Page 107 of Done Waiting

“He won’t get the chance, baby girl.” Jagger squeezes me tighter. “I won’t fucking let him near you, let alone give him the chance to torture you.”

“I feel sick,” I mutter. Taking a deep breath, I inhale Jagger’s cinnamon, leather, and smoky scent, which always seems to calm me. That video has unleashed the worst sort of horror inside my mind. Even though I saw Ben raping and strangling a woman, which would haunt all my days and nights if not for Jagger, now I know he’s very capable of torture.

“I know. I wish like hell you never saw that video.”

Pulling back, my head tilts up, my eyes narrowing. “You wouldn’t have kept that from me, right? If Ben sent it when I didn’t have your phone.”

Jagger heaves out a sigh. “It depends—”

I cut him off, my emotions spinning like a tornado. “You can’t keep something like that from me.” My hands clenched into fists. “Even though I hated seeing it, this directly involvesme.”

He glares at me, barely hanging onto his restraint. His hand shakes as he runs it through his hair. “I’d give you a choice, Maddie. I wouldn’t have kept it from you or thrust it in your face to watch.” His voice is sharp when he says, “I thought you knew me better than that.” His grip loosens, and he releases me, moving to stand.

Instantly, I’m contrite.Jagger doesn’t hide things from me. If anything, he’s brutally honest.Had I not seen the video, he would have told me about it and let me decide if I wanted to watch it.

I’m letting Ben get to us. He’d be thrilled if he knew this was affecting us.

“I’m sorry.” Shooting to my feet, I move to him. My hand grips his arm, nails digging into his leather jacket. “I shouldn’t have…”

He slowly turns around, facing me. My eyes pleaded with him to accept my apology.

When his face softens, and he steps closer, pulling me against his chest and wrapping his arms around me, a whoosh of air escapes my lungs. I cling to him, whispering apologies in his ear.

“It’s okay, baby girl. We’re both emotional right now.”

“I can’t… Lose you,” I choke out, tears coursing down my cheeks.

“Oh, God, baby girl. That thoughtnevercrossed my mind.” Burying his face in my hair, he holds me so tight it hurts. “I’d never leave you, Maddie. You’re stuck with me.Forever.”

We stand there like that for several beats. When his grip loosens and I pull back, I run my fingers through his hair. “I know you won’t leave me. That damn video, the upcomingholidays…” My breath comes out in a rush. “It has me on emotional overload.”

“I know, baby girl.” He runs his knuckles down my cheek. “I promised you forever. That I’d make you my wife. And I don’t break my promises to you.” His sexy grin nearly makes me come undone.

Then his lips fuse over mine, and I unravel, needing him to make me forget the depraved acts I witnessed in that video.

Two hours later, I stand in the kitchen, wearing only a thong and Jagger’s t-shirt. Catching a glimpse of my reflection in the window, I run a hand self-consciously through my hair. “I look like I’ve been thoroughly fucked.”

Jagger raises his eyes from the vegetables he’s chopping. “Look, huh? Funny, ‘cause I remember thoroughly fucking you.”

Giggling, I amend my statement. “Yes, you did. And it shows.” Sauntering over to him, I wrap my arms around his waist, peering around as he continues chopping vegetables for dinner.

“You better watch being this close to me.” His voice is low and gravelly. “I could turn into the Big Bad Wolf at any moment and eat you.”

“Fuck,” I mutter, pressing my face against his back, my panties growing damp from my arousal. “Yes, please.”

His chuckle reverberates from his body to mine. Tossing me that infamous sexy grin over his shoulder, I melt.

His phone rings from inside his sweatpants, interrupting our moment.

“You better answer that. It’s probably Jason. If it is, I’m giving him hell for interrupting the adventures of the Big Bad Wolf.”

Jagger howls with laughter as I untangle myself from him. Reaching inside his pocket, he pulls his phone from it, his laughter dying in his throat immediately.

Oh, God, no.

I know immediately who it is from the rage that pours from Jagger. His black eyes flash as they meet mine.

As much as I don’t want Jagger to answer Ben’s call, I also can’t stand the idea of wondering why he’s calling. “Answer it. See what the fucker wants.”

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