Chapter TWELVE
Britton turned to face Jagger, trying to comprehend everything that was happening. She searched his eyes, begging for answers. When had he built it? How did he know she would ever come back to him? And finally, why did he leave her in the first place?
Jagger was hoping for a smile, but her face was overcome with shock. He wished he could read her mind, but her stare gave no indication of how she was feeling, or what she was thinking.
“Would you like to see inside?”
She nodded, still not able to speak. Jagger was confused, but didn’t ignore his desire to take her hand in his. He led her down the stone path and up to the front door. He pulled a set of keys from his pocket and slowly unlocked the sturdy wooden entrance. The door pushed open to reveal an open living area. There was a long cedar table to the right with an expansive kitchen just beyond it. The island was marble and there were four bar stools. Straight ahead was a lush, creamed colored couch with four bright red pillows.
Jagger turned to her, still trying to gauge her reaction. It worried him that she hadn’t said a single word since he unveiled his creation. Still, he was proud of his work and wanted to show her more. He wrapped his hand around her waist, his fingertips gripping the front of her hips. She didn’t shudder; a good sign. He gestured to a doorway in the far left corner, and Britton was drawn forward.
The door was open and she peered inside. It was gorgeous. The bed was a canopy style, with ivory drapes falling from its highest point. She walked forward, out of Jagger’s grasp, to the bedside table. It was distinctly ornate, with spiraled columns leading to the base, but that wasn’t what had caught her eye. It was a picture: a picture of the two of them from ten years earlier. They were sitting atop the mantle of the stone chimney, and her head was on his shoulder. Their faces were splashed with dirt, but they were smiling. They were happy.
Britton couldn’t help but smile back at the photograph. She thought back to those days, how innocent she could be when she was with only him. He was her escape. How had so much changed in ten years? And then, had it?
She put the picture down, feeling her tears breach the surface of her eyes. She spun around, threw her arms around his neck, and kissed him. This was the reaction Jagger was hoping for. He happily returned the kiss, sensing a passion inside of her that he hadn’t experienced in any of her previous embraces. This was real. She still loved him.
Confidence raged through his body, forcing him to grab hold of her, deepening their kiss. He wanted to be closer to her, but pulling her in any tighter would surely crush her. His body ached for hers. They were meant to be together, to be one. He wanted to tell her that he'd drawn up the plans as a surprise ten years ago. This is where he was supposed to bring her the night of the accident. He'd wanted to show her how it would all play out.
He stopped mid-thought. He couldn’t bring up the accident—not now. Now she was happy. Now she loved him. Bringing up that night would force her back into the trance she had been in only a short time ago. He didn’t want her to feel that pain again. He would have to wait. He would wait until her love for him was overflowing and too powerful to hide or deny. Until then, he would continue to draw her in.
Jagger pulled away, locking eyes with Britton.
“Are you hungry?”
“No.”
“Have you eaten today?”
“Yes.” She lied. Her stomach was not the part of her feeling hunger right now. Her head was spinning, and her body was craving nothing but his touch.
“Okay.” He bent down and took her into his arms.
This is where she wanted to be, and right then, she was finally able to admit that to herself. In that moment, she wasn’t an FBI special agent, she wasn’t undercover, and she wasn’t trying to put this man away. She was sixteen and in love, again. She had a love that everyone else envied. Just for tonight, that was all she needed to know.
“Can you stay with me tonight?”
“Here?” She found the prospect oddly thrilling.
“Yes.”
She couldn’t help but giggle. “Yes, we can stay here.”
He took her face in his hands and softly put his lips to hers. “Good, because I have your favorite.”
“My favorite what?”
“Ice cream. Cookies ‘n Cream.”
“What? When?”
“Before I came to see you tonight.” He smiled at her, letting his dimples pierce his cheeks. “I’ll be right back.” He swung out of the room, leaving her holding on to the bedpost.
How long had he been staring at that picture, dreaming of the day when she would find her way back to him? Britton needed to sit down. None of this was making any sense. Last night, she hated him; he'd tied her up and treated her like she was some worthless fly caught in his web. Now, he was in the kitchen scooping her favorite ice cream into a bowl. He was showing her everything he had. Could he really be as bad as her case files suggested? How many personalities did this man have? Could she find the answer to that question without falling victim to his dark side again?
Jagger appeared in the doorway holding two bowls. He set them down on the bedside table and enveloped her in his arms. He wanted to tell her that this is what he had always dreamed of. He wanted to tell her that this moment was infinitely better than any fantasy he had of her return. He wanted to tell her everything, but he still had a strange feeling in the pit of his stomach that wouldn’t stop searing his insides.
Why was this beautiful, talented, and smart woman with a college degree working at a casino? It made absolutely no sense to him. Why would she be back here, in the town that held nothing but terrible memories? He wanted to share his life with her, but feared what she would do when she found out exactly how he made his money. Even more so, he feared what she would do when he told her that her brother now worked for him.
“Cookies ‘n Cream, huh?”
“Is it still your favorite?”
“Yes, of course. I can’t believe you remembered that.”
He shook his head and broke eye contact. “I haven’t forgotten a single thing about you.”
Her heart warmed. She felt so vulnerable when he opened up to her. She kissed him on the cheek, leaving an ice cream mark on his stubble.
“Seriously?”
She found herself giggling like a twelve year old. This was fun; and she hadn’t had fun in so long. He stuck his mouth into his bowl and produced ice cream soaked lips. He quickly leaned in to her, as she screamed and jumped off the bed. She ran into the living room, around the couch, and to the opposite side of the kitchen island. He chased her throughout the cabin, finally grabbing hold of her near the entranceway. Jagger lifted her up against his body and pushed her against the door.
“Lick it off.”
“Gross. No.” She shrieked.
“Lick the ice cream off my lips.”
Britton stuck out her tongue and made a face as she approached his lips. He grabbed hold of her tongue with his teeth and drew her in. Even with the ice cream all over his face, he could be sexy. She felt him growing beneath her.
“How sturdy is that bed?” She teased him.
“I don’t know, but I’d like to find out.”
He peeled her off of the wall and carried her back into the bedroom. He laid her down on the blue speckled duvet and covered her with his shadow. She was the most beautiful creature he had ever laid eyes on. How did he get so lucky? He closed his eyes for a moment and felt a slap across his face. Britton broke out in bellowed laughter as she'd just smeared her dessert all over him.
“You didn’t just do that.”
“Oh, I did.”
“Whoops.” He tossed her shirt up and poured his melted ice cream over her belly.
She screamed. “That’s f*cking freezing!”
“Really?”
She lifted herself up and tackled him to the floor. They were a mess, but they didn’t care. They couldn’t stop laughing. Jagger and Britton surrendered to each other and fell to their backs, looking up at the ceiling. Jagger took her hand in his.
“Thank you for building me this home.”
Jagger didn’t say anything; he just smiled and squeezed her hand tighter. He didn’t want this moment to end. Neither did she.
Britton’s phone rang suddenly and brought them both out of their daydreams. She reached up, grabbing it off of the bedside table, and eyed the caller ID. It was David. She snuck a look at Jagger and took a deep breath.
“Hi David… I was just laying in bed, watching TV.”
Jagger stood up, resenting her lie.
“Yeah, I’m fine… yes… I promise I’ll see you tomorrow.”
Jagger grabbed the phone out of her hand, wanting to crush it in his fist. In a hushed voice she yelled to him, “Jagger, no!”
He resigned himself and handed the phone back to her. “Sorry, the phone fell out of my hand.” She made a face, indicating her disapproval. “Yeah, sounds great. Have a good night.”
“What the hell did you think you were doing?”
“You lied to him about where you were.”
“Of course I did. I wasn’t going to tell him I was cheating on him over the phone.”
“I don't want you to see him tomorrow.”
“Excuse me?”
“You heard me.”
“Yeah, I did, but as I remember it, I’m in charge of my own actions. You don't own me.”
It was hard to stand up to him; deep down, she enjoyed when he told her what to do. Still, she'd been the only one taking care of herself for the past ten years, and that wasn’t about to change simply because he demanded it.
Jagger shook his head and retreated to the living room. She wasn’t about to chase him. He needed to understand that he was wrong. Britton rose to her feet and pushed her tangled hair behind her ears. Ice cream was caked to the ends. She needed to shower; it would give her a chance to cool off, anyway.
The bathroom was connected to the master bedroom. A sparkling freestanding tub sat in the corner. She quickly undressed and turned on the water. The showerhead shot to life and steam filled the room. She stepped in, feeling the warmth race throughout her entire body. Over the splash of the water, she heard the door open.
“Jagger?”
Nothing. Maybe she was hearing things. She found herself wishing he were there with her; that he wasn’t angry. Maybe he had a point. Had David been a true boyfriend, it wouldn’t have been right for her to be with both of them at the same time. She could understand his jealousy. If he were dating someone else, she would want to hurt the other woman. The difference was, that while Britton might feel the fleeting urge to cause pain, she never would. She couldn’t say the same about Jagger.
She screamed, just barely catching herself from falling. The curtain was thrown open and Jagger’s naked body stood before her. He was fuming. She could see it in his eyes. His muscles were tense and flexed. He took a step in, grabbing her arms and drawing her close. He brought his face to hers and narrowed his eyes.
“You will see David tomorrow, and I am coming with you.”
“But…”
“No, this is not a request. Listen to me.”
“Okay.”
“At that point, you'll break it off with him.”
“Jagger, I can’t do that with you right there.”
His voice was not wavering. “Britton.” He tugged her body even closer to his. “I am not letting you go anywhere without me. From now on, you are mine, and I am yours. You need to end your relationship with David.”
Had he been anyone else, she would have punched him in the face. How dare he speak to her that way? But it was Jagger, the one man who could make that threat and force her to bend to his every wish. She searched for words. Maybe it wouldn’t be such a bad idea to bring Jagger to David.
Jagger couldn’t understand why it was taking her so long to answer. What did she have to think about? There wasn’t anything he couldn’t give to her, and no one would love her as much as he did. What were her reservations? He couldn’t handle the suspense. He pushed her bare body up against the tiled wall and squeezed her arms in his grasp.
She yelped in pain. “Jagger, please…” She explored his eyes, hoping for a release. “I’ll break it off with David. I promise. You’re the only one I want to be with.” The words were forced and pleading, but it was all he needed to hear. His mouth crushed hers and his grip subdued. She was hesitant at first, more aware of the pain stinging her upper arms. His hand splayed across her lower back and he pressed himself into her. Pain was replaced with ecstasy, and in an instant, she succumbed to his will. She would do anything for him. She wanted to do anything for him. He had won her over again.