And I pray that my heart isn’t about to be completely ripped to shreds.
I open the door to my apartment and when I catch my first glimpse of him in three weeks, my body begins to thrum with need. This man gets to me every time. He’s so damn sexy, f
rom his smile, to his body, to the way he walks; he just has it, and I know I’ll never be able to say no to him. Ever. Because even though he can be an ass, he’s a good man. He’s just lost at the moment.
He approaches with the Jett confidence I know well. His eyes meet mine and then they travel appreciatively over my body. And when he gives his gaze back to me, I see the same need in his eyes that I have.
“Sweetheart,” he greets me in the gravelly voice he uses when he’s turned on, and it hits me in all the right places.
I reach out and steady myself against the doorframe. “Jett,” I greet him, trying like hell to keep myself under control but failing miserably. There’s no controlling yourself around him.
He chuckles and murmurs, “It’s good to know I still affect you as much as you affect me.”
I stare at him for a beat before ushering him in. Then I follow him and wonder where this is all going to end up because it’s sure as hell not feeling like we’re over. Not by a long shot.
He leads me to the living room and then turns to look at me. This time his eyes stay firmly glued to mine. “I fucked up,” he says.
Three simple words and yet there’s a whole lot of emotion behind them. His regret is written all over his face and laced through his words.
His beautiful blue eyes beg me to believe him, and I do. Nodding, I say, “Yeah, you did, but you had a reason.”
He shakes his head. “No,” he says forcefully, “There’s never an excuse for hurting someone the way I hurt you. I’m so sorry, baby.”
I love the way his lips wrap around the word ‘baby’; I always have. “I’ve been worried about you,” I say softly.
“I know, and I love you for it. I’m just an asshole who couldn’t appreciate what I had right in front of me, but I’ve come to my senses now and I hope to God you’ll give me another shot.” His eyes reach for mine again, pleading with me to give him what he’s asked for.
“Did you just say you love me?”
He moves into my space and cups my cheek with his hand. “Yes, I love you, Presley Hart. And I want you by my side forever. I’m just sorry it took me this long to realise it.”
“What caused your change of heart?” I ask, needing to know what’s going on in his mind.
Pain shoots through his eyes. “Claudia and my mum, actually.”
“Claudia?”
A smile creases his face. “Yeah, I found a letter she left for me.” He pulls a piece of paper out of his pocket and passes it to me.
I unfold it and read it, my eyes welling up with tears. “She’s always teaching you to dance in the rain, isn’t she?” I whisper through my tears.
“Yeah, she is,” he says gruffly, and I can tell how affected he is by this letter.
“I’m so sorry, Jett.”
“Why? You’ve got nothing to be sorry for,” he says, clearly confused.
“I’m sorry she’s not here anymore.”
He swallows and nods. “Me, too.”
I watch him struggling with his loss and his need to protect himself from further loss. And I think about the fact he’s standing in front of me, laying himself bare and exposing his heart to the very thing he fears the most in the world, and I’m suddenly consumed with love for this man. He’s a good man with an amazing heart and soul. And I know in this moment that I want him by my side forever, too.
Moving as close to him as I can, so our bodies are touching, I press my lips to his and kiss him. Deep and long. I wrap the kiss with all the love I have in this world and hope it touches him as much as he’s touching me. Our arms go around each other and the only thing that exists to me right now is Jett. He’s taken ownership of my mind, body and soul completely.
When we end the kiss, I look up into his eyes and say, “I love you, Jett Vaughn.”
His lips spread out into the biggest smile I’ve ever seen on his face, and he bends down to kiss me again. “Thank you for giving me another chance. I’m not going to fuck this up again.”