Chapter 10 #2
Jack snorted. “I’ll pay you the eight dollars.” At her shocked expression, he explained, “You don’t want to be seen with me at school. Especially not on your first day.”
Her eyes glanced between Jack and Lilly, who was still waiting patiently by his bike. Shit, the sun was getting lower. “Why not?” she asked.
“Because if you actually want to survive in this high school, you’ll stay away from me. No one’s going to want to be your friend if you’re friends with me.”
Again, her eyes flicked back and forth from him to Lilly and then back to him.
“What makes you think I want other friends? From what I’ve seen of you and your sister, you seem like the sort of friend I’d rather have.
” With a slightly nervous laugh, she added, “I’ve always wanted a protective big brother. ”
Fuck if that statement didn’t completely obliterate his resolve to stay away from her. He took a step forward. She didn’t move back. He stepped forward again. She stayed where she was. One more step and they were standing nearly chest to chest, him looking down at her and her looking up at him.
He leaned down, putting his lips near her ear.
“I’ll take you around school. I’ll be the best friend you’ve ever had.
I’m loyal to my core and you just bought my loyalty by bringing a smile to my sister’s face.
” He heard her breath hitch. At his nearness or words, he wasn’t sure.
“But make no mistake, I’ll never treat you like you’re my sister. ”
She swallowed loudly. “I can,” she gulped. “I can live with that.”
He smiled, stepping back. “Then I’ll see you on Monday. There’s a large tree to the left of the school. Wait for me there.”
She nodded almost robotically. “Um.” He continued to step back. “I don’t even know your name.”
He was pretty sure Lilly called him ‘Jackie’ in front of her, but he kind of liked that she’d been distracted enough not to notice. “Jack Duncan. You?”
“Jenna,” she answered softly. “Jenna Scanlon.”
PRESENT DAY
That was only the start of their battles. Steel hadn’t won the war when he’d put his ring on her finger. That had only been one obstacle, one hurdle, that was conquered. Every day, he fought for the right to love her, to be the man she deserved.
It would never be enough. He could never love her or be worthy of her. If she knew the things he’d seen, the things he’d done, either in service to his country or his club, she would never look at him the same.
That was another reason he’d turned in his cut. Steel loved his club. He loved the family and the community they’d created, a safe haven for veterans who needed stability after rejoining civilian life. Not everyone had a Jenna waiting at home for them.
But when it came down to it, the club deserved a President whose sole focus was on them, a leader whose priorities weren’t split. Jenna would always be first. There wasn’t even a competition or a hesitation or a scale to measure. There would only ever be her.
The club deserved better. Steel knew that Ghost would lead them right. Even with his priorities pulled in a different direction, Steel would not have turned the club over to Ghost if he did not believe that Ghost was up to the task.
There would be growing pains, sure, but at the end of the day, the club would be better off for it.
Jenna hummed. “What are you thinking about?”
Steel’s tongue shot out, tasting the salt of her sweat on her lower back. “Wishing I was thirty years younger so I could make love to you again.”
Jenna’s giggle was light and carefree. This vacation was good for her. If they’d stayed in Mount Grove, she would have wanted to be a part of everything, and she did not need that sort of stress.
“I can’t remember the last time we made love so many times.”
Steel kneaded her ass cheek. “A mistake on my part. Your body was made to be wrapped around my cock.”
She twisted on the pillow, her smile as glorious as the sunlit sea outside their hotel room.
Her movements were more fluid than they’d been of late.
She was relaxed here, and though she still tired easily, Steel loved seeing the sparks of her old self resurface.
He wasn’t delusional. He knew it wouldn’t last.
Eventually they would have to leave this room.
But he was so fucking tired of planning for the future. For the next two weeks, there was no future. There was no countdown or deadline. There was no club, no family, no responsibilities, no children. There was just them, in this moment, right now.
He leaned forward and took her lips. “Over forty years together and you still take my breath away. You’re more beautiful than you’ve ever been, and I am beyond humbled that you chose me to spend your life with.
I love you, Jenna Duncan. You are all that I need in this life.
I could give up air tomorrow and still be happy because I have you. ”
A tear escaped her eye, running down her nose to land solidly on the white pillowcase. She touched his bearded cheek. “No one ever believes me, you know.”
Steel raised an eyebrow. “About what?”
“That inside you’re all mush and goo and are actually a sweet talker.”
Chuckling, Steel carefully rolled her onto her back, settling his hips between the cradle of her legs. She fit him perfectly. “You shouldn’t be telling people that. I have a reputation to uphold.”
Jenna’s smile made his heart thud harder and lit his blood aflame. Fucking aging. He needed to be inside her again, but his dick was still down for the count from taking her less than an hour ago. “Wanna know a secret, Jack Duncan?”
He moved a lock of her red hair out of her face. “Last time you said that to me, you told me you were pregnant.”
She laughed, her body rocking against his. “Definitely not.” She brought her hands up to circle around his neck. “I love you too.”
“Well that’s a relief, but it wouldn’t change a damn thing.”
Jenna lifted an eyebrow. “Oh?”
He nodded, dropping his lips down to hers. “Regardless of your feelings for me, we would still be right here. I wasn’t letting you go, no matter what.”
“If I didn’t love you so damn much, that statement would be really creepy.”
Steel nipped her chin. “You’re mine, Jenna Duncan. You always have been. From the moment you called out for us to wait on that sidewalk, you were mine. That ring on your finger tells the rest of the world, but we always knew the truth.”
Jenna’s grip around his neck tightened slightly.
From the tremble, he could tell that she wanted to go tighter, but her muscles wouldn’t let her.
He dropped himself a little lower on her chest to help her.
“It was your eyes. I didn’t understand it then like I do now, but your eyes held a pain, a loneliness, and all I wanted was to help you, claim you, and fill your life with happiness. ”
She’d done a lot more than that. She’d given him purpose beyond merely surviving. She’d given him a life.
“It was that fucking yellow dress for me. Never saw anything so beautiful as you in that sundress.”
Jenna threaded her fingers through the hair at the nape of his neck. “You know, at some point, we have to leave this room.”
Steel nodded before kissing her again. They would eventually have to leave…but not today. Today was just for them, a stolen moment in time before the world came crashing down on them like a tidal wave.
And when his body finally caught up to where his mind and soul already were, he slid inside her once more. “Merry Christmas, baby.”
“Merry Christmas, Jack.”