Page 40 of The Wrangler

She pulled back just enough to see his face, to memorize the way his lashes flickered, the way his lips parted as he breathed her in. “You asshole,” she whispered.

Jesse chuckled, but it was weak, the sound rattling in his chest. “That’s five.”

She kissed him. It wasn’t gentle. It wasn’t careful. It was desperate, full of love and frustration and everything she couldn’t say. Jesse groaned into her mouth, his grip weak but possessive as he cupped her jaw, tilting her closer.

“You can’t do that again,” she whispered, her forehead pressing against his. “You scared the hell out of me.”

Jesse grinned. “I’ll try not to get shot again. No promises.”

Keely let out a half-laugh, half-sob, shaking her head. “You asshole.”

He grinned, but it was small, pained. “You already said that.”

She kissed his knuckles, pressing his hand to her cheek. “I love you, Jesse.”

His breath hitched.

Keely swallowed hard. “And if youeverscare me like that again, I will tie you to the bed and leave you there for a week.”

Jesse’s lips quirked. “Nope. If anyone does any tying anyone up, it’s me tying you to the bed—come to think of it, I kinda like the sound of that.”

She rolled her eyes, but the laughter that bubbled up was real. “You are impossible.”

His hand lifted weakly, his fingers brushing through her hair. “And you’re mine.”

Her throat tightened. Jesse let out a slow breath, his eyes slipping closed again, but this time, this time, she wasn’t afraid.

14

JESSE

Jesse woke to the scent of Keely—warm vanilla and something sweet—something uniquelyher. It wrapped around him, grounding him before he even opened his eyes.

The steady beep of the heart monitor told him he was still in the hospital. His side ached dully, reminding him of the bullet he’d taken. The fact that Keely was beside him, curled into his side, her fingers laced with his, told him everything else he needed to know.

She hadn’t left him. He probably didn’t want to know what she’d had to do to pull that off; he was just glad she’d done it.

He turned his head slightly, careful not to jostle her. Her hair was a wild mess against his chest, strands falling across her cheek. Her breathing was deep and even, her body warm where it pressed against his. He found the sight unexpectedly devastating.

Keely Malone, all stubborn fire and reckless defiance, had stayed. The woman who let no one in, who fought tooth and nail for control in every aspect of her life, was here—holding his hand in her sleep like she didn’t care if the whole damn world saw it.

Jesse felt something shift inside him, something permanent and untamed. She was his.

He wondered if she knew she’d been his from the moment she walked into his life with her sharp mouth and wicked eyes, challenging him at every turn. He’d spent a long time pretending he could keep his hands off her, but the second she let him in—truly let him in—there had never been another option.

He had never belonged to a woman before, not like this. Not in a way that felt like his goddamn soul had tied itself to hers. He thought about the many conversations he’d had with Vanessa Ellington, the best-selling romance author who also played at the club. She believed in love at first sight and soul mates. Jesse had believed in neither… until he’d met Reed’s bratty little sister.

Keely stirred, her lashes fluttering as she shifted against him. Jesse squeezed her fingers, watching as her brow furrowed slightly before she blinked up at him. For a moment, she just stared.

Then she shot upright so fast she nearly ripped the IV out of his arm. “Jesse?” Her voice was rough, panicked, still thick with sleep.

He grinned—damn, that hurt—and squeezed her hand again. “Mornin’, darlin’.”

She pressed both palms against his chest like she needed him to breathe, as if she didn’t trust her eyes alone.

“You’re awake.”

“Noticed that, did you?”

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