I held out my arms. “I love you, Jaxson.”
For a moment, he was frozen. Then he crawled onto the mattress, hovering over me.
“You shouldn’t.”
“But I do.”
He stared down at me, the pain still clouding his eyes. Then they closed, hiding the emotion from me.
“I’ll take it,” he whispered. “For however long it is, I’ll take it.”
“Forever,” I replied.
“There is only now, Grace. Forever doesn’t exist.” He covered my mouth with his and kissed me.
I wanted to protest, to tell him there was forever, but I knew not to argue. I would prove it to him. We had time, and I would show him what forever looked like.
But for now, I was lost with him.
Exactly where I wanted to be.
Chapter 15
Grace
Sunday, I woke up, tired and sore. Jaxson had been relentless all night. He was all over me, barely giving me time to recover before he would start again. It was an endless circle of pleasure, and I was as caught up in the vortex as him. I blinked in the late-morning light and turned my head, meeting Jaxson’s blue gaze. He looked exhausted, and the odd pain I had seen the night before still lingered.
I cupped his cheek, stroking along his jawline. “What is it?”
“You are so beautiful.”
I smiled but shook my head. “Jaxson, what’s wrong?”
“Nothing is wrong. I like looking at you.”
“You seem worried.”
“I’m fine. Your phone has been buzzing the last little while, though. You might want to answer it.”
I groaned, covering my eyes with my arm. “What time is it?”
“Just after eleven. I arranged for a late check-out.”
“The buzzing would be my dad. He calls every Sunday, and we have ‘breakfast’ together. I forgot to tell him I wouldn’t be around.” I flung back the blanket, shivering as the cool air hit my skin. I was forgetting a lot of things these days, it seemed. I grabbed the fluffy white robe and picked up my phone, seeing I had missed four FaceTime requests from my dad plus three messages. I quickly texted him.
Grace: Dad—sorry. Working on a case in the office. My phone was in my purse. I forgot. Will call when I get home? Love you lots. Gxxx
His reply came fast.
Richard: Gracie – I was worried. Spoke to Heather, who said you had a big case. Glad you’re okay. We’ll do coffee this afternoon instead. Call when you get home and tell your boss you need a day off. Love you, baby girl. xxx
I sighed, scrubbing my face. I hated lying to the people I loved. Not being able to share with them about something so important to me. I had always confided in my dad and Heather, but I knew I couldn’t this time.
Jaxson handed me a cup of coffee. “You all right?”
“Yes.” I faced him, deciding to be honest. “I hate lying to them.”
He had an odd look on his face. “You won’t be for much longer.”
I sipped my coffee, waiting for him to elaborate. To tell me he loved me too and we would work this out. Instead, he bent and kissed my forehead. “I’m going to grab a shower. I’ll take you home, and you can call your dad.”
I watched him walk away, an unsettled feeling coming over me. I expected him to call over his shoulder and tell me to join him. To tease me about what he would do to me in the shower. But he didn’t. In fact, he closed the bathroom door, leaving me alone.
The feeling grabbed hold, almost choking me.
Something was wrong.
Jaxson seemed fine when he came out of the shower, a towel draped around his waist. He teased me about moving slow, pushed me toward the bathroom, telling me we had another hour to check out. I showered and dressed, finding him sitting on the sofa, staring at his phone. I felt his anger from the doorway, the deep frown on his face expressing his emotion clearly.
“Jaxson?”
He glanced up, smoothing out his expression. “You ready?” he asked, standing, sliding his phone into his pocket.
“Is everything all right?”
“Yes.”
“Who was on the phone? You looked angry.”
“No, simply concentrating. The office.”
“Can I help?”
He approached me, a tender expression replacing the anger. He lifted up my face and kissed me gently. “No, but thank you. This is something I have to handle on my own.”
Our eyes met and held. He hid his feelings well, but I saw the turmoil he was concealing.
“Tell me,” I whispered.
He stepped back. “It’s fine, Grace. It doesn’t concern you. Now, get your bag and we’ll head out. You have calls to make, and I have some things to take care of.”
He walked away, and the feeling that still simmered below the surface once again rose up, cutting off my breathing. I knew without a doubt he was lying to me.
The question was, about what?
“You look stressed. Are you okay?” My dad’s voice was worried, his shrewd hazel gaze seeing too much. Jaxson had dropped me off, stating he had things he needed to take care of. He had kissed me gently, cupping my face.