Page 106 of Legacy

The door finally opens across the room, and Luna hops up as Ghost walks out first. A smile cracks in the corner of his mouth, and I didn’t think that was possible, seeing as I’ve never seen him look the slightest bit amused.

Luna tucks against his side, and he whispers something in her ear that has her wide eyes focusing back on me. But before I can ask her what that was about, Jesse walks out of the room like a man on a mission.

Those blue eyes of his are a stormy ocean, brewing with his thoughts. He’s the Bermuda Triangle, and I’m lost.

Jesse doesn’t slow down. With each step, my heart stutters. And when he reaches me, he grabs the sides of my face and claims me in a kiss that possesses me to my core.

Someone across the room hollers.

Everyoneis watching.

But I block it all out as his hands cradle my face, and I sink into a kiss that feels a lot like he’s handing me his whole heart.

I’m still catching my breath when he pulls away.

“You still feel like talking?” He smiles, and it’s blinding.

Unable to manage words, I simply nod, and he leads me to the back of the clubhouse. A wall of windows and sliding glass doors separate the patio from the main space, and there’s a firepit crackling in the night.

The two prospects sitting outside excuse themselves immediately, leaving the backyard to just the two of us.

When I look up at him, framed by the starry sky, I’m reminded of that night in the back of his truck.

Stars overhead.

Hope that seemed endless.

“I want you to stay,” Jesse says, finally breaking the silence.

My eyebrows pinch because that’s not what I was expecting. “I already promised I’d stay until someone—”

“I’m not talking about as Bea’s nanny, Reagan. And I’m not talking about temporarily.” He grabs both my hands,towering over me when he steps closer. “I want you to stay. With us. For us. For me.”

It’s everything I want to hear, but I’m scared to.

“You don’t need me causing you more problems, Jesse. I understand why you protect Bea like you do. That girl deserves your whole heart. You’re an incredible father, and I would never ask you to divide your time or life to fit me into it.”

He grabs my chin, tipping it up. “Wasn’t it you who said love isn’t something you divide? It multiplies.”

I swallow hard, remembering that conversation with Bea. I thought he might have heard us talking, but he didn’t say anything at the time, so I assumed he hadn’t.

“That’s what you’re doing to me, Reagan.” He brushes his thumb over my lower lip. “You multiply everything to the point where I can’t get enough. You give me one kiss, and I want a million. You give me one night with you, and I want them all. You look at me, and I wonder how I ever spent one day of my miserable life not looking into your eyes. You don’t divide my love or my time. You make it worth living. So yes, Beatrice is my entire world. She’s my Earth. She’s what grounds me. But you’re the air. The stars. The universe. You’re the unknown and the infinite possibilities. You’re the hope that makes the hard days feel manageable. I need you. Bea needs you.”

“Jesse…”

“Before you say it’s been a long day and that I’m making a rash decision, hear me out.” He stops me. “Because I’ve known how I feel about you for weeks now, and I’ve just been too scared to do anything about it because I’m afucking coward. I hide my heart behind my club and my daughter. I don’t let people get close. But you’re as close as it gets for me. For you, I’d give anything.”

Tears sting my eyes. “Do you really mean that?”

“With everything I am.” He brushes the tear that falls. “Remember when I told you that any man smart enough to make you his wouldn’t be dumb enough to let you go? Let me be the man who gets to have you—who gets to keep you. I’m tired of waiting around and not telling you how I feel. It’s been too damn long when I should have already done it. It’s why I called the guys without any notice. I’m not waiting another minute.”

“What did you do in there?” My gaze moves to the open door that leads to church, and I realize that the meeting wasn’t about what happened at the store at all.

It was about me.

“I want you to be my old lady, Reagan Brady. Or if you don’t like that term, then my girlfriend. My woman. My everything. Whatever leads to you being my wife someday because I’d be fine with that too. I don’t care what you label us, so long as it means you’re mine.”

My knees nearly buckle, and my heart is bursting at the seams. But my tears turn to something else as a smile creeps up my face.

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