Page 21 of I Just Want to be Yours

Such a gentleman.

I stare at our texts. Even though I’m thrilled, I can’t ignore the uneasy feeling in my gut. Braden is single, and even though I’m not, we’re always together.

I quickly add another text.

Margot:

Tell him thanks.

If he sees me as anything more than a friend, he does a decent job of hiding it. He doesn’t give me extra attention the way Keith did, and he’s never said anything that oversteps a line. He and Jackson even get along well.

But it’s a feeling I can’t shake.

I open an email to the bookstore and attach the pictures I saved. Before clocking out for the day, I ask the owner what she thinks and for her approval to use the pictures in the feature.

As I gather my things, my phone vibrates again. This time, Jackson’s name appears on the screen. He’s sent me a picture. Swiping it open, I tap on the message to find an old RV staring back at me.

Another message from him pops up shortly after.

Jackson:

Well, we can’t have sex in the van. How about this thing instead?

Letting out a light laugh, I text him back.

Margot:

Is that your new home?

He answers right away.

Jackson:

You’re my home.

I stare at the words on the screen, reading and rereading. He’s never said anything like that. It makes my heart thud in my chest, and I bite my thumbnail, unsure of what to say back.

Jackson:

But we can still fuck in the RV.

The breath I was holding comes out in a gust of laughter, and I roll my eyes. I send him a text back as I walk out of the office.

Margot:

Not likely.

Whose RV is it?

I give my phone my full attention as I wait for his next message.

Jackson:

Our new manager called in some favors. I think it belongs to a friend of a friend of a friend.

Or something like that.

I blink when I read the words. A manager? Jackson had mentioned them needing one once or twice, but I had no idea it was actually in the works.

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