Jacqueline
I want to believe him. Oh, God, I do.
Jacqueline felt as though her heart was going to rip itself in two. Arlo was saying everything she wanted to hear, everything she needed to hear, and she knew deep in her soul that he wouldn’t lie to her.
So why was she still so hesitant?
I’m afraid. I’m still so afraid of everything going wrong. I’ve been afraid all this time. All my plans to go wild, party hard… I never wanted any of that. I was just afraid to admit what I really wanted.
Someone who loves me just the way I am.
“Sailing off into the sunset,” she whispered.
“I know we missed tonight’s,” Arlo said, his words like kisses along the edges of her lips. “But there’ll be more.”
“Promise?” Jacqueline couldn’t keep the hint of anxiety from her voice.
“I promise.”
She drew a slow breath. “Derek wasn’t the only one who wanted kids. I know it’s hypocritical, after what I said about being afraid of you resenting me, but you have to know… I always dreamed of having a house full of kids. It’s why we bought this place. But it never happened, and it’s never going to happen. I’m sad about that. I’m likely to stay sad about it.”
“I understand.”
Of cour
se he does, Jacqueline thought, staring up into his eyes. This strong mountain of a man, salt-crusted and callused and warm and caring. Of course he understood.
“I’m still scared,” she admitted, “I…”
I wanted a fresh start.
That’s the one thing I told myself that was actually true. And now here it is.
Jacqueline raised her head. Arlo lifted his, his expression confused until he looked into her eyes.
“I’m scared,” she said. “Because I don’t want to lose you. But that isn’t a good enough reason to run away. Just like it wasn’t a good enough reason to lock myself up here in Dunston, barely living my life and not even admitting to myself what I wanted.”
She took his hand, winding her fingers around his. His hand was so big and strong, practically dwarfing hers, and yet they fit together perfectly. How had she never noticed this before?
“Arlo,” she said, and her voice wasn’t shaking anymore. “You’re my pack.”
The noise he made was all she needed to know she’d made the right decision.
“And you’re mine,” he growled.
Jacqueline pulled him down for a kiss that made her whole body heat up. Their teeth clashed together and she pulled back at the same time he did, and the half-second they each spent checking the other was all right was too much. She kissed him again, hot and passionate, her fingers digging into his scalp.
The same throb of unexpected desire as she’d felt the night before hit her like a train. And this time, she had no desire to slow down. Jacqueline bit down on Arlo’s lip and felt him groan, the reverberation coming through his chest and diving straight down between her legs. She was going to ride this need to exhaustion.
There was a knock at the door.
“No…” Jacqueline groaned. “Shoot. I forgot about Derek.”
Arlo kissed her neck and then growled against it: “Keep forgetting him.”
“What, just leave him out there listening in?” Jacqueline reluctantly unwound herself from Arlo. “I’ll get rid of him. Quickly,” she reassured him. “Very quickly.”
She kept hold of Arlo’s hand as she unlocked the door. He moved behind the door where he’d be out of sight when she opened it, and a thrill of excitement rippled through her.