Page 54 of Captured By Fate

"We have to go," he says gruffly, the tenderness gone when he pulls away.

"Do you feel anything for me?" My voice breaks the silence, a whisper laden with hope and fear.

Jackson's shoulders tense. He pauses, a heavy sigh escaping him.

"I'm scared of love," he confesses, voice rough with suppressed anguish. "Everyone I've cared for has either betrayed me or been ripped away."

He steps closer, tentatively brushing a strand of hair from my face. I lean into his touch, my heart racing wildly.

"But with you...I want to try. I don't want to lose this." His admission hangs delicately between us.

Overwhelmed, I fling my arms around his neck. He stiffens in surprise before relaxing and circling me in his strong embrace. I feel his breath stir my hair as he whispers the words I've longed to hear.

"I love you."

The dam inside me bursts and I crush my lips to his, pouring all my pent-up longing and devotion into the kiss. He returns it fiercely, months of restrained passion igniting between us.

We break apart panting, foreheads pressed together. The significance of this moment sinks in, sealing our fates inexorably together.

"I love you too," I breathe, meaning it with my entire soul.

Jackson's answering smile lights up his rugged features. Gone is the simmering danger, leaving only tender reverence in its wake.

A relieved smile breaks across my face, mirrored by a tentative one on Jackson's, as the barriers between us start to crumble. The room seems brighter somehow, shadows receding to reveal new possibilities.

Jackson steps closer, brushing a strand of hair behind my ear with a feather-light touch that sends tingles across my skin. "I've been a fool," he murmurs, stormy eyes boring into mine.

"We both have," I reply, covering his hand with my own. "But not anymore."

Jackson searches my face as if seeing me clearly for the first time. I lay myself bare before him, no more walls or misgivings. His expression softens, doubt giving way to wonder.

With excruciating tenderness, he traces the line of my jaw, his rough fingertips leaving sparks in their wake. My knees go weak and I grasp his muscular arms to steady myself. We're so close I can see the flecks of green in his gray irises, beautiful and complex as the man himself.

"No more running," he vows, voice gravelly with emotion. "I want to make this work, Kelley. If you're willing..."

"Yes," I breathe without hesitation, joy welling up inside me. "Always yes."

Jackson's smile is like the sun emerging from behind clouds. He leans in slowly, giving me time to pull away. But I surge up to meet him, our lips meeting in a kiss that seals our newfound understanding.

My hands tangle in his dark hair and his strong arms encircle me like iron bands as we pour every suppressed emotion into the embrace. The outside world falls away until nothing exists but Jackson and I, together at last.

When we finally break for air, foreheads resting together, the atmosphere has shifted. A new partnership forged, unbreakable. The future, once uncertain, now looks bright with promise.

"No matter what comes, we face it together," Jackson murmurs, echoing my thoughts. I smile and pull him back to me, our lips reaffirming that solemn vow.

34

JACKSON

Now that we’re back at home, things are different. Something profound has shifted between us. Since I declared to everyone that Kelley is mine, since I told her of my feelings, since she told me she loved me…it’s just different. It’s better.

It's so much better.

This woman is my everything. I gave up a lot for her and I don’t regret any of it. Not even a little bit. I would make the same decisions all over again.

I dismiss the servants with a wave of my hand as we enter the living room. With a smile, Kelley stands on her tip toes and plants a light kiss on my lips.

“Thanks for saving me,” she whispers.

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