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24
PAISLEY
My body betrays me. As much as I know I should pull away, I can’t do it. He chased after me. I’d doubted myself when we pulled up to the plane. I wasn’t sure I’d be able to get on. There was still the pull I felt toward Jackson.
I wanted to talk to him and hear his side of things. Although I felt hurt, I couldn’t get myself to believe that what we had wasn’t real or that he would ever do anything to harm me. Everything he ever did was to protect me. Even from myself at times.
“Jackson.” I press my body against his. This feels right. The same way it has since the minute I met the man. He wraps his arms around me, holding me close. I don’t ever want to leave him. He's the one place where I've felt like I belong. The only place I ever felt as though I could truly be myself. He’s my home.
“Are you two done?” my brother cuts in. I let out a small gasp, having forgotten where we were for a moment. Heat rushes to my cheeks. It's not only my brother and June; there are other Army personnel lingering around.
Jackson takes a step toward my brother. “You and I are going?—”
“Jackson.” To calm him down, I run my hand up his chest. He’s not a fan of my brother. I knew that before today. He’s made a few off-handed comments.
Jackson thinks he should have been around years ago. But it’s not Luka’s job to take care of me. There must be reasons why he stayed away. He came today, after all. That counts for something.
“I wasn’t handing you over to your parents,” Jackson reiterates, wanting to make that clear.
“But you came here for me?” I peek up at him, not fully understanding. I do know that he runs and owns a large security and investigation company. He has a bunch of employees. Jackson could have sent one of his men after me, or he could have simply told my parents where I was. He hadn’t done either of those things.
“Didn’t ever believe in fate.” His eyes soften on me. “Then your file hit my desk, and I saw your picture. I was done for.” He cups my cheek. “You just happened to land in my hometown. Actually, you ran to it.” I had. There was a pull I couldn’t explain.
“It felt right when I got here,” I admit. I can’t help but smile. Never in a million years when I left my town to escape my parents had I ever envisioned something like this happening to me. The only hope I had was to live a life free of my parents' control.
Could it really have been fate? Not only had I made Cottonwood my new home, but out of all the people my parents could have hired to find me, it was Jackson’s company. The world made sure we found each other. I kind of love that.
“It’s because you’re home, princess.” My breath catches. He’s right, but Jackson always is. It's one of the many things I love about him.
“When did my brother turn into a sappy marshmallow?” June sounds utterly disgusted.
I can’t help but laugh while my insides melt too. My gruff military man is standing here, talking about fate and loving me. He doesn't give a crap who hears. For me, Jackson is only a marshmallow.
“Paisley.” My brother tries again.
“You’re done.” Jackson levels my brother with a hard stare. Any softness that was there for me a few seconds ago vanishes. He sees my brother as a threat. One that can take me from him.
“Do you think I don’t have as much pull as you do?” My brother challenges him right back.
“They’ll never find your body.” There isn’t a trace of humor in Jackson’s words. He’s not kidding.
“Jackson,” I hiss, not wanting them to fight.
“He’s right,” June singsongs. "I know of a hog farm. There'd be nothing left." She gives Luka a sugary, sweet smile, but her eyes are filled with mischief.
“You really want to play, kitten?” I'm starting to believe it's my brother who wants to play with June.
“Don’t call me that,” June hisses at Luka. The name is rather fitting.
“We’re done with this. If you want to be at the wedding, then you should probably stick around.”
“Wedding?” Is he talking about us?
“You’re babysitting.” Jackson hands my bag over to June. Tigger has somehow slept through all of this.
“Jackson. What wedding?” I try again, but he tosses me over his shoulder. I don’t fight him. It would be pointless, and I don’t want to. He doesn’t waste any time getting us back to his place.
“Are you really not going to answer me?” I huff. It doesn’t even phase Jackson. He keeps on stripping me of my clothes until I’m standing in front of him naked in our bedroom. Any shyness I ever had about my body is long gone. Not with the way his eyes always eat up every inch of me. I’ve never felt more beautiful in my entire life.
