Chapter 20
Twenty
JAKE
The moon was magnificent in the rare cloudless sky as it hung above the highest peak of Mount Luna, illuminating all of Willowbrook with soft moonlight.
The brisk wind rustled autumn leaves on the empty sidewalks as Jake walked Gia to her parents’ home.
They hadn’t spoken a word to each other since leaving Quynh and Griffin outside of the restaurant moments ago.
He’d caught Griffin’s questioning glance as he steered his wife away. Being neighbors, Jake presumed it was an unspoken question if he needed a ride home, but he’d shaken his head. Instead, he placed a hand at the small of Gia’s back as he steered them in the opposite direction.
Now, hands in his pockets, he walked silently beside her. Judging by her tense shoulders and the way she had her arms cradled around herself, Gia was a hairbreadth away from erupting.
Maybe he was imagining it, but the distance between them didn’t feel as great as it had when she first came back to town.
“Did you have fun tonight?” The words had barely left his mouth when all hell broke loose.
“What is it you want from me, Jake?” Gia whirled around, hair flying as she turned to face him, stopping him in his tracks. Anger flushed her cheeks. Her clenched fists remained pinned against her chest like an anchor. The bruises that once marred the slender column of her neck were long gone.
Her anger didn’t scare him. He had been waiting for this. Needed her to open her eyes and see him. To give him a second chance to make things right. If he could wear her down, she was as good as his.
Being patient had been killing him when all he wanted to do was shake her until she saw what was right in front of her. Instead, he needed to be patient.
Jake stepped forward until they stood toe to toe, his body coiled tight with restraint as he brought his hands up to cup her face, using his thumb to tilt her chin up.
Gia brought her hands up, resting them gently against his forearms. In the tense moment, their breaths mingled and swirled like white smoke, thick with unspoken words.
His eyes searched hers. The anger dissipated, melting into confusion.
“Everything.” His voice was hoarse with sincerity.
“I want everything from you. All of you. Every broken piece that makes you who you are. I want it all.” Jake gulped, looking at the twinkling stars overhead, gathering his scattered thoughts.
Peering down, he met Gia’s confused gaze.
The resolve was clear in the determined glint of his eyes.
“I will not give up until you realize how good we are together. But for now…”
He swallowed past the lump in his throat. “For now, I’ll take your friendship if that’s all you’re willing to give me.”
“Jake, I—” Her eyes flickered with conflict as she let her hands drop to her sides.
Jake felt her absence immediately. Running an agitated hand through his hair, he turned away, needing a moment to collect himself.
He cursed his past self for making this woman lose trust in him so completely.
There were a million things he wished he could change, but losing Gia’s trust was his biggest regret.
Jake turned back to Gia, moving back into her space, hands cupping her face firmly.
“I will wait forever for you, but know this.” His hand moved to grip the back of her head, fingers tangled in the soft tresses.
Her lavender scent made his cock stir to attention.
Her pulse raced beneath his touch, a sign she was as worked up as he was.
“You are mine. I’m never going to give up until you know that. ”
She opened her mouth to protest, but he placed a finger on her lips, effectively silencing her.
“Shh. You don’t need to say anything right now. The only thing I need you to do is stay and give me a chance. I know you have a lot going on, but I’m not going anywhere. I’m here for you. Always.”
Her eyes shone with tears that she stubbornly refused to let fall.
The sight almost broke his heart. He wanted nothing more than to fix all of her problems, but until she was ready to accept this, accept him, it was like running around in circles.
So despite his desire to throw her over his shoulder and lock her away for the rest of their lives, he pulled her in for a tight hug instead.
With his arms encircling her shoulders, his chin rested on her head. Her hands slowly crept around his body. He nearly shouted with joy when she returned his embrace, her arms wrapping securely around his back like she was afraid he’d let her go.
He placed a soft kiss on her head, rewarding her for letting a little more of her walls come down. His lips lingered even as she sniffed. He pretended his shirt wasn’t wet with her tears. Despite the chilly weather, neither made a move to break apart.
When they could no longer ignore the cold, Jake pulled away, looking down into Gia’s eyes like they were his favorite thing in the entire world. Unable to resist, he tipped her chin up once again, tilting his head to place a gentle kiss on her lips.
Her sharp inhale made his cock stiffen further, reminding him of the last time she’d made that noise.
This time around, he wouldn’t squander a single moment.
He’d commit every moan to memory. He’d learned what made her crazy, her likes and dislikes.
He needed her heart more than he needed her pleasure.
Jake would make her fall in love with him again.
Even if it took the rest of their lives.
The kiss lingered, his body screaming at him to deepen it, demanding he show her how he felt about her—but he pulled away.
Words could never fully convey the turmoil he felt inside, but this would have to suffice for now.
This was where he belonged: holding the woman he would one day call his wife under the moon.
When he finally pulled away, he pretended not to notice her flushed cheeks, even though it made him swell with pride. He grabbed her hand, tugging her along. “Come on. Let’s get you home before you turn into a popsicle.”
Gia didn’t fight him. In fact, she laced her cool fingers between his as they turned the corner onto her parents’ street. This time, when he walked her to the front door, he kissed her softly before turning to walk away.
Her voice called out to him, making him stop mid-stride. “Jake.” He turned his head to look at her over his shoulder, an eyebrow arched in question. “I’ll stay.”
The grin stretching across his face gleamed in the moonlight.