Page 26 of Dangerous Devotion

“Okay. What should I wear?”

“My assistant will have everything you need.”

“Okay. See you soon.”

“Hey, Serena,” he says, faltering just as I’m about to hang up.

“Yeah?”

“I miss you.”

I smile. “I miss you, too.”

A bubble of excitement rises in me because I’ll see him later. I have to tell myself to calm down, and don’t get too excited. I have a baby to think of now and my decisions have to be smarter and less impulsive. I look up the best vitamins and exercise for pregnant women in the first trimester and make some notes, a shopping list. Then I do some laundry before I flat iron my hair and put on make-up. I’m ready way too early, giddy and a little queasy, possibly because I didn’t feel like eating lunch.

When the car pulls up to my house, it’s not the dark Town Car I expect. It’s Jack himself, driving his car. My heart leaps, a grin blooms on my face.

What is he up to?

14

JACK

Her face when she sees that it’s me—that’s the greatest payoff right there. The biggest rush of satisfaction swamps me, like I succeeded, I’ve made her smile. I don’t hear violins in my head or anything stupid, but I definitely get out to open her door. She looks me right in the eyes and says, “I thought a car was coming for me?”

“I saw a chance to end the meeting early,” I say, downplaying the fact that I moved the entire schedule around on several executives who were smart enough not to complain.

Serena smiles, her dimples showing. “I’m glad you did. Now I don’t have to wait to see you. Tell me where we’re really going.”

I open the door and settle her in the car. “You’ll have to wait and see,” I say playfully. Her hand darts out, catches my tie and tugs me closer.

“Please?” she says, her pretty eyes sparkling.

I growl a little, deep in my chest, a possessive noise that slips out as I catch her wrist and bring her hand to my lips, kiss her palm. I feel her body respond, the way her skin heats and lips parted as her breathing gets faster.

If I kiss her now, this will be over. We’ll never make our appointment then. I clear my throat and release her hand, back away from her.

“We better get going,” I say, my voice gruff and rusty as I force my body to calm down.

I drive, my hands gripping the wheel too hard, the air conditioning blowing hard in my face as I try to cool myself off.

“I’m a little cold. Mind if I snuggle up to you?” she says.

I curse the gear shift in the way, reach for her with my right hand, draw her closer. She turns down the fan so it’s not a gale force wind in the interior of my car. She leans on my shoulder. I let a breath out and tension loosens in my chest. I rub my cheek over her hair and let myself feel how much I love her.

“God, I love you,” I murmur into her hair at a stop light.

She lifts her face and the tremulous lips; the wide eyes nearly unman me. I lock lips with her swiftly, sucking her lower lip, giving her a soft, quick kiss because I can’t keep not kissing her all the way there.

Her small hand reaches up and cups my cheek. Her eyes are too bright, gleaming with unshed tears. A knot forms in my throat, my whole body going rigid as steel. She’s about to cry. I want to find whoever upset her and rip them apart. The urge to rescue her, to avenge her sadness is primitive. I might as well be a wolf, a bear, some wild animal gone feral over his mate.

“What’s wrong?”

“Nothing,” she manages. She sniffs bravely and blinks fast, forcing the tears down. “I’m happy with you. It’s hard to wrap my head around it.”

I nearly sag with relief. “That’s good news,” I say.

“This is supposed to be the worst time of my life since my mom died—my dad being so deep in debt I was scared that the Mob would kill him before I could find a way to pay it off. Here I am. In your car beside you, on the way to some surprise. With this charming, handsome man telling me that he’s in love with me. This stuff doesn’t happen to girls like me, girls with bad luck and wasted potential.”