“But I was thinking about what you said about me, about the other girls, about you not living in your house. So, I came over here to tell you that if you still wanted to be with me, I’m yours. I mean, I’ve always been yours, but I’ll stay. If that’s really what you want.
“But then I got Lauren’s call and I came in here and you said you bought the hou—”
Jake was up and around the desk, and before she had a chance to finish what she was saying, he had her in his arms. His lips found hers and he claimed her with his kiss. Her arms flew around his neck and her legs wrapped around his waist. She parted her lips and his tongue swept inside of her mouth. She kissed him back with equal fervor, meeting him lick for lick.
It had only been a day since he’d kissed her last but damn, Jake had missed her mouth. He knew her kisses were like a drug to him that he would never get enough of. Jake took his time, pouring all of the love he had inside himself into this kiss.
Tessa’s curves melted against him, and Jake knew he needed to get them out of there before he cleared his desk, stripped her out of her clothes, and took her on top of it. But before anything went further, Jake needed to confirm what he thought Tessa was saying.
Pulling away, he met her half-lidded gaze. She looked almost drunk. He smiled, liking the knowledge that he’d made her feel that way from his kiss.
“So you’re staying?” he asked, his voice strained with need.
“If you want me,” she said, still sounding a little unsure.
“I want you. Only you. Forever.” Jake didn’t know how much clearer he could be.
A smile spread across Tessa’s beautiful face. “Then yes. I’m staying.”
“Marry me.” Jake knew he wasn’t on one knee and he didn’t have a ring, but he had to know that Tessa would be his wife.
“Okay,” she answered immediately, her smile spreading even wider.
“Today.”
“What?” she said as she drew her head back and looked at him like he needed to be in a strait jacket. “We can’t get married today.”
“Why not? Let’s drive to Tahoe. We’ll get our license and go to a chapel. You can be Mrs. Maguire by sundown.”
“But what about your family?” Tessa asked, her eyes wide as saucers.
“I told you. You’re my family. It’s me and you. It’s always been me and you.”
He could see a battle going on behind her beautiful blue eyes. Her mouth turned into a nervous frown as she said, “Your mom and Nikki will kill us.”
“I’ll deal with them.” Jake needed her to say ‘yes’. With everything in his being, he needed Tessa to finally be his wife. He knew that begging had never helped before, but that didn’t stop the plea from leaving his mouth. “Please. Marry me. Today.”
Her eyes scanned his face and her chest was rising and falling rapidly. Tears formed in her eyes, her lips turning up into a smile as she whispered, “Yes. I’ll marry you. Today.”
Jake pulled her tightly against him, crushing her with his arms and burying his head in the crook of her neck as relief and joy washed over him like a giant wave. “I love you,” he whispered against her ear.
She held him just as tightly. “I love you too.”
“Let’s go get married.” He grabbed his keys off the desk and started towards the door.
“I can walk,” she giggled as she held her arms securely around his neck.
“Good,” he said, not putting her down. Jake didn’t want to let her go. And now, thank God, he never had to.
Excerpt: My First
THE CROSSROADS SERIES
Book One
Chapter One
“Welcome home!” Katie said sardonically to herself as she sat, eyes closed, in her rental car on the side of Highway 90. She had a paper bag pressed tightly against her mouth and a mantra running through her brain on repeat.
You can breathe. Just breathe. Breathe in and out slowly. You can breathe.
Katie had been back in Illinois for less than an hour and here she was, smack dab in the middle of her first panic attack in five years. She gripped the steering wheel hard, trying to soothe her racing heart to anchor herself to reality. She forced her movements to be slow and deliberate.
This seems to be working, albeit slowly, she assured herself. When the overpriced therapist who taught her the breathing exercise and mantra had laid out his plan, Katie had wanted to roll her eyes. She had wanted to tell him that he clearly had no flipping idea what a panic attack really felt like if he thought that repeating a little magic spell in her mind about breathing was going to have any effect at all. She had wanted to tell him that panic attacks didn’t feel like nervousness or butterflies you could just calm with the power of your mind. They felt like you were having a heart attack, like you were dying. Have you ever heard of someone having a heart attack curing themselves by simply telling themselves to breathe?