bit my lip and looked up at him.
A soft groan slipped past his lips as he leaned to whisper in my ear. “I’m going to make you scream later, Mrs. Wheeler,” he promised.
I shuddered, making sure that he felt every quivery as I closed my eyes and nodded. The silent plea for his touch was obvious as his eyes danced with playful joy. He and his manager retreated to the office with a fresh round of coffee, leaving me standing there, wondering how I’d missed something so obvious for so long.
There was no denying that I loved my husband, Jackson Wheeler. I just wasn’t sure that he loved me. Hadn’t he always said our marriage was one for the books, not for the bedroom? My stomach jumped in anticipation of telling him how I felt. I took a deep breath, knowing I had to talk to him that night, or I’d lose my nerve and we’d part ways without him ever knowing just how much he meant to me.
21
Chapter Twenty (Jackson)
I’d spent months chasing Hailey around the house. My desire for her growing into a deep passion that I prayed would never abate. Our first few weeks together had been rough, but after a few nights of heated arguments and intense sex, things started to ease. The sexual tension cooling to a desire that was new and a little frightening.
Each morning I woke with her in my arms and found myself longing to stay in bed just a little while longer. Her body would press against me, wiggling as she moaned. It was impossible not to feel her desire as it mingled with my own. The playful nights spent chasing her through the house were interrupted by days of coming back to the house to find it a little more a home.
“How does it feel?” Wheeler asked
“What are you talking about? How does it feel to be winning the good herds today? I’ll let you know when I wipe the ground with you.”
He chuckled. “You’ve been married about six months now, that’s probably the second-longest relationship you’ve ever had! So how does it feel to be all grown up and married like a big boy?”
I swallowed. “Has it been six months already?”
“I bet you won’t be saying that in another few years. You kids are still in the honeymoon phase of things. Give it time, and the newness will wear off. Before you know it, you’ll be wishing she was barefoot and pregnant just so you can get some sleep.”
“I doubt that very much,” I muttered.
It was a blow to realize that Hailey had already been with me for six months. I was running out of time with her, and that knowledge was eating away at me. I didn’t want to lose her. If I were being honest with myself, I’d have given anything just to keep her in my home and in my life. Still, I couldn’t force her to stay. We’d made a business deal; she wasn’t my prisoner.
“Is everything okay with you two? You seemed so happy a few minutes ago. The second I mentioned six months, it seemed like you fell off the radar.”
“I’m fine, let’s just watch the damn auction.”
“Nope,” he shook his head. “I don’t buy it. Something else is going on. Do we need to have a family meeting?”
“No,” I hissed. “Can you please just drop it?”
“Not on your life. If you saw the look you just gave me, you’d be asking questions too. What’s going on with you recently? I thought you were happy.”
“I am, and that’s the problem.”
“Sure, everyone who is happily married looks as miserable as you do.”
Walker wasn’t going to let it go. He would keep pressing me until he got the answer that he wanted. I trusted Walker with my secrets most of the time. He and I were the closest of all the siblings. Plus, he knew Hailey and really liked her. She was the perfect fit for our family and for me. Taking a deep breath, I finally made the decision to confess everything to him in the hopes that he would have some sage advice.
“You can’t tell Mom or Dad, though. They would kill me. I mean, I’m already over the age limit, so I don’t know that they could do anything now but still.”
“Damn it, Jackson! I really liked her! Why couldn’t you just court her like a normal person and see where it went? No, you had to go and do things the