Page 10 of Exposed
Jamison:See you soon.
Kace:What are your plans for Thanksgiving?
Jamison:Haven invited me to dinner, but I haven’t said if I’d go yet. I was kind of waiting to see what you have planned.
Kace:Would you like to meet my mom? She always cooks.
Jamison:I’d love that.
Kace:Mom wants you to come for Christmas.
Jamison:You sure? I think she immediately hated me at Thanksgiving.
Kace:LOL! Maybe. Once she realized you were in the military, that changed her mind. She doesn’t think anyone is good enough for me. Don’t worry. I like you.
Jamison:Picture me grumbling under my breath because I am, but it’s good. I’m in. Also, maybe we could start a tradition for us. You know I don’t have anywhere to go other than Haven’s house. Maybe we can do a Christmas Eve or Christmas day thing on the regular—just us.
Kace:I love that idea.
Jamison:Do you want to go Christmas shopping? I need help to pick out presents.
Kace:I’d love to.
Jamison:You get off at four, right?
Kace:Yep.
Jamison:I’ll pick you up at five thirty. We can find someplace to eat afterward.
Kace:Can’t wait.
Every time Jamison thought about it, he couldn’t believe they had been strong and steady for five months. It had been the best months of his life. Even fighting through the packed store with rabid Christmas shoppers didn’t dim the happiness he felt simply being with Kace. Kace seemed a little distracted, though.
“Are you good?”
Kace looked his way at the question and flashed a small smile. “Of course. I’m with you.”
Jamison wasn’t appeased. “Are you sure? You don’t sound like you’re good.”
Kace’s smile grew. He shook his head. “Seriously, it’s nothing.”
It was definitely something. Jamison didn’t know if he should keep pushing. Unfortunately, his anxiety wouldn’t let it go. “You can talk to me about anything. You know that, right?”
Kace had been hugging his arm for ten minutes while Jamison shopped. He squeezed it harder. “I’m not trying to ruin a nice night out.”
Damn. “You have to tell me now. Otherwise, I’ll get in my head and convince myself you plan to dump me.”
The sweetest expression Jamison has ever seen crossed Kace’s features. “Why would you think that? I love you.”
Jamison stopped walking, forcing people to flood past them like a boulder in the center of a river. “What? Wait. You’ve never said that before.”
Jamison wished he hadn’t had such an over-the-top reaction when Kace looked uncomfortable. “You can forget I said it, if youwant. I didn’t mean to upset you. It’s okay if you don’t feel the same. I shouldn’t have said anything.”
“Kace. Stop talking.”
Kace visibly snapped his mouth closed at Jamison’s command. He looked crestfallen and Jamison was an idiot. Jamison had to fix things. “I’m a huge dumbass. You just caught me off guard. Of course, I love you too. I don’t know why I haven’t said it.”
A smile exploded across Kace’s face. “Probably for the same reason I haven’t—because you hadn’t.”
