by Violet Duke
âYou did?â Maddieâs smile had scarcely stretched her face before it vanished like it had been slapped away and her stomach filled with a terrible sinking feeling. âThat means I didnât need to say any of the things I said, did I?â She winced. âIâm sorry. Now I feel awful.â
âDonât. It was good for me to hear it again from someone whose opinion I trust as much as yours.â Jake smiled. âThat brother of mine is a lucky guy.â
âI am,â came a voice from deeper within the house, a voice that made Maddieâs heart lift and her cheeks heat at the same time.
It was Jamison. Jamison was here, right on the other side of the door, and chances were he had heard every word sheâd just said.
CHAPTER SEVENTEEN
JAMISON APPEARED NEXT to Jake, looking amazing in a pair of battered jeans, a white undershirt, slightly damp hair, and an expression that made it clear how happy he was to see her. âSorry, I showed up somewhere in the middle of the shake down and couldnât bring myself to interrupt.â
Maddie bit her lip. âDid I sound like a crazy person?â
Jamison shook his head. âYou sounded great. I like hearing you all fierce and protective. And the saying how much you loved me part was nice, too.â
Maddie sighed, meeting Jamisonâs eyes enough to make her certain sheâd made the right decision. Ever since sheâd left Summerville Thursday night, sheâd been feeling off-center. Sheâd assumed it was because she was finally sorting through all her feelings about her divorceâand spending an hour on her birthday writing Serge a long email saying she wasnât ready to be friends, after allâbut now the reason for those off-center feelings became abundantly clear.
She and Jamison hadnât been in sync, and sheâd felt it in every moment of every day. In the past three weeks heâd become more than a dear friend, heâd become a part of her heart, and Maddie wasnât the kind to walk around without her heart fully up and functioning and feel everything was right with the world.
âIâll give you two a minute,â Jake said, backing away from the door, clearly sensing that Jamison and Maddie should have some time alone.
âHey,â Jamison said after Jake had retreated into the house, a hint of shyness in his voice. âThanks for coming to my rescue.â
âLooks like you didnât need rescuing, after all,â she said.
âBut Iâm sure Iâll need rescuing again, sooner or later.â Jamison stepped out onto the stoop beside her and shut the door, moving close enough to set Maddieâs entire body to tingling. âIâm assuming telling Jake how much you love me means youâre up for the job long term?â
Maddie nodded gently. âIf youâll have me.â
âAlways. Forever.â Jamison pulled her into his arms, sealing the promise with a kiss Maddie felt flood through her body like warm cider filling up a glass.
It was a kiss that cleared out the last of the cobwebs lingering in her heart, leaving no room for doubt. Jamison was her Oneâthe man sheâd been waiting for, the one whoâd never leave her or betray her or treat her love as anything less than a precious giftâand she was his.
As Maddie kissed him back, hands tangling in his still damp hair, body pressing closer and closer to his, she swore to make the most of every day, to treasure each moment and never let fear steal another second from her and the man she loved.
âThank God,â Jamison murmured against her lips as they pulled away to catch their breath. âIâm so glad youâre back. Letâs never do that again, okay? Thinking Iâd lost you took a year off my life.â
âIâm sorry,â Maddie said, running a gentle hand down his lightly bruised face. âI should have stayed and talked things through, or at the very least made sure you were okay. Are you okay? You look better than I expected, aside from the stitches.â
âIâm fine,â Jamison said. âIâm sorry I screwed up. I know it was before we started dating, but it was a dumb, selfish thing to do and I regret it. I wish like hell I could go back and put a stop to things with Wendy before they ever got started.â
âI know,â Maddie said. âIâm not thrilled that she was married, but I overreacted, too. The cheating thing reminded me too much of my ex. It brought a lot of feelings to the surface that Iâd been doing my best not to deal with.â
âWhat kind of feelings?â Jamison asked.
âAnger, hurt, betrayalâ¦more anger,â Maddie said with a short laugh. âBut I wrote Serge an honest email yesterday and I feel so much better now. I feelâ¦ready. Completely ready.â
âHow ready?â Jamison studied her carefully.
âTotally ready,â Maddie said, without a shred of doubt. âIf I could marry you today, I would do it. In a heartbeat.â
Something sparked in Jamisonâs eyes, a tiny flame of mischief she usually associated with fun of the no-clothes-required variety.
âWhat?â she asked, a smile teasing at her lips. âWhat are you up to?â
âWell, I donât think we can get married todayâsince Jake and Naomi kind of have that locked up. But I can give you this.â Without another word, Jamison reached into the front pocket of his jeans and pulled out a ring. Before Maddie could catch her breath, he was down on one knee, right there on Jakeâs front porch.
âMaddie Whitehouse, I have loved you my entire life,â he began, sending tears springing to her eyes. âIt wasnât always romantic, as you know, and there were probably too many slugs involvedâ¦but it was love. It was real and what I feel for you now is the truest thing I have ever known. I donât want to move forward with my life without you in it. You make me a better person, and when Iâm with you I feel like the luckiest man in the world.â
He paused, reaching up to brush a tear from her cheek with a smile. âI love you, and I will spend the rest of my life making sure you know itâ¦if youâll agree to be my wife.â
âYes,â Maddie said, her voice thick with emotion and fresh tears spilling down her cheeks. âA zillion times, yes.â
Jamison smiled his biggest, brightest smile as he slipped the ring on to her finger. âDonât cry, baby.â
âI canât help it,â she said. âItâs so beautiful. Itâs perfect, Jamison! I love it.â
âThe flower shape reminded me of you,â he said as he pulled her back into his arms, âand the flowers you wear in your hair.â
Maddieâs hand flew to her head with a cry, feeling the red scarf tied tight around her curlers. âOh my god. I forgot I had rollers in my hair. And no make-up, and Iâve had this tee shirt since I was in eighth grade.â
Jamison only smiled wider. âYou look hot. Kind of like that lady on the pancake syrup before they took her scarf off.â
âAunt Jemima?â Maddie rolled her eyes when he nodded. âThanks, Jamison. I always wanted to look like Aunt Jemima when I was proposed to for the first time that really matters.â
Jamisonâs smile softened. âI like that.â He hugged her closer. âI like being the one who matters.â
Maddie relaxed against him, letting her arms twine around his neck, unable to stay stressed about her appearance when he was looking at her like she was the most beautiful woman in the world. âWell good, because itâs you and me from here on out. Thereâs no shaking me once I dig my heels in.â
âI donât plan on trying to shake you,â Jamison said. âAt least not anywhere but on the dance floor tonight. You want to be my date to the reception?â
Maddie grinned. âDoes a bear shit in the woods?â
Jamison laughed. âGood. I canât wait to dance with you.â
â
And I canât wait to get you home after the dancing,â Maddie said, pressing up on tiptoe to claim his lips for another kiss. And another, and another, until their breath was coming faster and Jamisonâs hands were wandering and Maddie was starting to think she couldnât wait for tonight.
She was getting ready to pull Jamison to her car and abduct him for a quickie when someone cleared their throat and she and Jamisonâs kiss startled apart.
âSo I guess she said yes!â Jamisonâs father boomed from the doorway, a twinkle in his eye that reminded Maddie of his younger son.
âShe did,â Jamison said, as Maddie slipped out of his arms, mortified to have been caught by her future father-in-law.
âWell, congratulations,â his dad said. âHate to interrupt, but Jake sent me to check on you two. He said something about making sure you donât run off together before he and Naomi get hitched.â His hazel eyes shifted to Maddie. âHow are you, Maddie? Good to see you.â
Maddie blushed. âHi Mr. Hansen. Iâm good.â She glanced sideways at Jamison, fighting a grin. âReally good.â
âGlad to hear it,â he said with a nod. âAnd welcome to the family. Not that you werenât already family, but itâs nice to see my boys settling down with such fine women. Theyâre lucky men.â
âWe are,â Jamison agreed, meeting Maddieâs eye before glancing back at his dad. âIâll walk Maddie to her car, and be right in.â
âAll right. See you soon, Maddie,â his dad said, before disappearing into the house.
As soon as the door shut behind him, Maddie and Jamison both erupted into laughter.
âIâll never be able to look him in the eye without blushing again,â Maddie said as she and Jamison turned to descend the steps. âIâm so embarrassed.â
âItâs all right.â Jamison slipped an arm around her waist. âDad doesnât care.â
âI care,â Maddie said. âMy tongue was in your mouth, Jamison. That was no sweet kiss. I was getting ready to drag you off to my car and molest you on an abandoned stretch of country road.â
Jamison paused on the sidewalk, turning to her with a look hot enough to melt butter. âLetâs go.â
Maddie shook her head, even as her pulse leapt with excitement. âNo, we canât. You promised youâd be right in.â
âI didnât promise.â Jamisonâs other hand came around her waist, pulling her in for a kiss as he backed her slowly toward the car.
âNo,â Maddie mumbled against his lips. âWe have to be good. At least until after the wedding.â
âDoes that mean we get to skip the reception?â he asked, still kissing her between words, making Maddieâs head spin.
âNo,â she said, fingers digging into his biceps. âBut the venue is in the middle of nowhere. Iâm sure we can find somewhere to sneak away for a while.â
âReception sex,â Jamison said in an approving tone. âI like the way you think.â
âAnd I like the way you kiss,â she said, pushing him reluctantly away. âSo weâd better stop before my irresponsible side takes over.â
Jamison sighed. âAll right.â He stepped back, running a hand through his damp hair as his eyes flicked up and down, taking Maddie in with a seriousness that made her shift from one sneaker to the other.
âWhat?â she asked.
He shook his head. âNothing. Just memorizing how you looked the morning you agreed to be my wife.â
Maddieâs heart did a delicious flip inside her chest before oozing down into her stomach. âYou say sweet things.â
âI can say even sweeter thingsâ¦if youâll let me in that car with you.â
Maddie laughed even as she pointed a stern finger toward Jakeâs front door. âNo, now go. Iâll see you in a few hours.â
Jamison winked. âIâll be counting the minutes, hot stuff.â
Maddie stood on the sidewalk, shaking her head as she watched him go, letting her eyes do their own sweep up and down. Jamison was undeniably gorgeous, with a body men envied and women drooled over, but what made him truly extraordinary wasnât anything that could be seen from the outside. It was his heart, his good, sweet, loyal heart, and it belonged to her.
With a soft sigh and a prayer of thanks, Maddie slid into her car and headed to her mom and dadâs to pick up Naomi, feeling like the richest woman in the world.
*
By the time Jamison slipped back into Jakeâs house a little before eleven a.m., he was already having the best day of his entire life. Maddie had agreed to be his wifeâas far as he was concerned, things couldnât get any better.
Turns out he was wrong.
A little after four oâclock, he got to stand beside his brother and watch the woman he loved walk down the aisle in a red chiffon dress, with her dark curls piled on top of her head and her eyes shining with happiness. She was so fucking beautiful it stopped his heart, only to jump start it again a moment later when she looked across the church with a smile meant just for him.
Their eyes met and held and something special passed between them, filling Jamison with so much raw emotion it felt like his soul was overflowing the boundaries of his skin and bones. It was a feeling so strange, but so perfect and intense and wonderful and right, that he didnât want it to end. He wanted to stand there at the front of the church for hours, sneaking glances at Maddie as Father Seamus spoke, feeling a fresh rush every time their gazes connected and he realized that beautiful woman looking back at him was going to be his wife.
But soon, the ceremony ended, Jake and Naomi started back down the aisle, and Jamison realized there was something even better than staring at Maddie across the altar. There was racing with her to his car, stealing kisses in the church parking lot, and feeling her fingers tease through his hair as they drove out into the country to a building that looked like a French castle, surrounded by rolling hills covered in peaceful green woods.
There was walking into the reception with his girl on his arm and seeing the surprise on their familiesâ and friendâs faces turn to shared excitement as they realized another wedding was on the horizon. There was sneaking ass grabs as he tailed Maddie through the appetizer buffet and laughing when she pretended to be scandalized and eating the cheese puffs she fed him from her plate before letting his teeth nip her fingers.
There was resting his hand on her thigh beneath the table during dinner, listening to her sweet voice as she toasted her sister and new brother-in-law, and meeting her eyes over the rim of their champagne glasses, knowing it wouldnât be long now. There was a first dance and a second dance and then her hand in his as they crept down the stairs and out the back door, hurrying across the lawn to a gazebo where the caterers had set out a dessert spread and a bucket of chilled champagne on a table for two.
And there was deciding the dessert could wait and heading up a trail leading into the darkening wood, following it to a clearing where Jamison spread his tuxedo jacket on the ground for Maddie to lie on and showed her how much heâd missed her.
As he pushed inside her, feeling the woman he loved tight and hot around him and her arms holding him close and her breath warm against his lips as she whispered his name, he stopped wondering if things were going to keep getting better.
Of course they were, because Maddie was his, finally his.
âYou feel so good,â Jamison murmured, pulling back to the end of her, only to slide right back into her sweet heat with a groan. âGod, I love you.â
âI love you,â she said, breath coming faster. âIâm so glad I let myself get tangled in your smolder web.â
âIt was your smolder web.â He cupped her thigh in his right hand, guiding her leg around his hips. â�
�Youâre the one who wanted to go skinny dipping.â
âThank God for whiskey,â she said, her laugh becoming a moan as Jamison thrust deeper.
âThank God for you,â Jamison said, quickening his pace as he brought his fingers to tease the top of her, bringing her over seconds before he lost himself, coming so hard the world blurred and his ears rang and his heart fell out of his chest and into Maddieâs hands where it was going to stay.
Until death did them part.
OTHER TITLES BY JESSIE
Always a Bridesmaid Series
Betting On You
Keeping You
Wild For You
Catching You
Taking You
Wild Rush Series
One Wild Night
This Wicked Rush
One Perfect Love
Cupid Island Series
A Cupid Island Christmas
Auditioning You
Daring You
Cupid Island Wedding Anthology
Fire and Icing Series
Melt With You
Hot For You
Sweet To You
Saving You
Perfect For You
ABOUT THE AUTHOR
www.jessieevansauthor.com
Jessie Evans gave up a career as an international woman of mystery to write contemporary Southern romances and sexy, boundary-pushing New Adult reads. She enjoys sweet, small town romances, and fictional walks on the wild side, and can’t imagine a better job than playing pretend for a living. She’s married to the man of her dreams, and together they’re raising a few children in a cabin in the boonies. She grew up in rural Arkansas, spending summers running wild, being chewed by chiggers, and now appreciates her home in a chigger-free part of the world even more. When she’s not writing, Jessie enjoys playing her dulcimer (badly), sewing the worlds ugliest quilts to give to her friends, going for bike rides with her house full of boys, and wandering the woods, glass of wine and camera in hand, on the lookout for Bigfoot. A southern girl, born and bred, Jessie loves writing romances with sizzle, and hopes you’ll enjoy her stories set in the south.