Page 157 of Failure to Match

Slowly, I let my gaze drift up to meet his. Had I mentioned how painfully beautiful his eyes were? I could stare at them for hours, memorizing every last stroke of harsh winter blue. They were breathtaking and exquisite. I loved them.

And he loved me.

It took active effort to pry my jaw open, and then I realized I had no idea where to even start.

“Um” was the first thing that came out of my mouth, and “you were drunk” was the second.

Thankfully, he knew exactly what I was trying to say. “Wasted, actually. Couldn’t see straight when I left the message.Walking felt like a game of liquid Tetris. It was rather distressing.”

I’d have been amused by that if I wasn’t dying.

“So, you didn’t mean any of it,” I said.

“Not correct.”

Literally dying. “But you regret it.”

His gaze melted. “Not even close.”

“You told Minerva, and I quote, ‘fuck the shares,’” I reminded him.

He hummed. “Alcohol and adrenaline made my speech disorganized and clumsy, but the sentiment was there. Are the shares really what we should be focused on right now?”

“You’re just going to give them up? After all that?”

“Again, I really didn’t think that would be your biggest takeaway?—”

“You said you could never love me back.” He’d said those words. Told them right to my face.

The light amusement in his expression went out. “I did.”

My breathing had gone from non-existent to embarrassingly heavy. It was a wonder the whole room hadn’t fogged up yet. “Okay, so... make it make sense.”

“I lied.”

“Why?”

“Terror,” he said without hesitation. “Sheer terror of the consequences if I admitted the truth to you or to myself. I can’t... you have no idea what it was like in that house, what curse she had him under. Turning into either of them is—was—my biggest fear, just until I realized that if I couldn’t get my head out of my ass, you’d walk away, find someone else, and never look back.”

My comprehension levels were at an all-time low, but I was pretty sure I got most of that. “Okay, so then?—”

“I love you, Jamie.”

My heart burst. I couldn’t…wowthat was a rush.

A wicked smile spread over Jackson’s lips as he took in my reaction. “I don’t remember how or when it happened, exactly, but I’ve developed an unacceptable amount of love for you and I very much plan on holding you accountable for it.”

Delight, pure and overwhelming, unfurled in my stomach, releasing a horde of butterflies. I grinned and his posture eased.

“You broke me,” he chided. “It’s been a very traumatic experience. Do you know butterflies in your stomach refer to actual butterflies in your actual stomach? And my heart’s been very dramatic about you. It’s unsettling, to say the least, knowing how many years you’ve shaved off my life.”

“If it didn’t mean getting blacklisted, I’d kiss you right now.” The glass walls of the room were opaque, but Vivian had left the door open. Not by accident, I presumed.

“That’s not going to happen.” His mouth twitched. I so badly wanted to kiss it. “Minerva made a call this morning. If there aren’t ten jobs lined up for you by now, there will be by the time we leave.”

“What?”

He shrugged. “I made myself clear with her. If it’s not you, it’s no one. I reckon she’ll do just about anything to keep you happy from this point on. You’re officially the only hope she has left for securing an heir to the Sinclair throne. Whether it be now or in ten years.”

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