Page 71 of His Perfect Bride
“No, I need to grow and change and become better.” Her lips were so soft against his fingers, so full, so beautiful. Maybe it had been a mistake to touch them. Already his mind was veering away from the much-needed apology and filling with the longing to rub his thumb across her bottom lip.
“I need to grow too,” she whispered.
“I love you just the way you are.” His thumb disobeyed his head and caressed her bottom lip. It was every bit as perfect as he remembered.
“I don’t know, Jackson.” A wrinkle formed in her brow. “What if you regret choosing me?”
“You might regret choosing me.” He shifted his fingers and drew a line along her elegant cheekbone. “You’ve seen how my mind works, and you know that it’s different than other men. I get focused on something like my bridge and become obsessed with it and then I can’t let it go.”
“I love that about you.”
“You do?”
“It just shows how passionate you are about the things you care about.”
He dropped his gaze, suddenly embarrassed by what he needed her to know next. “The truth is, that’s happened with you the same way, Sage. I’m so focused on you that you’re in my mind all the time. You’re all I think about, all I want, and all I need.”
She didn’t respond.
He waited another second before peeking up at her face.
She was smiling. And her smile was beautiful and happy, filling her eyes with light and turning them a vibrant blue. Did that mean she wasn’t put off by his obsession with her?
“Do you think you can tolerate the kind of man who might smother you at times with his attention and ardor?”
She slid her arms around his neck. “I’d much rather have you showing me too much affection than too little.” Her gaze dropped to his lips.
Sudden heat cascaded through him. “Would you now?”
“I would,” she whispered, tightening her hold around his neck and at the same time pulling his head down.
She didn’t have to work too hard because he was more than ready to kiss her. In fact, in some ways he felt as though he’d been born to spend his life with this woman, holding her and kissing her.
He let her initiate the kiss, softly touching her lips to his, gently caressing him, sweetly tugging and tangling with his lips. She was everything he needed to survive in life. As long as he had her, he’d be able to do anything else.
As her fingers slid into his hair at the back of his neck, the pressure of her lips seemed to change, growing more needy and letting him know that she wanted to show him affection too.
Her need and desire seemed to give him permission to unleash his. His fingers on her back tightened, and he pressed her closer. He started to angle in, hungry for her mouth more fully. But before he could capture her, Pastor Abe cleared his throat loudly right behind them.
She jumped, nearly breaking free, except Jackson didn’t want her to go anywhere, needed her close, couldn’t release her yet, not after what had happened.
“So lovely to see you two together,” Pastor Abe was saying through his cough. “But I do suggest that you be careful not to stir up too much desire until after you’re married.”
Sage had definitely told him about their fake marriage.
It was probably for the best. And Pastor Abe was right. They didn’t want to instigate more desires than they already had. Not until after they were married.
And they were getting married. At least he wanted to. Why shouldn’t they?
As if hearing his unspoken question, she hesitated. “We’re from two different worlds, Jackson?—”
“You’re the only woman I’ll ever want or need.”
Her beautiful eyes rounded hopefully. “Are you sure?”
He caressed her jawline—couldn’t help himself. “Areyousure about me? You know about my tendency to make messes?—”
She was the one to cut him off this time as she gently dragged a finger across his bottom lip. “That’s why we fit so well together, because I love to organize your messes.”
