Page 52 of The Devil in Blue Jeans
“Come on,” he said, offering his hand. “Let me show you the rest.”
She wrapped her fingers around his, and he led her to the front door. The wooden floors creaked beneath their feet as he opened it. They entered a sitting room, and she noted the plush couch with a knitted blanket along the back. A tiny galley kitchen with a small table for two by the window. A wooden ladder led up to a warm loft bedroom hidden under a sloping roof.
“This cabin is maybe the most perfect place I have ever seen in my life,” she said, taking it all in with a hand pressed to her chest.
“I told you you’d like it,” he said with a proud grin. “But I think I can surprise you even more.” He kept her hand, leading her out a back door.
The moment she stepped outside and her eyes adjusted to the darkness, she gasped.
Tucked away between thick, tall trees and distant shadowy mountains, a hidden lake rested in the night, black glass under the reflection of the moon, which created a shimmering dance on the surface of the water. Farther above, stars shined like scattered diamonds in the sky. Just to the right, a small wooden dock jutted out into the lake, with a canoe tied to it.
Jaxon pressed a kiss against her hand before he let it go. “I get a real kick out of surprising you.” He walked off to the dock.
“Where are you going?” she asked.
“For a swim,” he called back over his shoulder.
She stared in amazement as he reached the end of the dock and removed his clothes, flaunting every toned muscle under the moonlight. Without hesitation, he dived into the water and resurfaced a few moments later.
“You’re not scared, are you?” came his teasing voice from across the lake.
“Oh, that jerk,” she mumbled beneath her breath, guessing correctly that he’d heard her reply due to the echo of his laughter.
She hurried over to where he’d undressed and shed her clothing there too, fully aware that his gaze tracked her every movement, and lingered in all the places he’d set on fire not too long ago.
Faking bravery, she jumped into the lake, resurfacing just in time to feel his strong hands drawing her closer. The water enveloped her body like a warm embrace as they swam together toward the middle of the lake. Time drifted away as they floated side by side. She let go of all her worries, responsibilities and silenced her mind.
She wasn’t sure how much time had passed before Jaxon took her hand.
When she looked his way, he said, “Let’s move closer to the shore.”
She nodded with her mouth beneath the water and swam next to him until they reached shallow water, and soon, she was gathered in his arms, straddling his waist.
“This place is like a hidden gem,” she said after a moment.
“I think that’s why my mom liked it so much,” he said. “It was something just for her. No one else but my mom and dad knew it existed.”
She looked around, taking in the stone cottage and natural beauty surrounding them. “I can understand why it meant so much to her,” she said. “It’s magical here.” Everything was quiet...still, like time simply didn’t exist here.
“I’m happy I have it,” Jaxon said with emotion in his voice. “It reminds me of them.”
She wrapped her arms around his neck, holding him close. “I’m sure that would make them happy too.”
Jaxon nodded, sliding up and down her back with his hands. “About tonight?” he eventually asked.
“What about it?” she asked, leaning away.
He smirked at her, locking his arms around her. “Don’t get your claws out, Kitten. Just explain to me why you were so upset. It’s all right to be jealous.”
She shook her head. “I wasn’t jealous,” she muttered.
He raised an eyebrow skeptically. “What were you feeling, then?”
She didn’t want to answer, but the words tumbled out of her mouth anyway. “I felt...less than her, not jealous over her.”
His brows drew together tight. “Less than who?”
“Less than that woman that was hanging off you.”
