Page 102 of Wanted

Jealousy is a powerful emotion, right now I understand the expression to kill for love.

“It isn’t going to happen, we already have a plan. We’ll be safe, but we have to take care of ourselves.”

She seems to relax a little, so I take the opportunity to press her against my chest once more. The seats of this plane are quite wide, so I can hug her without having the armrest poking me in my ribs.

“Maybe I should invest in a plane like this,” I say, radically changing the subject. I don’t want her to worry about anything.

Her mouth opens in a perfect circle and her eyes widen as she looks around.

“And why do you want something so extravagant?” Good question.

Decorated in blue and beige tones, leather, wood, and steel accents. Jackson has spared no expense. I’m not a flashy person, but it might be a good investment.

“If you want to stay in Carrollton to be close to your mother while the baby is born, I’ll have to be trotting between Los Angeles and Kentucky all the time. I have a business to attend to and as much as I enjoy spending time with you, there are people who depend on me. I can’t throw it all away.”

In the blue of her eyes I see a shadow of sadness appear. My heart shatters because I know I put it there.

“Sorry,” she mutters, looking down. “It’s just I want to be close to my family. After what happened in your house with your mother I don’t know…”

I don’t want to hear her say those words.

“Our house, Stella. The house belongs to both of us,” I clarify before giving her a soft kiss on those pink lips. When I built it I had no idea I was waiting for her. Getting ready for her arrival.

“How did I ever fall in love with him? I’m such an idiot,” she adds again, looking me in the eye. “And how didn’t I realize you are different people, now everything is so clear. Even if you are identical twins, you have some differences, your eyes are less dark than his and you have this freckle here next to your mouth…” She traces it with the tip of her finger, then I catch it with my teeth, nibbling on it gently.

The things I would do to her if we were alone. Patience, I tell my cock who wants to be part of the fun. We still wait.

“Hvezda, you’re not an idiot. You are one of the smartest women I know. What did you expect? We all fell for his game. Even though we are not Xerox copies, it would be easy to get confused. Also, all the stress of the attack and my recovery, your head was all over the place.”

“I’m still mad at you for lying to me,” she says, sticking her bottom lip out in an adorable pout. I really want to bite it. “You don’t know how I felt when I overheard you talking to your mother. I felt beyond silly. Fooled by everyone, living in a pantomime without knowing it. The Truman Show featuring Stella Lambert.”

“Stella Kral,” I remind her, that is her name. “And frankly I hope this time you don’t intend to run away again…”

She closes her eyes for a moment, as if thinking of the correct answer.

“No, but we have a lot of work ahead of us. And with a baby on the way…”

This time I do kiss her. Enough doubts, enough.

“I know you didn’t want this yet, you told me several times,” I tell her, my voice is low but firm. She needs to understand. “But everything happens for a reason, and our baby isn’t a mistake.”

“I never said that!” She defends herself and my heart warms knowing we think the same. Our baby isn’t a mistake, nothing in our relationship is. Maybe it conceived unconventionally, but still.

“What I mean is that he’s here, and it’s for a reason. Now we just have to walk forward, if you decide to give me another chance, that God knows I don’t deserve, but I’ll appreciate it.”

Fool me once it’s your fault… I remember those words she said at the beginning.

“You have a lot of work to do, Kral,” she chides, mischievous sparks coming from her eyes.

“Whatever you want, love,” I add. “I hope that talking to your mother and Aunt Felicia won me some points. And speaking of your aunt, she has some explaining to do.”

As it turns out, when I asked Stella how she found June, the nun, she told me that she’s her Aunt Felicia’s best friend. Because they are so close and talk regularly, Stella could communicate with her aunt without Jackson’s men finding any changes or new numbers in the call logs. As I said, Stella is one of the smartest women I know, she played her cards perfectly.

Stella laughs loudly. At me, of course.

“Oh Lionel,” she says, taking a deep breath. “My aunt likes you, but I’m her spoiled niece and as far as she’s concerned, you’re still on probation.”

I mumble a curse. A house full of women. Hormones in overabundance.

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