Page 86 of Jackpot Joker

I move my face and place a soft kiss on his lips before I sit back down, taking his hand in mine. “I never thought I wanted one, you know? A happily ever after. But then, I never met a man like you, either. Don’t get me wrong, you’re completely infuriating. You’re meddlesome and annoying. You don’t take no for an answer. You’re touchy and loud. But…” My voice catches, and tears pool in my eyes, feeling foreign but right. “You’re exactly what I need in my life.”

“I want you to know that I meant it—the words I said to you before you slipped out of consciousness. I love you, Dario Caruso. I didn’t expect to. I didn’t want to. And if either of us were going to say it first, well, I was certain it was going to be you. But I do. I love the way you make me laugh and smile. I love the way you care about your family. I love the way you protect me. Always. You’re so good, Dario. I know you say you can be dark, but I know I love that side, too. I love everything about you.”

Movement under my fingers has me holding my breath. Did he? Is he? Another brush of my fingers tells me Dario is starting to wake, and I rush to the door in search of the doctor or a nurse. Instead, I see Gio, and my face lights up.

“Is he awake?” Gio asks, hope in his voice.

I shake my head. “Not yet, but he’s moving on his own. They are slowly lowering the dose of the sedative, and he’s already moving on his own, Gio. Isn’t that great?”

Dario’s brother pulls me in for a hug, and I wrap my arms around him. It’s not the Caruso I want to be in the arms of right now, but I’ll take what I can get. When Gio releases me from his embrace, I step back and swipe the tears under my eyes. That’s when I see the older man behind him.

“What’s he doing here?” I ask.

Salvatore glares at me. “I’m his father. Why the hell are you here?”

I hold my head up high, facing off with the mafia don. “I’m the woman who loves him. The woman who is proud of everything he is and will be. And I’m the woman who is going to make sure he wakes up.”

Chapter 43

Dario

Every inch of my body hurts. My mouth is dry. And all I want is her.

I hear her voice, a sweetness in it that’s so soothing, but filled with worry. Gone is my brave bull, and in place is my guardian angel, watching over me. I attempt to open my eyes so I can land them on the woman I fought to wake up for, but my eyelids refuse to do what my brain tells them. I try again and again, growing frustrated and unable to do anything about it. Exhaustion wracks my body, and I succumb to the dreamland that awaits. At least I’ll see her there.

“When we were around ten years old, Penny and I set up a lemonade stand with our friend Paige outside of her dad’s general store. We were raising money for concert tickets to a boy band we all wanted to see. The day started out a major success, and we were selling cup after cup. One older gentleman even gave us twenty dollars for a single cup of lemonade. It was getting really hot, and we needed a break. Since we were still pretty young, my mom had made my older brother, Cody, come with us. I asked him to watch the stand for us while we went inside to grab a popsicle. When we came back out, he had a huge smile on his face, so I assumed things were great. Penny, Paige, and I sold a few more cups after that, but everyone’s noses scrunched up after they took their first sip. Eventually, people stopped purchasing, and we weren’t sure what was going on. The temperature had spiked, so we each poured ourselves a glass of lemonade to cool down, and we realized right away why our sales had ceased. Cody, my dumbass big brother, had poured pickle juice into our lemonade. I still can’t eat pickles to this day.”

Jasmine’s story from her childhood is muffled, but I can’t help but smile inside as I hear it.

“Is that—are you smiling? Dario, can you hear me?”

Yes, angioletta. I hear you. I need you.

Determined to see her beautiful face, I attempt to open my eyes once more. I remember the movements, but for some reason, my body won’t follow my commands. My head roars in pain, angry at me for putting my body through something it isn’t ready for, so I lie back and wait a little longer.

Jasmine’s hand is soft in mine. I try to squeeze it, letting her know that I hear her. That I’m here with her.

“When I first met you, I knew you were dangerous. I’m only telling you this in hopes you won’t remember it, because Lord knows you will never let me live it down, but when my eyes landed on you, I knew you were the most handsome man I had ever seen. I could also tell you were a complete playboy and a man who is used to getting his way.”

That’s fair.

“I knew our relationship as attorney and client was enough to keep me grounded. My moral high ground is strong, well, it used to be, and I wasn’t going to give in to some Joker who came along just because he melted my panties with every smile.”

Please tell me more about how I make your panties melt.

“Then you had to go and be the amazing man you are. I didn’t know how to process that, Dario. My snark and sarcasm typically push guys away, but not you. It was as though you embraced that side of me, while also bringing out a lighter side I had pushed so far down and tried to hide. You’re the first man I could truly be myself with. Completely.”

You are both my bull and my angel.

“I’m five foot eight and have always been a big girl, you know? Nobody ever felt the need to protect me the way you do. Walking me to my door to make sure I’m safe? It seems like such a little thing, but you’ll never know how much that meant to me. Then, when that ass of a man treated me the way he did at Inferno, I somehow knew you would be there. I knew you would take care of me and get me home safely. I’ve never had anyone care about me the way you do, Dario. In that closet at the hockey game? I saw exactly what you would do for me. I think that’s when I knew there was nobody else on this planet who would protect me and care for me the way you do. And there’s nobody else on this planet I would want to. You’re it for me, so I need you to open those beautiful eyes of yours. I need you to make me smile because I’m so tired of these tears. I need you to kiss me and tell me that you feel the same way for me as I do for you.”

I do, Jasmine. I do feel the same way, and as soon as I’m able, I will tell you every single second of every day so the only tears you cry are of joy.

The harshness of the fluorescent lights pierces my eyes, immediately causing me to wince. I suck in a breath through my teeth as a searing pain spreads through my forehead.

“Fuck, did you just open your eyes?”

My lips turn down at a voice that does not belong to my Jasmine.