Page 164 of Risky Passion

The only thing keeping me sane was Jaxson. Our calls were my lifeline. But being apart from him was its own kind of madness.

I checked my phone for the fifth time in as many minutes. He had to be close by now. Adrenaline fizzed in my veins, and my heart was doing something wild in my chest.

I felt like my cats when I walked through the door after being gone for days—twitchy, overexcited, and one second away from climbing the curtains.

Every time I heard a noise outside, I bolted to the window, yanked the curtain back, hoping it was him.

I’d spent the night at Yasmin and Cole’s place, in the same room where Jaxson and I had made love. And I remembered every second. His hands, his mouth, the way he’d made me feel incredible, sexy, and so freaking special.

But that night had been a whole damn month ago.

Four weeks. Two days. Twenty-something hours.

Not that I was counting.

The distance between us since then had been brutal. Our texts and calls had been fun, though, and after every FaceTime, it took me hours to wipe the stupid grin off my face. But none of those contacts compared to having him with me. I missed him so much. Which, honestly, was kind of ridiculous when we’d only spent three days together.

Three intense, emotional-roller-coaster days. But still, just three days.

And yet, I couldn’t stop thinking about the way he looked at me during our FaceTimes. Like he couldn’t breathe when we were apart.

I wanted to see that look again, in person. The one that made my whole body tingle like I’d been dropped into a pool of champagne.

We were about to have a whole weekend together and I was like a giddy schoolgirl just thinking about having Jaxson all to myself.

Well, not really all to myself, not when just about everyone I knew was also staying at Yasmin and Cobra’s place just like us. The old schoolhouse had seven bedrooms and more than enough space for everyone to crash after the wedding. Which, knowing Maya, was going to be the event of the year; completely over-the-top and absolutely perfect.

Whisper and Ryder were arriving later, along with Lacey and Kane, and Indiana and Tyler. Jaxson could’ve hitched a ride with them, but I was glad he hadn’t. This way, we would get a few hours alone together before the others arrived.

I’d never been so nervous about a date in my life. Then again, I’d only been on three official dates where the guy actually asked me to go out with them. All the other men I’d been with were from spur-of-the-moment situations.

But Jaxson had said he needed to tell me something, and the ominous tone in his voice had scared the absolute shit out of me.

What kind ofsomethingwere we talking about here? Did he have kids he forgot to mention? An ex-wife? A current wife? Was he secretly a wanted fugitive? My brain had been running laps around every worst-case scenario since he’d called me this morning.

He hadn’t provided any details, for fuck’s sake, why couldn’t he have just ripped off the Band-Aid then and there? Put meout of my misery instead of leaving my mind to run in my own personal mental Olympics.

I checked my watch again and smoothed my hands over the wrap-around dress I'd picked up from Harper's secondhand shop,Second Chances, adjusting the tie at my waist for the millionth time. Harper and Zena had practically bullied me into trying this dress on, insisting the style was perfect for me.

I wouldn't normally wear a dress like this, with its flowy fabric, floral pattern, and overly feminine style. I was more of a jeans-and-T-shirt kind of woman. Or track pants and a tank top, if I was being really honest. But this dress made me feel elegant, maybe even pretty. Exactly how I wanted to feel as Jaxson’s date for Maya and Zac’s wedding.

Harper’s shop was a goldmine for secondhand finds and judging by the number of people driving in from Rosebud just to shop there, she’d really hit the jackpot.

When I’d asked Harper about Viper, she’d rolled her eyes so hard I thought they might get stuck. Apparently, his leg was healing well, but she was on the verge of strangling him.

“If he bitches about that wheelchair one more time,” she said, “I’m putting him out with the cows and horses.”

Zena and I had laughed so much our sides hurt, but I didn’t envy Harper. Viper wasn’t exactly known for his patience.

The crunch of tires on gravel snapped me out of my tumbling thoughts. My heart leaped into my throat as I bolted for the front door, barely containing the urge to sprint. By the time I reached the porch, I was practically vibrating.

Jaxson climbed out of his new Jeep, a sleek, black beast he’d bought with the insurance payout after his last one was blown to pieces by an RPG. He looked like something straight out of a dream. His broad shoulders strained against his black button-up shirt with the sleeves rolled up to his elbows to show off his strong, tanned forearms. His jeans fit just right, and his leather boots looked like they’d seen a lifetime of adventures.

But it wasn’t just his clothes. It washim. The way he moved, confident and suave, as if he could carry the weight of the world on his back if he had to. His short, dark hair was a little messy, like he’d run his handsthrough his hair one too many times on the drive up from Rosebud. And the scruff on his jaw made my knees feel like rubber. He grabbed his bag from the trunk and walked toward me like he was on a mission . . . and that mission was me.

Holy smokes. I’ve hit the fucking jackpot.

“Jaxson,” I breathed, flying down the steps and straight into his arms.

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