black tuxedo, with his hair effortlessly styled, and the perfect amount of a five o’clock shadow grazing his jawline. The only thing that was out of place was his expression, which was etched heavily with concern.
“Are you okay?” His brows furrowed with panic before his eyes widened taking in my state of undress.
I stood, breathing in his crisp, clean cologne, with an edge of cedar, while an effortless smile lifted the corners of my mouth. Jaxon’s eyes dropped to my lips, and suddenly the room seemed to hum with anticipation. His breathing was no longer tight with worry, but thick with a lustful potency that threatened to obliterate the tiny scrap of silk between my legs.
“I’m more than okay,” I hummed.
“Good, that makes one of us, because I’m most definitely not okay.” He reached for my hand, lifted it above my head, and with a heart-stopping smirk, encouraged me to spin around until we were chest to chest again. “Lily, you take my absolute breath away,” he said as his hands wrapped around my hips.
“I could say the same about you.” I beamed with glee and an abundance of worship. “This dress, it’s—” I glanced quickly down at the bed. “How did you know?”
“I have my ways.” He squeezed my hips before clasping my hands that were resting on his chest. “So, what do you say, Lily, will you be my date to graduation?”
I nodded impatiently as the weight I’d carried for so long unknotted in my chest and finally let go as a laugh caught on a sob escaped me. It was like a veil lifting on a wedding day, seeing everything you’d ever wanted so clearly, finally in front of you.
“Now, while I’d love nothing more than to spend time appreciating you in this sexier-than-fuck lingerie,” his eyes dipped to where my nipples were pebbled behind the thin layer of silk covering my breasts, “we’ve got to get going.”
“You in a rush for something, Detective?”
He groaned and shamelessly adjusted himself before lifting his hand and brushing his thumb across my lower lip. “Why does hearing you call me that sound so fucking hot crossing these luscious, pouty lips of yours? But the answer to your question is yes. Yes, I’m in a rush.”
Jaxon stepped back and reached for the dress on the bed before lowering himself down on one knee. I knew he was just helping me step into the dress, but that did little to stop my heart from fluttering against my chest as the moment stole my breath.
With one hand resting on his shoulder, I lifted my right leg, then the left, stepping carefully into the dress as he held it open for me. The silky fabric felt like heaven as it hugged my skin, gliding up my legs and over my hips, until Jaxon’s fingers lingered, slipping under the straps he’d positioned over my shoulders. He wasn’t just dressing me; he was clothing me with reverence.
“Perfection. You are absolute perfection.” He proudly beamed.
“And you . . . you’re,” I stammered, unable to find a word that could adequately express how I felt.
“You have me doubting if?—”
“God, no. I’m sorry. Is it wrong of me to think that you’re even more impossibly handsome than you were in my fantasies of when I pictured you on this night back in high school? I’d never seen you dressed formally, so I had an image of you drafted in my head, but this version of you, the real-life one . . . nothing could ever compare to this. It honestly should be illegal for you to look this ridiculously attractive.”
Jaxon threw his head back and laughed. “Not wrong at all—I’ll take the compliment.”
“Oh, so someone likes me stroking their ego?” I playfully smirked.
“That’s not the only thing I’d like you stroking.” I couldn’t contain the smile that lifted my cheeks so much my eyes squinted at his words. “But what I meant was I know exactly what you mean about how you envisioned our original graduation night going. Back then, we were still discovering who we were together, and I, for one, was nervous as fuck I was going to be clumsy and disappoint you.”
“You could never?—”
“But now, there’s a confidence that comes with age and perspective. Every moment we experienced together and apart, our growth, our missteps, it all led us to exactly where we’re meant to be, standing here with each other. Everything feels more intentional now, not because we didn’t mean the world to each other back then, but rather, we know what it feels like to live without the other. We might have lived the last decade apart, but I know without a doubt the feelings I have for you arestronger today than they’ve ever been. What we share is a connection so special that it deserves to be cherished.”
I wiped away the few errant tears that crested over my cheeks. “I love you so much, Jaxon. I never stopped.”
Jaxon cradled the back of my head and kissed me slowly. “Same. I love you, Lils. My heart only beats for you, in this life and every other.”
I stood on my tiptoes and ran my hands up his chest to his shoulders. My feet then left the ground as he straightened to his full height and lifted me into his arms, closing the distance that separated us.
“Who knew getting out of this house would be such a challenge?” he said, his voice muffled against my neck.
“You’re the one so determined to leave. I’m more than happy to stay right here,” I countered, wrapping one arm around his shoulders and running my fingers through his hair.
“Once you see where I’m taking you, you’ll understand.” He leaned forward, lowering my feet to the ground, and dropped a quick kiss to my lips.
“Okay, lead the way, handsome.”
I had no idea where Jaxon was taking me when he led me out of the house not long ago, but after a couple of turns, our destination became clear. With his hand holding mine the entiretime, I was giddy with excitement and touched that he had been so keen on re-creating the night he had always intended for us.
