Page 109 of Five Alarm Kiss

“We’d been going out maybe three months, at most, and I’d decided I was in love with her. Looking back…” He lifted a hand to rub the base of his neck and laughed. It was a humorless, hollow sound. “I have no fucking idea why.”

Laurel put the ice pack on the table and took his hand with her uninjured one. “You needed someone.”

“Maybe.” He closed his fingers around hers and lifted her hand to his lips.

She didn’t say anything further. It was his choice whether or not to continue.

“Long story short,” he said, “I asked her to marry me. Practiced what I was going to say, got down on one knee… the whole nine yards. I don’t know if she thought I was kidding or what, but she looked at me and said, ‘Jakey’—Fuck, I hate ‘Jakey.’ Don’t ever call me ‘Jakey’.”

There was a twinkle in his eye, so Laurel allowed herself a little smile. “Wouldn’t dream of it.”

“Good.” He kissed her hand again. “She said, ‘Jakey, I’m not gonna marry you. You’re hot and everything, but you’re not the type of guy girls marry’.”

Laurel gasped and covered her mouth in shock before dropping it back down to ask, “What?Are you kidding me?” She’d never met the girl, but suddenly she wanted to hunt her down and slap her into Sunday.

“Hey, at least she said I was hot.” He smirked when he added, “She must’ve forgotten to add the great in bed part.”

Laurel knew he was trying to make light of it, but if he still remembered exactly what she’d said all these years later, it had to have really hurt him.

“Why?” The woman had to have been crazy not to marry him. “Did she say why?”

“‘Not husband material’,” he quoted.

“‘Not husband material?’What the hell does that mean?” She was fuming. “I can’t believe she wouldn’t marry you!”

Jake’s mouth pulled up on one side.

“Not that I’m not happy you’re not married, but what the hell does that even mean?”

“Laurel.” He was smiling now.

“Of course, you’re husband material!”

“Laurel.”

She was livid. If this Ashley chick was here, she’d deck her—sore hand or not. “Who says something like that?”

Jake grabbed her face with both hands and kissed her. All the anger and irritation she’d felt at the thought of some stupid woman—some stupid, immaturegirl—saying that to Jake blurred into the background when she opened for him and he swept his tongue inside. He kissed her until she melted against him… until nothing else mattered except his lips on hers. The only reason she let him end the kiss when he did was because she was starting to feel light-headed from lack of oxygen. Or maybe it was just because she was kissing Jake.

“You swore,” he said.

“What?”

He kissed her again, muddling her thoughts. “You swore.”

What’s he talking about?

She started racking her brain, trying to remember what she’d said, but all she could think about was how some heartless, horrible person had hurtherman.

“I did?”

He nodded. “You said, ‘What thehelldoes that mean?’”

Did I?

“You said ‘hell,’ Princess.” His gaze was so tender, it may as well have been a caress. “For me.” He traced her lower lip with his tongue and whispered, “Twice,” before kissing her again.

Within a few heartbeats, his kiss turned from tender to searing. He speared his fingers into her hair and held her in place as his mouth mastered hers, demanding submission. Heat coiled in her belly as she gave herself over, letting him take everything she had. She was his. Whether he knew it or not, Jake Lockwood controlled her heart.

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