Page 66 of The Prodigal Son

He smirks up at me. He hasn’t shaved a lot this week, and I like the look of his beard growing in. Stepping up to him, I run my fingers through it.

“This is nice.”

“I need to shave,” he says, scratching his fingers down the column of his throat.

“No, leave it. It’s sexy.”

He smiles again before taking a sip. “So, I’ve decided.”

“Decided…”

“I want to go with you tonight.”

The calmness in his tone makes me smile. “Really?”

“Yes. As long as you’re sure our secret is safe with your brother.”

I tilt my head. “It is, I promise.”

“And we’re just going to his place?”

“Yep,” I reply. “Just us.”

He sets down his coffee and approaches me, pinning me against the counter. “You’re ready for this? To meet family? To be…official.”

“Are we…official?” I ask with a crooked smile.

He kisses my lips before leaning back to stare into my eyes. “I hope so.”

“So that makes you my boyfriend, and you’re okay with that?” I ask.

Taking my chin between his fingers, he holds me in the way I’ve come to realize is him being serious. He wants me to pay attention and take his words to heart. I love it when he talks to me like this.

“You are mine, and I am yours. We were official the moment I laid eyes on you that night in Phoenix.”

I’m doing my best not to grin like a fool, but he says stuff like that, and my restraint goes out the window. It makes my heart beat so hard I nearly pass out. I have no response. I just let him kiss me.

I drive Jensen’s car to dinner since I know the way. He sits by my side, looking handsome beyond belief, with his dark waves combed to the side. I have on a casual button-down and a pair of dark jeans.

When we pull up to the house, he picks up the bottle of wine from the back seat and opens the car door. We walk up to the front of the house, and my hands itch to hold his, but Lucas lives in a suburban neighborhood with meddling, nosy people around. It’s bad enough being a celebrity. Privacy is almost nonexistent.

“Ready?” he asks with a smirk as I raise my hand to knock on the door.

I glance around to be sure we’re hidden from view before I lean in and kiss him on the cheek.

Fuck, I am disgustingly lovesick.

Then, I rap on the door, and only two milliseconds later, it opens. My brother’s girlfriend, Sadie, begins shrieking with excitement at the sight of me and nearly bowls me over with a fierce hug. Naturally, I shriek in return, hugging her back and spinning her around like I haven’t seen her in twelve years instead of two months.

“Oh my god, I missed you so much,” she cries before taking my face in her hands and planting a kiss right on my cheek.

“I missed you too.”

At that moment, Sadie notices Jensen standing there. She pulls away from me and grins sweetly up at him. “Hi, I’m Sadie,” she says before pulling him in for a hug.

He laughs. “Nice to meet you, Sadie. I’m Jensen.”

“Oh my god, you’re so handsome,” she says, and I nudge her side.

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