Page 34 of Lady Luck's Kiss
“No, but you are truly special to me and I can’t help but love you. Please don’t be scared of that,” he said quickly, his smile falling.
“I’m not. Well, a little bit. But I am getting used to the idea of us being together.”
“Thank goodness,” he breathed, smiling again at her. “You like them?”
“I love them.”
“And I lov-” Jack stopped and ran his fingers through his hair. “This is really hard sometimes, but I’m trying to take it slow. I swear it.”
“I know you are, simply for my sake. Say it, Jack,” she breathed tenderly and walked up to where he was standing. Her hand cupped his face and she marveled at the way he swallowed nervously, his eyes tortured with want. “Say it if you feel it - no games. Tell me you love me.”
“Charlotte English, I love you more than you’ll ever know,” he whispered, looking at her intently. “You make me nervous, scared, excited and happy all at once.”
“I think, perhaps, you’d better kiss me, cowboy.”
“Are you sure?”
“Positive, because once we are done kissing, I’m putting these bad boys on my car and we are going for a heckuva ride tonight.”
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Charlotte leaned forward and softly pressed her lips against his. She wrapped her arms around his neck and easily stepped into his embrace. They just fit. It was as if there had been a mold for the two of them. Her body was soft where his was all muscle. Where she had curves, his body was lean and taut from years of abuse.
“Put your hands on me,” she said and was shocked to have him suddenly rear back away from her. His hands grasped her arms, pulling them from his neck. She marveled that this strong man was trembling as he held her. “What’s wrong?”
“Nothing, everything,” he admitted.
“You know how I feel about you and I think you might feel the same way. Hear me out,” he quickly interrupted just as her mouth opened to speak, effectively silencing her. “I understand being nervous or shy. I do.”
“But?”
“But there is a limit to how much you can push before I push back. Either we are a couple or we aren’t. I can’t live with in between. I want you in my life. You wanted a heckuva ride? I do, too, if you get my meaning.”
“I…” she began and hesitated. Beth had told her to make up her mind and she’d made the first move towards them meeting. He’d been utterly kind and polite to her, but there was a line he was drawing in the sand between them. Why was she so nervous?
“Look, you don’t have to make a decision now. In fact, I want you to think where you see us months from now. A year from now. I want the whole package from you.” His voice never seemed firmer…more sure of himself.
“I have another performance on Friday that I had already committed to. Please come. See my world. What I do behind the scenes and what happens before we go out in the arena. Bring Beth if you want. I’m thinking of hanging up my spurs in a year or two. But before I am done, I’d like to share it with you.”
“I’d like to be there for you. I’ll admit I’m not crazy about seeing you tossed around like a ragdoll.”
“I hope that is a sign that you care.”
“I do, a lot.”
Charlie watched him scoop up his truck keys off the table. She admired the way his jeans sat snug on his hips and found herself very nearly drooling until she realized that he was leaving.
“Where are you going?”
“Work on your car tonight, sweetheart, and think about what I said. I mean it when I said the whole package. I want it all.” Stunned that he was leaving, she stood there gaping at him. He got into his truck and turned to smile at her. She could see a smudge of red on his lips where she’d kissed him, making her smile in return.
As his truck pulled out of the lot, she felt a distinct vacuum in her life. A void. He brought so much joy to her, so much happiness and so much indecision.
Picking up her phone, she called Beth.
“Tell me I’m not stupid.”
“If you have to ask…the answer is always a firm, definitive YES.”
