Page 53 of Jesse
“I was,” I admitted. “Didn’t mean for you to hear it.”
“I’m glad I did.” He leaned his head against my shoulder. “I’ve never had anyone fight for me like that before.”
“Get used to it,” I murmured, tilting my head to rest against his. “You’re not just a target. You’re mine.”
The last word slipped out before I could stop it, weighted and wild.
He didn’t flinch. He didn’t pull away. He just went still for a second, then hummed low in his throat, a quiet, unspoken agreement.
“I don’t know what this is yet,” he said after a beat. “But I know I feel safe with you.”
I didn’t trust my voice, so I squeezed his hand instead.
We sat like that for a long while, watching the last few booths close down, the fair winding into silence around us. The night was cool, but Beck’s warmth pressed against me, anchoring me to the moment.
Eventually, he broke the silence again. “You know what might help?”
“What?” I asked.
“You still owe me that dinner,” he pointed out.
I smiled. “Yeah, I do. How about we finally take Ethan up on that free dinner at our restaurant?”
Beck blinked. “What? Right now?”
“Yeah, why not?” I shrugged. “We could use a break.”
He looked up at me. “You want me to meet your family?”
I shrugged. “If you’re okay with that.”
Beck grinned. “I guess if I’m important enough to yell at your hacker friend for, then I can brave some ribs and awkward small talk.”
I laughed, the tension in my chest finally loosening. “You’ll like them. You already know Ethan. Colton’s a pain in the ass, but Remy makes peach cobbler that might change your religion.”
He yawned, leaning fully into me. “Then I’m in.”
I wrapped an arm around him and held him close, watching the fair fade to dark. My wolf, finally, was quiet. Still alert, still watchful, but no longer pacing. Not with Beck safe beside me.
Beck fidgeted in the passenger seat, chewing his lip as we pulled up to Briggs BBQ. He sniffed the collar of his shirt for the third time since we’d left the fairgrounds.
“I should’ve showered,” he muttered. “Changed into something nicer.”
I let out a soft laugh and parked the truck. “Babe, it’s fine. They know we came straight from the fair. It’s just my cousins. You’ll be fine.”
Beck didn’t look convinced. He twisted in his seat like he wanted to bolt. I turned to face him, reaching across to gently cup his face in both hands.
“Hey,” I said softly. His gorgeous eyes snapped up to mine, wide and uncertain. “You’re perfect. They’re going to love you.”
I leaned in and kissed him, slow and sure, pressing every ounce of reassurance I could into it.
He kissed me back, just as gently, his fingers brushing my jaw as if grounding himself. When we pulled apart, I rested my forehead against his.
“Ready?” I asked him.
“No,” he whispered. “But let’s go anyway.”
The restaurant was closed for customers at this hour, the lights inside dimmed to a warm golden hue that made everything feel intimate, familiar. Home.
