Promise Me (42 page)

I smiled as I said, “You did really good. I can’t even begin to tell you how I feel right now.”

“Happy?” he questioned.

I nodded.

“Safe?”

“So safe,” I agreed, because I’d never felt anything but safe with him.

“In love with the best looking, smartest, kindest, and funniest guy you’ve ever known?” he asked, raising a cocky eyebrow at me.

I laughed. “I should totally say no, because I don’t want to inflate your ego, but I can’t. It’s all true. You’re all those things.”

“Wow, I was mostly kidding, but it’s nice to hear.”

I wrapped my arms around his waist. “Just so we’re clear, because I don’t want there to be any confusion, to me, you’re kind of perfect. I’m not sure what the rest of the world thinks, but I also don’t care.”

“Me either,” he said, shaking his head. “I only care what you think.”

“Good,” I said as I ran my hand down his arm and took his hand in mine, lacing our fingers together as I brought them up to my mouth and pressed my lips to them. “Can I have a taste?”

Jack looked way too coy as I asked that, and I realized fairly quickly how he’d interpreted what I’d said. The gesture probably hadn’t helped, but now that I could kiss him, I sort wanted to make sure I didn’t miss any part of him.

“Of chili,” I said, quickly clarifying what I’d meant. “I’m starving, and it smells amazing.”

“Damn,” he said with a fake pout. “I thought you wanted more of me.”

I hesitated before saying, “I do,” and I immediately felt my cheeks flush, not believing I’d said something so brazen. “But can we eat first?”

“As long as you promise me that you won’t just leave after.”

“And why would I do that?”

“Because maybe you’re only here because of the food, and all this is a trick to get me to feed you. Then once your stomach’s full, you’ll ditch me to go watch Netflix in bed.”

I cocked my head as I said, “Maybe I
want
to watch Netflix in bed – but maybe I want to watch it with you.”

Jack swallowed hard as he processed my words. “Yeah?”

I nodded. “But only if you feed me first. I wasn’t kidding when I said I was starving.”

He lifted his hand and ran his thumb over my bottom lip. “This feels so right.”

I nodded. “It really does.”

He smiled. “Go have a seat at the bar. I’ll get you some wine to get your taste buds ready before this knocks your socks off.”

“I guess I’ll have to take your word for it, since you haven’t given me a taste yet.”

With that, Jack reached behind him and grabbed the spoon he’d been stirring with. He scooped some chili onto it, and then he turned back to me, lifting the spoon to my lips. It was steaming, so I blew on it a few times before I wrapped my lips around the end. As soon as the chili hit my tongue, I groaned. Jack was right. It was just about the best thing I’d ever tasted.

“Damn, don’t do that or I won’t let you eat before we explore the Netflix in bed situation.”

“When did Netflix in bed become erotic?” I teased him.

He smiled coyly. “When you suggested it. Just thinking about you in my bed is erotic. I don’t care if all you do is kiss me. It’ll be sexy as hell.”

“Well, I guess it’s good to know it isn’t all about the sex for you.”

“Not with you,” he said softly. “With you that’s not even something I’m thinking about.”

“You’re not?”

“Okay, that’s a lie, but it’s not at the forefront. There’s so much more I want with you, Kate.”

“I’m glad to hear that.”

“Speaking of which, my cousin’s wedding is next weekend. Will you be my date?”

“Of course, I will.”

“It’s not too late to get your shifts covered at work?”

“Nah, someone will want them. I’ll be fine to take off.”

Jack smiled widely. “That’s awesome news. Aunt Deena is going to be thrilled. I told her I was probably bringing you, and I’m not sure I’ve ever heard her that happy. She really loved you when she met you.”

“Well, I loved her too – mostly because she rescued you years ago and she gave you the best life, but she’s also pretty great.

“You rescued me first,” he said softly. “I’m not sure what would have happened if I hadn’t had you in my life. And now I never have to worry about that, do I?”

It should have been too much too fast, but it wasn’t. Jack and me together had been right from the start, and I knew he was the guy I was going to be with forever. He was my best friend, but he was also so much more. I couldn’t imagine sharing my life with anyone else.

I shook my head. “No, you don’t.”

Chapter Twenty-One

Kate

“We’re so glad you could make it, Kate,” Deena told me, giving me a wide smile. “I know the invitation was last minute.”

“Oh, I’m glad to be here. It’s a beautiful wedding.”

Her smiled deepened. “I can’t believe one of my boys is married. It makes me feel so old.”

“Well, if it’s any consolation, I don’t think anyone who met you would describe you as old.”

She looked at me thoughtfully. “I knew I liked you. Of course you could probably say most anything and I’d still like you. I’m not sure I’ve ever seen Jack as happy as he is when he’s with you.”

As she said that, a warm feeling spread throughout my chest. Not that I needed validation that Jack was happy. I knew he was. He told me daily, but I also knew the feeling she was describing. I’d felt it since we’d started seeing each other two weeks earlier, and although it was partly because we were still in the honeymoon phase when everything was new and exciting, and we were getting to know each other on a different level, I knew it was more than that.

It was strange, but I knew when Jack told me he loved me that he was going to be the last person I’d ever kiss. It wasn’t like we’d talked about it – not even close – but I knew it in my heart. He was the guy I wanted to spend my life with. Maybe it was because he was the best friend I’d ever had or because we’d had a connection to each other since we were five years old, but I knew he was the guy I was supposed to be with.

And he loved me too. Boy did he love me. I’d never felt anything as all-consuming and whole as I did when Jack looked at me, when he brushed my hair back from my face, and when he kissed me. It was like no one else existed in the entire world in those moments. What I didn’t know was if that was how he loved everyone he dated or if it was just me. It didn’t really matter, but a part of me hoped it was another product of being as close as we were. I wanted what we had to be as special as it felt to me, because it was unlike anything I’d ever experienced before.

“I’m really happy with him too,” I told Deena, not wanting to get too mushy about how head-over-heels in love with her nephew I really was.

“I can tell. I actually knew when you visited a few weeks ago.”

“Nothing was going on with us then,” I assured her, because I didn’t want her to think Jack had crossed any lines.

It probably wasn’t necessary to mention that he
almost
had. I figured that was irrelevant information, and in truth, she probably wouldn’t appreciate hearing that we’d been hanging out in bed together, late at night, in her house.

“Oh, I know. Jack is nothing but above board when it comes to everything in life. I think it might have to do with the fact that his father was such an immoral bastard of a human being that he never wanted to associate with any part of him, but I also know that Jack doesn’t like to hurt anyone. He’s one of the best people I know, and his heart is so big. Because of that, he doesn’t do a great job of hiding his emotions. I knew back then how he felt about you. It was fairly obvious, and I knew it was only a matter of time before he called me and told me he was seeing you. That was a truly great day when I got that call.”

I smiled. “I guess in that regard you know him better than I do, because I never saw it coming.”

“Trust me, it was there,” she said, winking at me. “And speaking of devilishly handsome men who have a heart of gold . . .”

Her voice trailed off as I felt strong arms wrap around me from behind and Jack’s warmth pull me against him. “What are you saying about me?”

His aunt grinned. “Just girl talk. Who says we were even talking about you?”

“Oh, I know you were, and I hope you weren’t telling Kate all the embarrassing things you know about me.”

Deena looked coy as she said, “Not yet. I’m saving that for when we have more time.”

Jack pressed a kiss to my cheek. “Just remember all the good things you know about me. Don’t let her sway your opinion.”

Silly boy. That was never going to happen.

“I think I’ll wait to see what she has to tell me before I commit to that,” I teasingly said as I turned to look at him.

He tightened his grip on my waist. “Just remember that I turned out pretty great.”

“Wow, that’s some modesty there,” I teased him, and he cinched my waist even tighter, making me feel warm and safe, and so loved, all the things I hadn’t felt in years. I hadn’t realized how much I’d been missing them until Jack came along.

“I think I’ll leave you two alone,” his aunt interjected, obviously amused by our little back-and-forth.

“You don’t have to go,” Jack told her. “I just felt like I’d been neglecting Kate a little tonight. Who knew being a groomsman would be so demanding.”

“I’m fine,” I assured him, because I hadn’t been alone that long.

He’d been tied up before and after the ceremony, but aside from that he’d been with me. I’d even gotten to eat dinner at the head table with the rest of the bridal party and their dates. Fortunately we’d been seated on the other side of the long table from Logan and his girlfriend, Kelly.

Originally Jack had introduced us and told us we could hang out together while he and Logan were tied of up with wedding stuff, and that seemed good to me. Kelly was a sweet girl, and it beat standing alone, sipping champagne while Jack got his picture taken. And since she was with Logan, I figured we ought to get to know each other.

But that sweetness had worn off the second Jack had kissed me goodbye before the ceremony. The gloves came off, and Kelly showed her true colors – which meant that she hated me on principle for breaking up Jack and Alyssa. Jack failed to tell me that they were good friends, and although Kelly was willing to fake it in front of him, she had no qualms about telling me what a heartless bitch she thought I was when we were alone.

I’d walked away soon after she said that, because I figured there would be no changing her opinion – at least not right away. I’d ended up making friends with the girlfriends of two of the other groomsmen. It wasn’t a terrible night, but I was glad to have Jack back. These days, he was the only person I really wanted to spend my time with anyway.

“I should go see if I can get Rob on the dance floor anyway,” Deena said. “He promised me at least one slow dance, and I plan to collect.”

“Have fun,” I told her as she gave us a wave and headed off to find her husband.

“That’s exactly why I came over here,” Jack said as I turned in his arms and looked up at him, my breath catching as his intense hazel eyes bore into mine.

Sometimes I still couldn’t believe what we had was real. I kept waiting to wake up from the best dream I’d ever had, and I pretty much pinched myself on a regular basis.

“You came over here to have some fun?” I asked him.

He shook his head. “No, I wanted to dance with my girl.”

His girl.
Man, I loved the sound of that.

“Oh yeah? Well, I think that could be arranged.”

“Not that I’m not open to some fun,” he said suggestively, drawing me closer so I could feel the semi-hard bulge in his pants. “But I’m willing to wait until later for that.”

“I should be glad to hear you say that, but I’m not sure
I
can wait,” I said as I pressed against him.

A glazed look washed over Jack’s face as a smile formed on his lips. “I was hoping you wouldn’t change your mind.”

I shook my head. “Nope. And not just because you really do make that tux look so good, and I’ve been staring at you all night mentally undressing you with my eyes.”

“Damn, Kate. Do you want me to walk away from this conversation and have everyone’s attention drawn to what’s going on below my waist, because keep that up, and it’s going to happen.”

I laughed. “Of course not. I just wanted you to know that I’m not breaking my promise. I told you I wanted to wait, but I’m also done waiting.”

His hands slid to my hips. “God, I love you,” he breathed out. “And not just because this dress has been teasing me all night, and I can’t think of anything I want to do more than to take it off of you, and not because I’ve sort of thought about being with you for as long as I can remember, but because you’re perfect. Everything you do and say is just perfect.”

I felt my cheeks heat as embarrassment swept from my toes up to the top of my head, probably making me blend in with the floor length soft plum colored dress I was wearing. It was open in the back and slinkly, and it was one of the most beautiful dresses I’d ever seen. I probably wouldn’t have even bought it had Jack not gushed all over me the second I came out of the dressing room, but he had a way of making me feel so beautiful all the time that I couldn’t help myself. Whether he really loved the dress as much as he said wasn’t really the point. I
felt
beautiful and special when I was with him.

I wasn’t used to guys making me feel that way, and I definitely hadn’t been a fan of mushy talk in the past, but it didn’t weird me out when Jack did it. I didn’t want to turn away and gag. I wanted him to keep doing it, which only told me that I really was completely in love with him.

Jack’s hand reached up, and his fingers grazed my cheek. “You’re blushing,” he said softly, and I felt my face get hotter. “I made you blush.”

“And I suppose that makes you proud of yourself?” I teased him as I tried to get my body temperature back to normal.

Jack smiled. “Always. Making a tough girl blush is a huge accomplishment.”

I raised my eyebrows at him. “A tough girl? Me?”

He nodded. “Yeah, a tough girl. You don’t show vulnerability very often, so in those rare moments when I see it, it’s kind of cool.”

He was right. I was guarded by nature. I didn’t let people in, and I didn’t trust easily. I guess it was a product of only having myself to count on for most of my life. I’d had Jack for a little while, and I had him again, but there were a lot of years in between when it had just been me.

“So you said something about dancing?” I questioned, wanting to change the subject.

“I did, but I think I might be changing my mind.”

“Do you want to just head upstairs?”

He nodded. “I sort of do. They already cut the cake. Do you want to stick around for the bouquet toss?”

“No,” I said quickly, because I definitely wasn’t one of
those
girls.

Let one of Janelle’s bridesmaids have a moment of glory and the knowledge that she’d be the next one to get married. I wasn’t near ready for that step, even though I knew when I eventually walked down the aisle, it would be with Jack. I just wasn’t ready to admit that out loud two weeks into our relationship.

“Alright then,” he said with a coy smile as he fished something out of his pocket. “I’m going to make the obligatory rounds and say goodbye to the family. I’ll meet you upstairs in ten minutes?”

He handed me one of his key cards, and I smiled, excitement fluttering in my belly. The night Jack told me he loved me, I’d wanted to sleep with him then. But I knew in my heart that I wanted to wait. I didn’t want to rush anything with him no matter how much I’d thought about that moment and assumed it would never happen. Thankfully Jack had been okay with waiting, and we’d spent a few hours making out like teenagers before he’d asked me to stay the night.

Since then we’d been spending most of our nights together, with a few exceptions, and I’d gotten quite comfortable waking up next to him. But I’d been looking forward to this final step. I knew it would make what we were doing that much more intimate and real.

“Ten minutes,” I echoed as he leaned forward and kissed me.

“Okay, maybe eleven,” he amended, “because I’m going to spend the next thirty seconds watching you walk away from me.”

“Jack,” I said around a sigh as I felt my cheeks heat once again, making him laugh.

“What?” he questioned, his tone all innocence. “I can’t help it.”

“You’re too much.”

“I know,” he said, and then he kissed me again.

I felt his eyes on me as I left the ballroom and headed up to the twelfth floor. We were in a hotel in downtown Houston. The ceremony had taken place on their terrace, overlooking a lake, and then we’d moved inside for the reception. I had my own room in the hotel, but Jack and I both knew it was just for show. I’d never planned on actually sleeping there.

When I got to his room, I slid the card into the lock and saw the green light come on. I opened the door, stepped inside, and listened to it click behind me, the silence engulfing me. It was then that I looked down and saw white rose petals sprinkled on the floor. I smiled to myself as I followed them into the room and over to the king sized bed where they changed to red petals that were spread out all over the white comforter. A bottle of champagne was sitting in a bucket of ice on the bedside table, next to a plate with chocolate covered strawberries. It very much felt like the hotel had gotten our room confused with the honeymoon suite, but I knew that wasn’t the case. This was all Jack.

I was standing at the foot of the bed a few minutes later when I heard a key in the door and it opened. I didn’t turn around as Jack entered the room, but I felt his presence move behind me a few seconds later, his arms threading around my waist.