Mag pulls over to the side of the road. I hadn’t been paying attention to where we were going, so I look up at the house we’re parked in front of now. “Where are we?”
He places his fingers under my chin and moves my face to look at him. “I’m happy to hear you say that, Kyla.” He moves to kiss me, and I let him. He takes control, sliding his mouth over mine in a determined coax until my toes curl in my sneakers. I’m sweaty from training, but I don’t think about that when Magnum deepens the kiss, threading his fingers through the hair on either side of my face.
I moan into him, and he pulls away with a small smile. “I love those little noises you make.”
My face flushes with desire. “You should keep going to see what else comes out of my mouth.”
His gaze flares with interest, but he shuts it right down as stoic as ever. He’s a master of his own emotions. I envy him that. Mag stares past me toward the building rising up after the curb. “This is the house I grew up in.”
I turn, breaking his hold on me and stare up at the two-story building. The shutters are crooked and falling and the white paint is peeling, revealing weathered wood underneath. “Where are we?” I ask, looking up and down the street to get my bearings.
“Just on the outskirts of the main city. Believe it or not, this house used to be really nice, then my dad died.”
I reach for his hand on the seat and squeeze. I love that he brought me here. That he wants to share a bit of him with me. If I could, I’d take them to the house I grew up in. Hell, if my parents were still alive, I’d be introducing these guys to them by now. One of these days, when it’s absolutely safe, I’ll introduce them to my aunt and uncle. When we’re out of the Heights, and we don’t have to worry about bringing our fight to them.
“Does your mom still live here?”
He shakes his head. “She moved as soon as I graduated.”
A flash of pain clouds his hazel-green eyes. He said he doesn’t talk to her anymore because of the Crew. “Is that a relationship you’d like to get back?”
“Eventually,” he says, smiling softly at me. “I want everything to go back to the way it should have been. Eventually.”
“Do you still own the house?” I ask, turning back to the structure and inspecting it for signs of life. It doesn’t look like anyone has been in it recently, but most of the buildings in the Heights look the same way. Forgotten.
“We do,” he says.
“But you don’t ever go in it?”
He shakes his head. “No. I haven’t been inside in years. I’d have to face a lot of demons to step back into that house.”
I squeeze his hand. “You let me know when you’re ready, and I’ll be right here.”
He takes a deep breath. “That’s one of the things about you that draws me in. You’re selfless. You have so much going on, yet you’re talking to me about this old wound. You went to as many of Oscar’s football games as you could because you knew how much it meant to him. I think it’s time you let someone take care of you for a while.”
“You already do,” I say. “You saved my life...what? Twice now?”
“I want to do so much more.”
His words have me reaching out for him again. I release my seat belt and kiss him with everything I have. It’s awkward with the cupholders and gearshift between us, but we make it work. I kiss Jacob until I’m breathless and needing more. He hauls me into his lap. My ass presses the horn on the steering wheel briefly, and he grins into the kiss before moving his seat back to allow me more room. I settle over him and gulp at the bulge in his pants pressing against my thin workout attire.
I grind against him, and he freezes. After several beats, he pulls away, both of us breathe heavily. “I’m sorry,” he says. “We have to stop.”
“Not impressed with the car space?” I ask, going for humor to cover up the fact that I really don’t want to stop.
He chuckles, but a layer of tension tightens his body. He helps me sit back in the passenger seat. “Not ideal,