I look between him and the key and back again.
“Jackson…the key wasn’t under the pot,” I tell him.
“Well, that’s how she got in,” he explains.
There it is again. Hope flaring in my chest. And again, I do what I can to dampen it down. “Jackson… I just think this is probably good this happened. I mean, you need time…”
He gets down on his knees in front of me. He’s caged me in and I can feel the sweet heat of him against my body and we aren’t even touching.
“I don’t need time. I need you. The other day I didn’t tell you this because you were already skittish, but I’m telling you now. I want you, Megan. Not just for today, not just for tonight… I want you for always. I want to go to sleep with you in my arms and wake up the same damn way. I want you. That’s all I want.” His hands move from the arms of the chair and now they’re rubbing up and down my legs.
Stunned, I stare back at him, and he must see it in my face, because I can’t help but soften toward him.
“I love you. I feel like I’ve loved you forever. Please, don’t give up on us. If you need time, that’s fine. But just don’t give up on us,” he pleads with me, right before his lips touch mine.
Epilogue
Jackson
I wish I could say it was smooth sailing after that. But it took some time. After a few kisses and me begging to stay with her, she finally let me stay in her bed that night. I was fully clothed and nothing but a few chaste kisses happened, but I was able to sleep with her in my arms. I definitely call that a win.
It’s been the same way every night since then. It’s taking her a while to process everything. I wonder if a part of her doesn’t trust me. But I’m fine with it. I’m happy to prove my love to her. I try my best to be patient with her. If the roles were reversed I would probably be destroyed, so I can’t blame her for needing time.
A few weeks go by and I come home from work to take a shower before I go over to her house. When I pull in the driveway, Megan’s car is there.
I smile broadly and take the steps to my house two at a time. I use the key to unlock the door, and as soon as I walk inside, I call out, “Honey, I’m home.”
“I’m in here,” she hollers from the bedroom.
I stride to the doorway and stop. My eyes about pop out of my head. Megan is lying on the bed with a black nightie on and her long blond hair high in a knot on the top of her head. She’s beautiful.
When I don’t move any closer to her, she sits up. “I thought… I thought… well, I can get dressed.”
“No!” I holler. I start pulling off my boots and stripping off my clothes. “Stay right there, honey. You just made all my dreams come true.”
I lie down and cover my body with hers. Kissing her, I pull back when she tries to talk into my mouth. “What is it?” I ask her.
“Before we did this, I just wanted to tell you too. I love you, Jax.” She smiles and then pushes me backwards before straddling me. I pull her face down to mine, kissing her and then I show her just how much I love her too.