Before You

“Open it.”

She shook her head, taking in her husband’s gaze. “Andrew, you do too much for me.”

“It makes me happy.” He nodded toward his palm where the box still sat, encouraging her to take it from him.

She eventually did, removing the gold paper and lifting the tiny lid. As she saw what was inside, her eyes filled with tears, her lips gently quivering. “They’re so incredibly beautiful.” Sitting on the bottom of the box were a pair of diamond earrings, round in shape, a size larger than the fake ones she had on. “I’m so in love with them.”

“Your wrist is next.” He lifted her hand, kissing the center of it, turning it to caress the other side. “Maybe another necklace after that.”

Her eyes returned to his.

“I’m going to give you everything you’ve ever wanted.” His hand moved to her cheek, thumb brushing back and forth. “And I’m going to give you a baby.”

Honey stared at him, the dark pink sky creating the warmest glow over their skin. The tears that were in her eyes began to drip. He knew. He always did, but it hit her harder tonight.

“I believe you,” she whispered.

He kissed her before he pulled away. “Then, stop thinking about it and trust me.”

FORTY-FOUR

JARED

WHY AM I looking at her that way?

Because there was a battle happening inside my head again, and I was doing everything I could not to drop this bowl and pull her into my arms.

I couldn’t do that. I couldn’t give in to the temptation.

I couldn’t be the one to cross the goddamn line even if her side was the one I wanted to be on.

“Jared …” She was reminding me she had asked me a question.

When I said nothing, she released the bowl, and I immediately set it on the counter, my stare following it.

“Thank you,” she said softly, moving over to the pot to make a bowl for herself.

“For what?”

“Giving me a break from your eyes.” She grabbed something from the drawer.

“What does that mean?”

She turned to me, freezing when our stares connected, her hand not rising to give me the utensil. “You were looking at me like you were about to devour me … the same way you’re staring at me right now.”

I was fucking crazy to have these thoughts. To even consider the things that were forming in my head.

She was too young.

The situation wasn’t right.

It never would be.

But there was something heavier in my mind. Something that outweighed it all, and that was my need to have her.

I knew when I growled, “Come here,” I was making the biggest mistake.

But in that moment, I didn’t care.

A smile came over her lips, reaching all the way to her eyes. I needed to taste it.

“Hurry, Billie.”

She put her bowl down and closed the space between us.

But now that I had her right in front of me, my hands remained at my sides, and I was still fighting to touch her.

Billie Paige was more than a struggle; she was a fucking war. And each second, I negotiated with myself, bargaining what I would gain and lose once my hands were on her.

I couldn’t wait. I had to know. I reached forward, and the tips of my fingers grazed her waist.

“Goddamn it,” I hissed as I felt the hint of a curve. “Billie …” My tone was a warning. A last-ditch effort, putting the responsibility on her because I wasn’t strong enough to walk away. Not now. “Tell me to stop.” I gripped her harder, her skin burning as my hand rose higher. “Tell me I’m too old for you.”

“Don’t stop,” she moaned. Her teeth gnawed into her bottom lip before she breathed, “And you aren’t too old for me.” Her hand went to my stomach, palm flat, slowly running across my abdomen.

“Tell me not to go any further.” This time, I wasn’t louder than a whisper. “Tell me to take my hands off you.”

She clasped her fingers around mine, holding them against her as though she needed them to stand.

“Billie, please tell me to—”

“I want you, Jared.”

I ground my teeth together as I replayed the sound of her saying the hottest words I’d ever heard. Each echo caused me to clench her tighter until I found myself fisting her thin T-shirt, the fabric threatening to tear off of her.