Page 73 of The Devil in Blue Jeans
“What is it?” she asked.
His voice was steady...strong, as he put his focus wholly on her. “I fought against giving up this bar, the last piece of myself, and to fall into my father’s role. But I know now this bar is in the right hands. Your beautiful hands.” Taking her by the waist, he brought her a little bit closer. “I’m the first one to admit I never believed in the magic in the mountains or the legend.” He slowly shook his head, his eyes bright, focusing intently on her. “What a fool I’ve been.”
She smirked at him. “You won’t hear me arguing with you on that point.”
He cracked a smile and gave her another wink. “I thought you might agree.” He stopped dancing and cupped her face. “I realized on that plane to Phoenix that I don’t want to go through another day with the world not knowing that we’re together.”
Pressing herself against him, she smiled. “I wouldn’t be opposed to that.”
“Good.” He stared at her with warmth and tenderness. “Because I like the idea of calling you my girlfriend.”
She smiled in return “That does have a nice ring to it.”
“Sure as hell does.” His smile could have brought light to pure darkness and melted her heart as he gathered her in his arms. Placing her back on her feet, he kissed her with such passion that all thoughts of anything else disappeared.
Until Gunner’s voice broke through the quiet moment between them, and she remembered they weren’t alone. Though as she backed away, catching the warmth in Jaxon’s gaze, she realized in that very second how all her heartbreak had led to this moment. Because now she knew how fragile life was, and in this life, she wanted this future...with Jaxon.
Epilogue
Two months had passed since Jaxon made things official between them. Two months of peaceful mornings with him at the ranch...and fun nights at the bar. Two months of sneaking off wherever possible for a quickie. Because somehow Charly could not keep her hands off him.
She attempted to catch her breath as Jaxon guided her away from the rear of the barn, her face still rosy after he pressed her up against the wall and proved he couldn’t keep his hands off her either.
“Us sneaking off to have a quickie is becoming a habit,” she said, as the quiet night surrounded them, crickets singing off in the distance.
Jaxon glanced over his shoulder and winked at her. “A wonderful habit that we should continue for years to come.”
She laughed, all the while secretly hoping nobody had seen them leave the campfire. In the distance, she could hear Gunner’s voice and Decker’s guitar were playing together in harmony.
All the cowboys and Aubrey and Willow had helped Charly move in with Jaxon today, then they rounded out the evening with pizza and a fire. Jaxon had posed the question of moving in only a week ago. Now living with her heart leading the way, she had accepted. She wanted to wake up next to Jaxon and go to sleep in his arms.
Through the move she’d experienced a range of emotions—happy to be moving in with Jaxon yet sad to not stay living with Willow and Aubrey. Twenty minutes ago, she’d been in tears with her girlfriends. Now she was a panting mess of satisfaction.
Life was weird. Perhaps it was time for her to ease up on the drinks for a bit.
Jaxon firmly held her hand as they stepped around the corner of the barn, but then he froze in his tracks. She stumbled right into him. “Ouch!” she complained.
“Shhh,” he whispered, raising a finger to his lips. “Look.”
She quietly peered around the corner and stared in astonishment at the scene before them. Willow and Eli were almost tearing one another’s clothes off, their kisses hot and passionate, and not something she and Jaxon should watch.
She threw her hands over her eyes immediately, backing away. “What do we do?” she whispered.
“This is the only way to get back to the fire,” he answered, just as quietly. “Do we really want to stick around here and hear what happens next between them?”
“No,” Charly said, shoving him forward.
Jaxon chuckled. Then he coughed noisily to get their attention. “Sorry to intrude,” he called, “but this is the only route back to the fire.”
Willow gasped, and Charly looked just in time to see her pushing Eli away—hard.
Caught off guard, Eli went soaring back, landing on his ass. “What the hell?” he groaned.
“Oh, no,” Willow said, reaching out to help him before stopping herself. She glanced at Charly then Jaxon.
Charly bit her lip as Willow’s face turned the deepest shade of red she’d ever seen.
“I’m so sorry,” Willow eventually said.
