licking her lips, she ventured, “Well, not too tired, not now, not after you’ve just been touching me.”
He made a sound between a growl and a groan. “I especially love how sexual you are.” Knowing his repeated use of the L word had thrown her, Jett gently lowered her to the bed and knelt over her. “Just relax and let me do everything.”
“But…” Her beautiful eyes searched his. “You have to be tired, too.”
He shook his head and cupped her breasts in both hands. “I’m in love. Now hush.”
She went perfectly still, frozen, stiff—but Jett didn’t let that stop him. He caressed her breasts, teased her nipples.
“Jett, wait.” Natalie tried to catch his arm. “What did you say?”
“I said for you to hush.”
“No, before—”
He drew her nipple into his mouth, stealing her breath.
But her fingers clenched tight in his hair. “Damn it, Jett.”
Laughing a little, he said, “I even love it when you’re bossy.”
She breathed hard and fast, her gaze intent. He watched her throat as she swallowed. “You said…you said you love me.”
He could understand her confusion. “I’ve been battling with myself, pissed off one minute, jealous the next. And so damn turned on I couldn’t stand it, but it was never enough.” He shook his head. “You’ve turned me inside out, woman.”
Natalie searched his face a moment, then frowned. “Good.”
“Good?”
“You’ve turned me inside out, too.” Tears burned her eyes. “You love me?”
“Why else would I let you torture me like this?” He pushed her hair from her face. “When I lost control of the car… God, I’ve faced a lot of shit in my life, and I just sort of roll with it. But thinking you could have been hurt? It shook me. Bad. And I knew I had to stop being a chickenshit and just ’fess up.”
Slow to accept his declaration, she asked uncertainly, “By saying you love me?”
“Yeah.” He gave her a lopsided grin and shook her a little. “And if you love me, too, you need to put me out of my damned misery and tell me so.”
She launched herself close to him. “I love you. I’ve loved you for a long time now. I didn’t want to admit it because if I did, and you didn’t feel the same—”
“I feel it. Trust me, I’ve got it bad.” Lowering them both to the bed, Jett kissed her parted lips. “Say it again.”
Her hands opened on his chest. She stroked him then slowly slid her arms around his neck. “I love you, too.”
Thank God. But she was so skittish about family and relationships, he had to make sure she understood. Braced on his elbows over her, he gave her his most intent stare. “I need more than just sex, Natalie.”
Her gaze was soft, her voice more so. “How much more?”
In comparison, he sounded harsh and demanding. “Everything. The whole shebang.” The more he talked about it, the more he needed it. The more he needed her. Of course, she looked so happy and so accepting that his thoughts had already skipped ahead to being inside her, to hearing her cry out, feeling her squeezing him… Stay on track, Jett.
“The whole shebang, huh?”
“Commitment, marriage, fidelity.” As her legs wound around him, it became more difficult to explain. “You haven’t known the best relationships, honey, but I swear to you, we’ll be good together. We’ll be fucking amazing together.”
“I know.”
“We’ll have the forever kind—” Her smile finally reached him. Jett straightened his arms, staring at her in bemusement. “What do you mean, you know?”
She laughed with affection. “Jett, I already told you that you’re wonderful. I meant it. So a lifetime with you would be wonderful.”
“You’ll marry me?”
“Yes.” The smile remained but was now more subdued. “I might need time to get used to things. I mean, your family is the exact opposite of mine.”
“We’ll work on your family.”
“No.” She shuddered. “I don’t want to do that. And trust me, once you meet my father and stepmother, you’ll feel the same.”
“Whatever makes you happy.” If that meant winning over her ass of a father, he’d do it. Somehow.
But if she truly wanted to cut him out, that was fine with Jett.
Big tears welled in her eyes, and her smile trembled. “The thing is, I always knew my family was…abnormal. I always believed there could be love and friendship and happiness.”
“You’ll have that with me, I swear.”
“I know, because today, through that long trip from hell…I realized I already had it. You made the whole thing fun. Well, except for that business there at the very end—”
“Don’t.” Jett closed his eyes, unable to think about that and how easily he could have lost her. “I’m not perfect, Natalie.”
“I know that too.”
Jett cocked a brow. So now she was laughing at him? He grinned. “For you, I’ll try to be perfect.”
“For me, if you’d just go on being you, I’ll be a very happy woman.”
Her complete and utter acceptance of him put him over the edge. Within half a minute he had stripped his clothes away. Seconds after that, he was over her again, kissing her, touching her.
Entering her in one long, smooth thrust.
Everything was different now. More potent.
More satisfying.
They had one moment of shock when, just after they came together, Buddy tried to jump up onto the bed.
Natalie screeched, and that made Buddy howl.
Still in a fog, it took Jett a second to realize what had happened. Luckily the dog was too short to make the leap, though he was certainly trying. “Down, Buddy.” Jett jerked the comforter around them both.
Natalie started giggling, and once she started, she couldn’t stop.
Chagrined, Jett felt his own smile crack. Yeah, everything was different.
And damn, it couldn’t be more perfect.
THREE DAYS LATER, STILL snowed in, Buddy came to the bed and barked. Natalie didn’t hesitate. She nudged Jett.
“Hmm?”
