Page 51 of Jace

Allowing Daxton t0 take Bree's hand, he uses his free one to shake Craigs hand. "Take care of my girl," Craig tells him as a single tear falls and runs along his cheek.

"With everything I have," the two men share a moment and it is beautiful. "She is my everything.” Daxton tells Craig and he nods as if his words are his own. The confession falling from his lips, no hesitation, in front of all their friends, family and even strangers, he is laying it all out. “My girls, I’d give all I have to protect them, every penny I’ve ever earned to spoil them, and my own life to save theirs. I will keep her safe, you have my word.”

I look away to try and attempt to hold my tears at bay but find myself looking directly at Jace. He is watching me, an intense look in his eyes, one that feels like he is reading every thought racing through my mind without me even speaking a word.

The corner of his mouth tips up slightly, he offers me a wink and then mouths the words I love you.

And I am done.

I look down, tears rolling over my cheeks as I listen to my best friend share her vows written specifically for the man she loves with every fiber of her being.

When the crowd cheers I look up just in time to see Daxton dipping Bree back, as they share their first kiss as man and wife.

When they stand, Bree is smiling big and they lift their hands in the air together, as they start to walk back down the aisle.

When Jace steps up and holds out his hand to me I accept it and lean into his touch as we follow behind.

“You good?” He asks and I nod knowing right now, I can’t speak. My throat is raw, my chest tight and again I am barely hanging on.

Being in his arms, as he holds me close, swaying side to side, it’s something I never imagined I’d have six months ago. Normally Jace would be the guy at the bar hitting on all the women ordering drinks or making vulgar comments and trying to get someone to sneak off and have dirty wedding sex with him.

He wasn’t the one, in the middle of the dance floor, whispering the words of a song in my ear while kissing the side of my neck. He wasn’t the guy talking about when we get married and when we have kids, totally blowing my mind with even suggesting those things were a possibility.

My entire body felt warm and settled, completely at ease.

I gave into the idea of our future; I stopped waiting for the other shoe to drop. I stopped waiting for it all to blow up in my face.

“I don’t think I mentioned how beautiful you look in this dress,” his heated breath tickles the side of my neck.

“Thank you,” I smile, nuzzling in closer while his arms tighten around me a little more. He smells incredible and feels even better. With more than six inches on me, my head fits perfectly in the place I’ve designated as all mine. With his heart beating beneath my ear I’ve never felt safer.

In the beginning I’ll admit his crude behavior was a turn on and I am fully aware that makes me a pervert too. But his confidence and dominance, well it was hard to resist. I said I wouldn’t fall, that Jace might be the perfect kind of guy to have a little fun with. Then the more time I spent around him the more it became clear that my feelings were quickly changing. He wasn’t someone I could do casual with, he wasn’t the guy I wanted to have only once or twice, but someone I wanted as mine and only mine. I couldn’t see myself being okay with sharing.

That is where things got messy. He wanted casual, it was what he was used to. His way of life, finding it easier to not care because not caring meant it was harder to be hurt or disappointed.

Everything got complicated and fast.

Yet through all that pain, here we are…together.

“What are you thinking?” Again he whispers, just before his lips skim over my temple.

“I love this,” I breath him in. “Being in your arms, not being worried about seeing you with someone else tomorrow.”

I feel his body shift, and suddenly he is cupping my face, tipping my chin up so I am looking at him. He has a complex look on his face, his brows furrowed. “What?”

“You are mine,” I say as we stop swaying to the music. “It used to kill me to see you flirt with someone else. I hated hearing you talk about some girl you were with, or?—”

“Baby, I am so sorry.” He kisses me, allowing his forehead to rest against my own. “I was such a dick, and I don’t deserve you. I hate that I was such an idiot.”

“You were.” I smile, leaning back so I could see him once again. “But we are here now, and none of that matters.”

He starts to argue and I press me finger to his lips.

“Leave it were it is.” He stares at me, until finally nodding and I remove my finger replacing it with a kiss.

“I love you.” My words are mumbled by our kiss. “I think I always have, right from the start. All of your crazy, and dirty words.”

“I love being dirty with you,” he confesses, wrapping his arms around me and lifting just enough so her can kiss me deeper. “And I promise you, I’ll never hurt you again.”

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