though, and I thought he was trying to watch what he spent.
Crossing the street, hand tight around mine, I laughed under my breath. “Why does it have to be such a mystery where we’re going?”
“Why not?” He grinned down at me. “Do you really hate surprises that much?”
“Not when you’re giving them.” I knew everything I felt for him was probably beaming out of my eyes. “But with you, I’m impatient.”
His ocean eyes turned a lagoon blue. They always did when something turned him on. “I like that I bring out your impatient side.”
“You enjoy corrupting me,” I corrected him, teasing him.
Yet I wasn’t sure it wasn’t true.
“You’re right,” he agreed, sounding serious. “I like that with everyone else, you’re patient, you’re controlled, calm, you never raise your voice, you’d never hurt a soul … But with me”—he bent his head to whisper in my ear—“you cry, you yell, and you claw my back with your nails.”
I flushed hot, but not from embarrassment.
After the humiliating moment with Lorna when Jamie and I were almost about to have sex for the first time and she busted in on us, life had distracted us from our fast-moving relationship. Skye’s mental and physical well-being became our priority. There was a lot going on, and it made Jamie reevaluate. He was back to wanting to wait until I was eighteen before we had sex.
I didn’t get it. We were doing everything else. What were a few months?
Jamie McKenna had the ability to make me lose my ever-loving mind.
His expression was smug as he pressed a hard kiss to my mouth.
“Watch it,” a woman said as we almost walked right into her.
I threw a “sorry” over my shoulder and Jamie chuckled, wrapping his arm around me as he guided me past more stores.
I knew we were getting closer to wherever it was we were going when Jamie’s strides slowed.
Then he stopped outside the Alex Theatre.
“This is it?” I asked.
He looked a little uncertain as he nodded.
Glancing up at the marquee, I read the signage and understanding dawned.
LOS ANGELES BALLET PRESENTS THE SLEEPING BEAUTY.
The breath whooshed out of my body and emotion thickened my throat. My vision grew a little blurry.
“I’ve still never been to the ballet.”
“One day you will.”
“Are those happy tears or did I fuck up?”
Not caring where we were, I slid my arms around his neck, went up on my tiptoes, and crushed my lips against his. I poured every ounce of love and gratitude I could into that kiss, breathing my very life into it, my soul spilling into his.
We were panting by the time I let him up for air.
“I guess that’s a yes.” He squeezed my hips in his hands, searching my face. “You like?”
“I love,” I whispered, brushing my mouth over his once more. “Jamie, no one has ever cared like you care. I love you so much.”
He groaned and wrapped his arms around my waist, pressing his face into the crook of my neck as we hugged. After a minute, Jamie lifted his head, caressed my ear with his lips, and said, “There are no words for how much I love you, Jane Doe.”
I’d always hated my name. For obvious reasons. Not anymore. Not the way Jamie said it.
Grinning, I stared up at the marquee again. “I can’t believe you’re taking me to the ballet.” I side-eyed him. “You’re going to be so bored.”
He took my hand and led me inside. “Bored with you is still my version of bliss, Doe.”
I grinned so hard my cheeks hurt.
After we’d handed over our tickets and were walking into the auditorium, Jamie started laughing.
“What?”
“You’re so fucking adorable.” He squeezed me into his side and kissed my temple again. “If I’d known it would make you this happy, I’d have done it sooner.”
It wasn’t until we were settling into our seats that I realized how great they were. We were in the middle of the first row of the Alexander Terrace that hung over the orchestra section. We had a clear view all the way to the stage.
“Jamie,” I whispered in his ear, “these tickets … the cost.”
He pulled back at me and scowled. “You don’t need to worry about that.”
“But—”
“We’re not talking about it.”
His snippy tone irritated me. “No need to snap.”
Jamie’s answer was to kiss me. Hard, deep, his warm hand clasping my face as his tongue danced with mine. It was incredibly inappropriate in the theater and was one reason it made me so hot. I breathed a little