Page 92 of Savage

I digested those words, releasing that I was almost hurt beyond repair.

“I think you’ve finally done it Jaxon,” I blurted sadly, dropping my eyes to the ground, staring at my feet in the new spiky grass of the turf we were standing on. My body trembled.

Jaxon lifted my chin back to face him. “What?”

“Broken me?” I informed him, my tone slightly questioning. I felt so unsure. The pain at the thought of them together had unravelled something inside me.

He released my chin, both his hands cradling my face, pushing his own into mine. “No. Fuck that. This is us, we’re tougher than this shit. It’s a misunderstanding. One that was orchestrated by that little bitch and believe me. I will force her to tell you the truth. Nothing happened. How could it, when I feel the way, I do about you? I would never hurt you.” Raw, determined power rolled off him in waves.

My nostrils flared at that one as I shot him a determined look. “Bullshit. You’ve spent the last two years doing exactly that.”

The night sat around us, the gentle breeze causing goosebumps on my skin. All you could hear was the tangle of our breaths and the noise of the air as it rustled the trees. Jaxon’s hands on my face felt amazing. I was angry with him but my body didn’t care. I jumped slightly as he leaned further forward and placed his forehead against mine. His voice was now a whisper. “I know and I’m sorry. I’ve been such a fucking idiot. I have behaved like a first-class prick and I will do everything I can to make it up to you.”

A bubble of hope surfaced in my chest as my eyes widened. Jaxon pulled his head off mine and stared down at me, waiting for my reply.

“Please Wynter. You have to believe me. I will do anything you ask.”

“You could start by not sleeping with your other stepsister,” I huffed.

“I didn’t sleep with her. How could I when I’m so fucking wrapped up in you? You’re all I think about.”

His next words almost floored me. “I love you, Wynter.”

That earlier feeling of hope surged to the point where I thought I’d explode and I blinked, wondering if I’d misheard him.

“What?” I questioned in a startled voice.

“Don’t let Molly sink our relationship before it’s even started. I fucking love you, Wynter. I’m in love with you. I know that now.”

“Really? You love me?” I still couldn’t believe it. It was too good to be true.

He cleared his throat and I noticed the catch in it. He was genuinely emotional. “I was determined not to allow you to hijack my life. You forced me to feel a vulnerability I haven’t felt since my mother died.”

“Since when? You say you love me, but…”

“I don’t know. Since forever? It feels that way now, but I don’t know when I realised it. That day at the pool maybe, when you rejected me.”

I suddenly had difficulty swallowing. “I didn’t reject you.”

“You slapped my face.”

I pushed a palm to my forehead. “You shocked me. And then you threw what had happened in my face with your comment about putting on a show and the frigid thing. I thought it was all an act.”

“That was no act. You can’t fake chemistry like that. I lost myself in that moment. And I know you did too. You were with me all the way. I lashed out afterwards like I usually do, to try and distance myself from those feelings.”

“You love me?” I echoed, my eyes wide and my lips parting.

Jaxon planted small kisses across my cheeks. “Yes, so fucking much. And I’ll never do anything to hurt you again. You were a threat to my regimented existence. Turning my predictable life upside down. I walled myself off for a reason as I never thought I was capable of these types of feelings. I was torn between chasing you and letting you go. It was fucked up I know and I’m sorry.”

“But you were horrible to me from day one,” I pointed out, wrapping my arms around myself.

“Living with you and not having you has been the hardest thing I’ve had to face and being a shit to you, kept you at arm’s length. You made me question the life I wanted for myself. I didn’t believe in happy ever afters. I fought it but you got under my skin, Wynter, so much that you fucking owned me. I always said I would never let a woman own me like my father did.” His shoulders were slumped and I wanted to bury myself against his chest.

My eyes widened, briefly darting toward the house in the distance. “Why me though?”

He smiled and it lit up his entire face. “Why not you? You’re so beautiful and sweet with a smile so fucking contagious, pretending to remain untouched by you has been a nightmare.”

“So, you want us to be together; for real. Not just the fuck buddy thing.”

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