“I saved myself for you,” I tell him. “I had no interest whatsoever in anybody but you. Every romantic hero in every romance book I read looked like you. Even if they were described differently. Every fantasy I had, I sawyou.” I swallow and continue. “I lay in my bed countless nights while staring at the drapes, willing them to part revealing you’d climbed the trellis to tell me you couldn’t wait another minute to make me yours. I could not imagine giving my first kiss, or my body to someone else, Jase. I could not imagine spending my life with anybody but you. In fact, if it wasn’t you, it would probably be nobody. If you’d been destined to identify somebody else, I’d still see you in every romance book, every fantasy, and I’m sure I’d feel awful for lusting after another girl’s mate, but I wouldn’t be able to help myself.”
“Bailey. Baby,” he says in a velvety voice, looking like he’s savoring my words.
I hesitantly reach up and put my palm to his cheek. He leans into my hand and smiles with his eyes closed.
I continue. “Do you know how many times I wanted to reach out like this to touch you? How many daydreams I had about you? But it all makes sense now, Jason. Why I’ve felt this way for so, so long. It’s because I’ve been yours since the day I was born. Since before then.”
He’s soaking these words in like they’re the best thing he’s ever heard. He turns to kiss my palm before he moves in and our lips touch briefly before he pulls back just an inch.
“I’ve never had to fight so hard for something,” he tells me. “And I know it’ll be worth it. I’m never gonna stop dating you. Never gonna stop showing you that you were right to want me all that time. Never want you to regret a minute of it. You can sow all your wild oats with me, Bailey. I have so many fun dates planned for us.”
“Really?”
“Well, one or two. But I’ll think up a bunch more.”
I laugh.
“One more time… I’m so sorry I hurt you.”
I cover his mouth and shake my head.
“I am really, really looking forward to forever with you,” I tell him, then take my hand away from his mouth and thread my fingers into his soft hair before trailing them down to his neck, running my fingertips reverently over the ink he put on his skin for me.
“I love that you put my name on your skin. I love it so much.”
Our lips touch again briefly before I take some of his body weight as he deepens the kiss. I feel his erection. It’s massive. And it’s about to be inside me, fitting us to one another in a bond that will last for the rest of our days.
I’m trembling with both nerves and emotion as I kick my shoes off. Jase’s hand glides from my jaw down my shoulder, until finally, he’s cupping my breast, thumb gliding over my hard nipple. He’s staring at my chest with the sexiest grin.
I arch into his touch and lightning fast, he whips my shirt up and off, leaving me gasping in my bra and jeans.
His eyes are heated as his hands span my ribcage while he moves back, getting on his knees on either side of my hips.
I can’t believe this is happening. All my fantasies. All that longing. He’s looking at me with so much possession in his eyes. Possession and adoration. Jason Creed wants me.
Me. Nerdy little Bailey Blackwood is about to be mated to the most beautiful male in the universe.
He yanks the cups of my black bra down and groans.
“Absolutely gorgeous,” he says, leaning forward and taking one nipple into his mouth while caressing the other. His tongue swirls around before he looks at me for a reaction, and I’m certainly reacting, arching my back, feeling tingly all over.
“Nobody’s tasted these but me,” he says.
I nod.
“Nobody’s even seen them,” he says softly. “Thank you, baby.”
I feel him undo the button and zipper of my jeans and they’re being shimmied down. Now my black underwear are sliding down, too.
Whoa. I’m completely naked, lying on Jase’s bed, on top of rose petals.
Damn, this feels right. This is who I’m meant to give myself to. I’m not afraid anymore. This isn’t just what I’ve always wanted; it’s also how it’s supposed to be.
And it helps that his expression is fiery hot.
“Bailey,” he whispers, shaking his head as he drinks me in with emotion in his eyes. “Fuck, you’re breathtaking. Beautiful. I’m so fuckin’ lucky.”
I bite my lip and watch as he backs up to undo his jeans. He stands at the foot of the bed and drops them before he crawls back up and palms both my knees, parting them.