Page 131 of Take What You Want

I grab her hips and pull her close once again. She places her hands on my chest.

“I haven’t given that asshole two seconds of my attention this entire night. You are all I see in this room and all that matters. I touch you because I can’t keep my fucking hands off of you, Jane.” And sure, it doesn’t hurt if her shitty ex sees her beingheld and appreciated the way she should. “I don’t have to prove anything to him and neither do you.”

Jane’s fingers tighten against the lapels of my suit. “Okay,” she sighs. “I’m sorry, I just…seeing him again, it just brings up some stuff for me. Not unresolved feelings or anything,” she rushes to reassure me, “but old wounds I’ve healed.”

“I understand. And I’m not threatened by him. You don’t have to reassure me of what I already know.”

A small smile slants her lips at my arrogance that I know she secretly loves. “And what is that, exactly?”

My voice is low, only for her, as I say, “That I don’t have to worry about him, or any other man for that matter. He may think he lost you and is kicking himself right now for it, but you were never his to begin with. You’ve been mine since we were teenagers and while he may have had you for a few years, he nevertrulyhad you. You’ve always been mine, just like I’ve always been yours.”

She swallows thickly. “You keep saying that.”

“I’m just waiting for you to catch up.” I tuck her hair behind her ear and she leans into the touch as she bites her full lip. I wait for her to say it, to tell me it back, but she keeps holding back.

It’s alright. I’ll wait as long as she needs.

“You’re absolutely breathtaking, Jane, and I’m not just talking about tonight.” I kiss her softly, carefully, knowing she won’t want me to ruin her hard work she put into her makeup. “Although I do appreciate the vision you are wrapped in red.”

“I picked it out with you in mind.” She smiles and presses another kiss to my lips.

I let my hand drift from her hip down the slope of her ass. It’s full and plump and so fucking smackable that if we were around our friends and not her colleges, I would.

Well, actually not around our friends either. Fuck, we need to talk to Walker. But I push the thought aside. I don’t want to think about him right now.

We make our way around the party, chatting to her various co-workers but mostly just Hallie. I enjoy sitting back, listening to the two of them catch up, and watching the way Jane lights up talking to her friend. I keep their drinks restocked and dodge any talks of business with the few partners that try to approach me. Liam steers clear of us.

After a while, Jane and Hallie include me in the conversation and we make our way outside on the terrace. Hallie tells me stories of Jane in college and I smile at the embarrassment that heats Jane’s face with each one. It’s good to hear she had so much fun in the years apart. It eases something in me slightly that I didn’t take all of the light out of her eyes that night in my backyard like I had feared.

It was a stupid fear to begin with. Jane is the strongest woman I know and she’d never let anyone, not even me, take that from her.

Jane perches on my lap as we sit around one of those fancy fire pits with the rocks instead of wood. She wiggles her hips every now and then, teasing me. My fingers dig into her thighs in warning, but she just continues to give me that same, flirty smirk each time she looks over her shoulder.

I twirl her hair around my fingers as time passes. Finally, she and Hallie seem to have exhausted every possible topic for conversation and Hallie yawns.

“I better get home,” she says. She stands and stretches her arms above her head before plopping them back at her sides. “My parents want to go to brunch in the morning, so I have to be up and at ’em.”

Jane looks at me. “Are you ready to go too?”

“I’m ready when you are.” I’ve been ready since I she stepped out of the car in this fucking dress, but I keep that to myself.

She stands, and instantly, I miss her weight and warmth on my lap. Before I join the two of them, I discreetly adjust myself because having Jane’s ass perched on my lap for the last hour has made me painfully hard.

We make our way down the elevator and Jane and Hallie say their goodbyes. She promises to fly back to LA soon.

Hallie goes in for a hug. I reciprocate, surprised by the gesture, but when she whispers in my ear, I realize this wasn’t out of affection. “If you hurt her again, I swear to God, there won’t be a place on this earth that I won’t track you down and castrate you. Understood?”

She pulls back with an innocent smile, so at odds with the threat she just issued me. Her lashes flutter against her cheeks as she waits for my response.

I’m speechless to do anything else but nod. Jane watches the two of us curiously. I’m not even offended that she would threaten me like that after a night where we seemed to be cool. If anything, I’m happy that Jane has a friend like her. I know the guys would do the same for me.

The two of them say goodbye once more before Hallie ducks into the car waiting for her. We’re exposed out here by the valet, waiting for our car to be pulled around, but the streets are empty. It’s late, or early depending on how you want to look at it, and Boston doesn’t have the same pap situation that LA does.

So I feel comfortable enough to pull Jane in for a hug as Hallie’s car drives off and we wait. She wraps her arms around my shoulders and tangles her fingers in my hair. We’re content to hold one another, comfortable in the silence.

“Thank you for coming tonight,” she murmurs into my shoulder. Her eyes shine when she lifts her head, and I rub my thumb across her cheek.

“I wouldn’t have missed it,” I whisper.

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