Page 80 of Seal the Deal

“You really don’t give up, do you?”

He just smiles, thumb brushing tenderly across my cheekbone. His hazel eyes flicker with gold, unrelenting but not demanding. “Please, Charlie girl… Be mine. Let me be yours.”

I bite my lip, searching for a good comeback, but the way he’s looking at me like I’m everything makes my heart race. I’m done for.

“Jake,” I finally whisper. “I’m scared…”

“I know you are.” He leans his forehead to rest against mine. “But I’m not going anywhere. I’m in this, all the way. And I promise I’ll be careful with your heart, and with the kids. I’ll be careful with all of it.”

I search his face, looking for any sign of doubt, but all I see is unwavering certainty.

“You’re impossible, you know that?” I say, shaking my head with a small smile.

“And you love it.” He leans in, pressing his lips to my ear, his voice a soft plea. “Please be mine, Charlie.”

How is it possible to feel this wanted? This seen? It terrifies me, because if I let myself believe him, there’s no going back.

I release a long breath, feeling the last bit of my resistance melt. “You’re not going to stop until I say yes, are you?”

“Not a chance,” he whispers, lips dragging to my jaw. “Say it. Say you’ll be mine.”

I tilt my head like I’m considering it. “What do I get in return?”

His eyes glint with mischief. “Everything. All of me. But you already knew that.”

“Hmm, tempting…” I tease, letting my fingers trail up his chest. “You’re awfully sure of yourself, Brooks.”

“I’ve never been more sure of anything in my life,” he counters, leaning closer.

I close my eyes, letting the warmth of his touch and the weight of his words wrap around me. “Fine,” I finally whisper, heart pounding.

His grin breaks wide and unrestrained. Before I can respond, he’s kissing me, hard and desperate, like he’s been holding back far too long. And maybe he has, because the intensity nearly takes my breath away.

“You’re mine,” he murmurs, kissing me like he’s staking his claim in every breath.

I melt into him, kissing him back fiercely, my hands threading through his hair as I pull him closer and allow myself to feel it all.

“You have no idea how happy that makes me.”

My fingers brush the back of his neck as I softly smile. "I might have an inkling."

“Want me to show you?”

“Hmm, I don’t know. It’s late, and I have a busy day tomorrow…”

He growls low, scooping me up before I can protest. “Too late, no take-backs.”

Our laughter dissolves into something more intense as he throws me onto the bed. Hovering above me, his gaze roams my face, memorizing every detail. “Mine.”

He kisses me again, hands slowly removing the robe I’d hastily wrapped around myself. The rasp of his stubble against my skin sends shivers cascading through me, and I arch into him, silently begging for more.

"I've wanted you to be mine forever,” he murmurs, like it’s a truth he’s been holding onto for too long.

“Me too,” I whisper, my hand moving down to grip him and loving the way he hisses at the contact. A smirk pulls at my lips as I slowly pump him. “You gonna claim me now, Brooks?”

His control snaps, and he's suddenly kissing me with a hunger that’s both feral and tender, like he’s laying claim to every part of me. I lose myself in the sensation—the taste of him, the warmth of his body, his hands exploring every inch.

“You’re perfect.” His voice is rough with emotion as he presses lingering kisses along my collarbone. “And you’re all fucking mine.”

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