Page 53 of The Devil in Blue Jeans
Awareness reached his eyes, and the softness there chipped at the coldness in her soul that felt broken. “Awe, darlin’, that’s a shame,” he said, his hand slicing through the water before cupping her cheek. “Did Marcel cause you to feel like that?”
“His cheating made me feel that way,” she admitted. “I’m sorry for my reaction. It was a knee-jerk response. I’m still getting over all the emotional baggage from all of that.”
“Don’t apologize for your feelings,” he stated firmly. “It’s understandable, given what Marcel did to you.”
Smiling weakly, she leaned back in the water, wanting to return to the peacefulness found in the silence, where she felt whole and centered.
He embraced her silently, somehow understanding that she needed comfort more than words.
When she finally leaned back up to him after a long while, her hair slicked to her back from the water, she noticed the heat in his gaze from her now exposed body. But there was something more—something sweeter.
“I never would have guessed that you were a romantic,” she said. “Bringing me here for a first date is by far the best first date—or really any date—I’ve ever had.”
“Kitten,” he said with a sly smile, “you’ve only seen a few of my tricks.”
“Hmmm...is that so,” she said playfully. “How do I get to see more of your tricks, then?”
His eyes flared. “How about another bargain?”
The water lapped around them as she paused and thought about it. “Do you think we’ll ever stop challenging each other?”
“Interesting question.” After taking a few moments to consider, he said, “I hope not.”
She laughed a little. “Neither do I.” An idea popped into her head then, and she said, “I think I can offer you something that will get you to show me a trick or two.”
“Sounds tempting,” he said, grinning broadly. He drew her closer, like he wanted to keep her right there with him. Then he asked teasingly, “Going to tell me what this new bargain is?”
“You show me another trick,” she said, “and I’ll spend the night tonight...with you.”
Her words sent his eyes widening in surprise before he regained his composure, encircling her body with his arms and heading toward the shoreline.
“Where are we going now?” She laughed, gripping his waist tight with her thighs.
“I’ve got something waiting for us in there,” he said. “Something that is sure to win you over.”
“Oh?” she asked, thinking that he could not possibly top the romantic cottage and a dip in the lake. “What’s that?”
A wide grin crossed his face. “A ridiculously expensive bottle of Cabernet and triple chocolate truffle cake.”
Her mouth watered at the thought. “You had me at Cabernet...and you can have my soul at triple chocolate truffle cake.”
He barked a laugh, striding out of the water. “You did say I am the devil after all,” he said.
“Yes,” she agreed. “You certainly are.” And in this moment, she realized she really liked that about him too.
Fifteen
Aseemingly getting-flawless month went by. The bar was becoming more popular with locals all the time, and Charly spent every night with Jaxon—sometimes together in his bed, sometimes in hers. They’d find time for dates as often as they could. She was happier now than she had ever been before, and it made her question if she’d ever felt truly fulfilled with Marcel or just accepted the life she had with him. Everything in Timber Falls was starting to come together and even Willow and Aubrey were content, often meeting up with Charly, Jaxon, Eli and Gunner when they got the opportunity.
But hanging over all that happiness with Jaxon was a feeling she couldn’t shake. If she could have envisioned a dream man for herself, he was that guy. He was all the things she wanted in life from a partner: kind, strong, honorable and sexy as hell. But there was this uneasy feeling in her belly she couldn’t push away.
A feeling that felt all too familiar after Marcel cheated. One that told her she wasn’t enough.
She hated the way she’d reacted when she saw that woman wrap herself around Jaxon, and no matter how hard she tried, she couldn’t let it go. She was never the type of woman to doubt herself and lack confidence. She hadn’t when she discovered Marcel cheating with Hannah and broke things off with him. She hadn’t when she uprooted her life, moving from a busy city to a small town. She hadn’t when she faced every moment in her life. But that night, she had...and that sent a slice of cold fear cutting into her.
She sat on the stool at the bar, her arms resting on the top of the shiny wood, and she sighed heavily. They’d only opened the bar a half an hour ago, and the lunch rush hadn’t arrived yet. Only one table was occupied, where two women sat sipping cappuccino, seemingly discussing business.
Charly wished she was talking numbers and business plans. Her headhurt. Her thoughts were muddled. Confusion creating a heaviness she couldn’t find her way through.
