Page 85 of Elling & Jackie

"You're younger than I thought." She lowered her gaze to his beard.

He'd braided the whiskers into three slim braids. She gathered them in her hand, the ends hanging past her pinky finger.

"Age matters?"

She laughed softly. "Remind me sometime to tell you a little story about people's ages."

He grunted in reply. She loved the sounds he made.

"Tell me something about you that nobody knows," she whispered. "Quick."

He chuckled. She tugged his braids, keeping him on task.

"Mm...candles." He reached up and grabbed the back of her hair, tilting her face to the night sky, and kissed her. Against her lips, he said, "Can't stand the smell of them."

"That's so random." She rubbed her lips against his mouth. "Certain fragrances or all candles?"

"Every single one." He pulled back a few inches. "In Norway, my mom always had candles going. Most people there burn them all year long. Inside and outside."

"Oh, that would be lovely to see," she said.

"Ja," he said quietly. "Except for the smell of hot wax."

She smiled, loving his oddity. It made him a little less perfect, which she found endearing.

"What if you can't smell the wax?"

He stared over her head, and his chest expanded before he softly said, "Reminds me of my parents."

She held still. He rarely talked about his parents.

Her heart cried out for the young boy who lost the only comfort and security he had. While she hated thinking about Slag Motorcycle Club and what they represented to her family, she couldn't help respecting them for taking care of a child and giving him a home.

"This is nice." She curled against him, pressing her cheek to his chest. "I'm glad you brought me here."

He cupped her head, holding her against his chest. She closed her eyes, overcome with a possessive need to never leave the spot. If she could spend every day, every second, listening to the beat of his heart, feel the passion and security radiating off him, she would have everything she'd ever wished for.

"Tomorrow, I want to take you somewhere." He stroked her hair.

"Okay." She raised her head to look at him. "But I thought you were spending the night at the hotel with me."

He shook his head. "I need to be at the clubhouse early in the morning. I'll swing by at noon and pick you up."

She pouted. He flipped her bottom lip with his thumb, lingering on her mouth.

"Don't tempt me." He kissed her hard and solid.

"Yeah?" She waited for him to change his mind and spend the night with her.

He stepped away and grabbed a pack of smokes out of his vest pocket. She reached into his other pocket and extracted his lighter, bringing the flame to life for him.

Raising his brows, he puffed and mumbled, "Like that, Jacqueline."

Warmth flooded her. She slipped the lighter back in his pocket, wanting to linger and touch him more.

"My bed will be cold without you." She stepped away and looked out over the city, trying one more time to get him to change his mind and stay the night with her.

She didn't know what she expected him to do when he had other obligations. Only that the thought of leaving him, even for the time they would both be sleeping, depressed her.

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