Page 46 of The Devil in Blue Jeans
He agreed, feeling the same way when she was by his side. He’d never felt this level of comfort with any woman. Hell, he wasn’t sure he’d felt it with anyone before.
She watched his face carefully and then asked, “Is it always like this out here?”
“Like what?”
“Healing...”
He gave her a knowing look and smile. “The mountains are magical, remember. Healing comes naturally here.”
Holding his stare, she dragged a deep breath of air before blowing it out, looking back up to the sky. “Life takes strange turns, doesn’t it? I thought my life would be one way, but suddenly it changed shape into something else entirely.”
He chuckled softly. “That’s something I’m familiar with.”
She glanced over at him, her eyes shining in the moonlight. “Do you think you’ll miss what your old dream was?”
He paused for a moment before answering. “For a while I did, but then I realized an old dream has to die so a new one can live in its place.” Like all the stars were aligning, it felt like giving up on his dream brought her to him, and he’d never regret that.
A gentle smile crossed her lips and he felt warmth spread through his chest. He rolled onto his side so he could look down at her, needing to erase the distance between them. As he ran his fingers through her hair, she didn’t pull away as he’d expected. Instead, she stayed rooted to the spot as she gazed into his eyes with an intensity that overwhelmed him. He murmured quietly, “I like you.”
She laughed softly. “Do you?”
He nodded and dragged his finger along her jawline, reveling in the feel of her silky skin beneath his fingertips. “Yes, I do. I like how brave you are. You didn’t let heartbreak define you. You created a new life for yourself. I like how you fight to help others feel special and powerful. I like how you listened to my cowboys to understand the locals. I like how I feel when I’m around you.”
“How do you feel?” she asked.
He brushed his knuckles across her cheek. “Like I can’t look anywhere else but at you. I feel...happy.”
A long pause followed, but she managed to surprise him by saying gently, “I like you too, Jaxon. I like your strong character. I like how you treat your friends and cowboys. I like that you walked away from your dream for your family. I like how you see the world like it’s a gift, not something that you can constantly take from. I like how I feel when I’m around you too.”
He smiled as she used his words back on him. “How do you feel?”
“Happy,” she said. “Even when I should feel like I’ve lost everything.”
He’d been used to taking pleasure from women without feeling anything—but this time something was different, and he wanted to take a step back and do things slowly. Because he wanted to see and feel all of this woman.
His gaze traced down to her lips. This was what he wanted, more than anything else. “Can I kiss you?” he asked while caressing her jawline with his knuckles.
“What do I get if I let you?” she asked, playfully.
He chuckled. Another bargain was fine by him. “A kiss that sets you on fire isn’t enough?”
She laughed softly, her pretty eyes twinkling at him, shaking her head.
“Hmm,” he said, brushing his thumb against her bottom lip. “How about a single wish to be used at your discretion, whenever you see fit.”
The amusement faded from her expression, replaced by a heat so overpowering his breath caught in his chest. “Deal,” she rasped.
He moved closer and slowly pressed his mouth against hers—soft and sweet like he imagined.
He savored how her lips felt against his and the desire that flooded through him as they kissed deeper and deeper. Asking for permission with a lick of his tongue, she complied by opening her mouth and letting him explore further. Cupping her face with both hands, he deepened the kiss and elicited a moan from her.
When the kiss intensified, she leaned in and allowed it to grow more passionate. He groaned in pleasure as his hand moved to her waist and drew her body closer, bringing all that heat against him.
He grunted against the taste of her, and she pulled away. “Jaxon, I don’t—”
“It’s okay.” He silenced her with a finger over her lips and pleaded, “Just let me kiss you, Charly. That’s all I want.”
“Just kissing?” she whispered.
