Page 106 of Never You

The look on his face makes me believe this is a big deal for him too. It makes me want to put on my big girl pants and ask him to stay. To be with me and figure out what’s going on between us.

“What if they don’t like me?” Suddenly, anxiety gets the upper hand and my breath stutters, but when I turn my head to face him, it’s all gone as quickly as it came.

His features glare at me unimpressed as if I’m talking a different language.

“No one could evernotlike you,” he scolds, softly squeezing my hand.

“You didn’t like me for five years.”

A laugh rumbles from his chest. “You were a pain in my ass, but I never said I didn’t like you. I’vealwaysliked you.”

Here I go, sliding out of my fucking seat. Who knew Jensen could actually say the right things when he’s trying to be sweet?

“They will love you.” He tentatively presses his lips on top of my hand once more, and I slip back into my relaxed mode.

How the hell did I end up here?

How the hell is it possible that Jared JamesfuckingJensen is the one who makes me feel like I can take on the world just by looking at me?

Five minutes later, he parks behind an old truck in front of a cute white house.

Roses give the home a cozy feel, and as I look at the swinging bench on the porch, I can imagine sitting there on a summer morning with a cup of tea.

We exit the car, and when Jensen is caught up with me on the grass, he grabs my hand again, shooting me a sweet smile. My cheeks flush red as I push a strand of my blonde hair behind my ear, welcomed by the flowery scent of the rosebed we approach. That weird feeling inside of me seems to intensify by the moment, and if he keeps giving me this Jensen, I think I’ll just combust into flames before dinner is over.

When walking up the porch steps, he places himself in front of me, cupping my cheek. “It will be fun. Don’t worry.”

I’m not sure if he’s convincing me or himself, but I love how considerate he is being. He presses a kiss to my forehead, then leads us to the front door. Before either of us can ring the doorbell, a loud deep bark echoes from inside before it’s followed by some muffled commands, and the bark dies down. I straighten my shirt with one hand, the other still intertwined with Jensen as we wait until the door opens and a tall, handsome guy smiles at us.

“Jensen! So glad you could make it!” I cock my head a little, staring at his familiar face. “Where’s Bodi?”

Jensen chuckles. “Doing nothing PG-13 with Rae’s cousin.”

“That bastard,” Hunter grins.

A black snapback sits backward on his head, giving him a boyish look, yet his physique shows he’s all man. My eyes bulge when I recognize the man standing in front of me.

“You’re Hunter Hansen,” I blurt, more starstruck than I intended.

Smooth, Rae.

He brings his attention to me with kindness on his face as he offers me his hand, accompanied with a wink. “And you’re Rae Stafford. Nice to finallyofficiallymeet you.”

I'm lost for words, struck by the realization that I'm about to enter the home of the greatest MMA fighter of my time. I've seen him on the few occasions Jensen brought him with him tosponsor parties, but I never actually spoke with the man even though I used to watch his fights with Johnny.

“You were amazing against Venom Valentina last spring! The way you knocked him out with that high kick? Phenomenal!” I hold his hand for a second too long, and I can see a slight glare forming on Jensen’s face from the corner of my eyes, clearly not impressed with the gawking look I’m sending his friend. “What?” I shrug. “It’s not every day you meet a champion.”

“Thank you,” Hunter chuckles, releasing me from his grasp.

“I just won the Stanley Cup,” Jensen deadpans, a little offended.

“Aah, don’t be jealous.” I wrap my arms around his waist, looking up at him with fluttering lashes. “You’re still my number one.”

He grunts, squinting his eyes, but still gives me a kiss, indicating he’s satisfied for now.

“You men have such big egos,” I joke.

“Don’t I know it.” A gorgeous woman appears behind Hunter, beaming at me.

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