“Did you do it?” Pepper said coldly. “Did you bust up Jack’s car?”
Kendra met Jack’s eyes, and he was overcome with blind rage when he noticed the tiny smirk on her face. “So what if I did?”
“You…lunatic!” Pepper charged forward, two steps from lunging at her ex-best friend before Jack hauled her backward. His entire body shook with anger, but he refused to give Kendra the satisfaction of seeing him lose it.
“Stop,” he told Pepper, locking his hands on her waist. He felt her shaking, too, her shoulders trembling so wildly she was swaying on her feet. “She’s not worth it.”
“Your car, Jack!” Pepper shouted. “Your father’s car!”
“It’s just a car, Candy Cane. And it’s fixed. It’s over.” His frigid gaze traveled back to Kendra. “What I said stands—you come near either one of us again and we’ll slap a harassment charge on you. Understood?”
“Oh, spare me the macho posturing,” Kendra muttered. “I never want to see either of your faces ever again.” The blonde shifted her grip on her two suitcases and took a step to the front hall. “I’ve arranged to have my stuff shipped to my parents’ house. Have a nice life—you two assholes deserve each other.”
Ten seconds later, the door slammed and Kendra was gone.
“I can’t believe she damaged your car,” Pepper whispered. “God, Jack, how crazy and vengeful does someone have to be to do something like that?”
“Pretty crazy and vengeful.” He swallowed before meeting her distressed eyes. “She’s right, you know.”
Alarm skittered across Pepper’s face. “What do you mean?”
“We do deserve each other,” he said softly. “But not in the negative way she meant. We’re perfect for each other, Candy Cane. I hope you know that.”
A ghost of a smile lifted her lips. “Of course I know, Jackjack.”
“Yeah?” He brushed his fingertips over the soft edge of her jaw line. “What else do you know?”
The cloud of hostility and betrayal hanging in the air slowly dissipated like a puff of steam, something sweet and tender rolling in to take its place.
“I know a lot of things, actually.” Pepper leaned in to his touch, sighing when his thumb teased her lower lip. “I know that I’ve taken so much for granted.”
He blinked in surprise, but she hurried on before he could argue. “I’ve griped and complained about my family so many times, without once stopping to think about how good I have it, how lucky I am to have them.”
Jack ignored the pain that constricted his chest. She was right—she hadn’t realized how incredible it was to be surrounded by family who loved and supported her, and for some reason, hearing her admit the error of her ways lightened the heavy weight pressing on his heart.
“I also know that I work well under pressure,” Pepper said with a smile. “I know that I can handle my own with women like Charlene, who, by the way, I was so damn jealous of. Not only because she’s older and prettier and more sophisticated, but because she had you first.”
He had to smile. “I’m gonna call bullshit on the ‘prettier’ part. She doesn’t hold a candle to you, not just in the looks department, but in every department.”
“Aw, that’s sweet of you to say. But I’m not jealous of her anymore.” Pepper shrugged. “Because I know something else.”
He tipped his head. “Yeah, what’s that?”
“That you love me.”
The grin returned to his lips. “Oh, really?”
“Definitely.” The confidence ringing in her voice was a major turn-on. “You love me.” She flashed a smirk. “And you’re in luck—I just happen to love you, too.”
Pure joy soared inside him, and he gave himself a mental fist bump, tempted to do a little victory dance. Other women in his life had dropped the L-bomb before, but he’d never said it back. Hearing those words leave the mouth of the woman he was absolutely fucking crazy about was…a fucking amazing feeling.
“You love me, huh?” He couldn’t seem to wipe the goofy grin off his face.
“Sure do.”
“Even though I’m bossy?”
“I’m bossier, so it’s not like I can hold that against you.”
A laugh flew out. God, he loved her. With all his frickin’ heart.
“Now say it back so I can know for sure,” Pepper ordered.
“Say what?” he asked innocently.
“Jack.”
He cocked a brow. “Pepper.”
“Jack.” Exasperation darkened her eyes.
“Fine.” With an exaggerated sigh, he crossed his arms over his chest and said, “I love you.”
“Good. Now once more with feeling.”