I gasped, looking down at him and seeing the veins bulging on his neck.

He smiled, excitement flashing in his eyes as he stared up at me. “I fucking love you, baby.”

My eyes rounded, and I whimpered at the shiver shooting straight from my heart down to my core.

“Huh?” My voice was barely a peep. Oh, my God.

He shook his head, surprise and happiness written all over his face. “I do. I love you, Juliet. And you’re right, okay?” He nodded. “You’re right. I thought I wasn’t good enough. I thought you’d wind up being sorry that I was in your life, that I wasn’t the man I was supposed to be, and I wouldn’t be able to make you proud. But I was wrong. We belong together.”

And he brought me down, crushing his lips to mine.

The moan came from the back of my throat, and I wrapped my arms around him, holding him tight.

He kissed the corner of my mouth and hugged me close, whispering against my neck. “I love you, and if you love me,” he breathed out, “and I’ve been good for you, and you’re not lying to me about that, then I’m keeping you. I’m fucking keeping you.”

“Jax,” I cried softly, letting my head fall back as he moved his lips over my cheeks and jawline. “I love you so much. Only ever you.”

His arms, still under mine, reached behind me and threaded through my hair, holding my face still. “Don’t go to Arizona,” he whispered against my mouth. “You belong with me, and I don’t want you more than ten feet away. Ever again.”

His soft lips melted into mine, playing with me in short, deep kisses.

“Okay,” I muttered between kisses, “but you have to stop paying for things.”

He backed me into Jared’s car, one hand holding my neck, the other skimming down my back to grab my ass. “How are you going to pay for college, huh?”

I kissed him again. “Loans.”

“College loans are slavery.” He kissed me again, pressing himself between my legs.

My eyelids fluttered, the wave of his heat hitting me hard. “If we don’t work out,” I gasped, “I’ll owe you money. So no.”

“And if we do work out”—he hoisted my legs up and around him—“it’ll become my debt. So no.”

I grinned, eating up his lips fast and hard. “Tomato, to-mah-to.”

I fired a trail of kisses across his jaw, fingering his nipple rings through his black T-shirt.

“Shit. You need to stop.” He twisted his head, his eyes closed and looking utterly undone. “You’re obsessed with those damn things.”

“Yep.” I lightly bit his neck, close to the bite-mark tattoo. “Oh, and I’m not doing any threesomes with Cameron,” I pointed out, laying down a stipulation of my own.

“I know.”

I nibbled his neck. “At least not for a while,” I clarified.

I felt his chest shake with laughter. “I love you.”

“So get me to a bed.”

CHAPTER 28

JAXON

“No!” Juliet squealed, running after me into the hallway as I halted in front of my office door, blocking it.

I tipped my chin up, challenging her.

“I want in!” She planted her hands on her hips, a smile tugging at her stern lips.

I shook my head, biting back a laugh.

“I want to see, Jax,” she ordered. “Move!”

“There’s no porn in there, I promise!” My chest shook as I secured my hands above my head on both sides of the doorframe. “But we can make porn if you want.”

Her eyes narrowed, and I let mine scale down her cute little body in my dark gray V-neck T-shirt. It was after midnight, but we hadn’t been to sleep yet.

She stood there for a few seconds, eyeing me, and then sighed. “Well, I’ll get in there eventually.” She brought a hand up to her mouth and faked a yawn. “I’m tired. Coming to bed?”

I smirked, stepping away from the door to follow her, but then I let out a laugh when she spun back around, darted to my side, and tried to get past me again.

“Oh, no, you don’t.” I caught her, my chest rumbling with laughter as she squirmed in my arms.

“I will get in there!” she shouted, hunching over as she tried to squirm away.

“Of course you will,” I whispered in her ear. “I’d like to relive that desk chair. And the window,” I added. “Tonight.”

She twisted her head around to look at me, and I felt her body relax as she smiled gently at me.

And then her stomach growled.

“Ugh,” she sighed, dropping her head back. “Of course.”

I let out a quiet laugh. “You need to eat more,” I said as I unwrapped my arms and stood up straight.

She glared at me. “I would if you’d stop trying to keep me on a Jax-only diet.” She waved her hand. “Go shower. I’ll make sandwiches. And popcorn,” she added. She must’ve seen all the different seasonings and bags of popcorn in my pantry.

“Okay.” I held up my palms in a hands-off show and backed away to the bathroom, making sure she went down the stairs instead of trying to trick me again. I actually didn’t mind her in the office. I just liked playing with her.

And she certainly wouldn’t find any porn, so there were no worries there.

I closed the bathroom door and switched on the light, leaning over to grab a towel off the shelf.

A scream pierced the air, and I dropped the towel, my heart stopping.