The corners of her mouth started to tilt upward with my confession. “That’s what I like to hear.”
“Baby, I am really sorry. I can never take back the way I acted, but I can promise you I’ll never do it again.” I fell to my knees. “I know all I do is apologize to you for fucking up, but please, Kitten. I need you by my side. I’ll always need you by my side. Say you forgive me. Please.”
I waited. Waited for her to say she forgave me. Waited for her to say she loved me and she’d never leave me. I’d wait forever to hear those words if she wanted me to. She lowered herself to the floor next to me and took my face in the palm of her hands. God, her hands were soft.
Her green eyes stared through me, intense and ferocious as she spoke. “I’m your wife. I vowed in front of our friends and family that I would love you until I died. And I plan on doing just that, but please,” she paused, “stop making it so hard for me.” Her lips found mine and my chest instantly eased with relief.
“I love you. I fucking love you.” My tongue explored the inside of her mouth and I wanted to bury myself in her. “I need you. Now.”
“Jack, we have guests.”
“They aren’t guests. They can wait. I need to be inside you. You’re my home. I need to be home right now.”
Cassie hesitated and pulled away slightly. “Don’t do it like last time.” She looked down as I struggled to remember what she was talking about.
Then I remembered. I was rough with her the night I got hurt, and that was the last time we’d been together. “Oh shit, Cassie. Did I hurt you?” Her head shook slowly back and forth, her eyes still focused on the floor. “I did, didn’t I? I fucking hurt you, didn’t I?”
“You didn’t hurt me,” she said slowly.
“Then what? What did I do? I know I was rough and I’m sorry. I’ll never forgive myself if you’re not okay.” I couldn’t believe this. It was one fuck-up after another with me. How could I be so stupid all the time?
She looked up, her eyes meeting mine. “You scared me a little. Not a lot. But still.”
I leaned my head into my hand and wiped at my eyes. “I’m so sorry. Kitten, please. I needed to feel like a man because I felt so useless on the ball field. I wanted to dominate something, but I didn’t even think about how it would make you feel. I just wanted to make myself feel better. ‘Cause I’m a selfish prick.”
“I just need a little time, okay? I love you and we’ll be fine, but I need us to go slow right now,” she suggested and my dick ached.
“Absolutely. We’ll go at your pace. Whatever you want. I’ll do whatever you want.” I pulled her against me and hugged her tight. She probably couldn’t breathe, but I needed her to be that close to me.
“Thank you. We should probably get out there.” She smiled and I pushed up from the floor before reaching for her.
“I really am sorry,” I whispered against her ear before hugging her again.
“I know. Just talk to me, please. You can’t get like that. I can’t get like that. It doesn’t work for us when we don’t talk.”
“I’ve never dealt with this before,” I admitted and she nodded against my chest.
“I know. But we’ll deal with it together. We’re a team, remember? You told me that. It’s you and me against the world, Carter.”
“For fucking ever,” I said before covering her mouth with mine and pouring all my love for her into that kiss. She moaned and her body relaxed against me. We’d be okay. We just needed a little time.
When we finally left our bedroom, Melissa and Dean were sitting on the couch watching some chick flick. He had his arm around her and she was leaning against him.
“Figures you’d grow a vagina the second I leave you alone,” I teased and Dean breathed out a sigh. “What the hell are you two watching?”
Dean shoved a fist in the air. “My brother’s back!”
“Are you done being an asshole, Asshole?” Melissa chirped in my direction.
“Are you done being a cock tease to my brother, Cock-Tease?” I chirped back.
Cassie’s hand landed hard against my chest. “Jack! Leave them alone.”
“I was planning on it, until you shot me down.” I threw her a glance and flashed a smile in her direction.
“Crash and burn, huh, big brother?” Dean asked.
“I wouldn’t talk if I were you,” I warned.
Cassie cleared her throat. “Enough with the dick measuring. Jeez.”
Melissa turned her head around. “Oh my God, go put a shirt on,” she shouted at my ripped chest. “Wait! Get over here.”