track, Jett.
“The whole shebang, huh?”
“Commitment, marriage, fidelity.” As her legs wound around him, it became more difficult to explain. “You haven’t known the best relationships, honey, but I swear to you, we’ll be good together. We’ll be fucking amazing together.”
“I know.”
“We’ll have the forever kind—” Her smile finally reached him. Jett straightened his arms, staring at her in bemusement. “What do you mean, you know?”
She laughed with affection. “Jett, I already told you that you’re wonderful. I meant it. So a lifetime with you would be wonderful.”
“You’ll marry me?”
“Yes.” The smile remained but was now more subdued. “I might need time to get used to things. I mean, your family is the exact opposite of mine.”
“We’ll work on your family.”
“No.” She shuddered. “I don’t want to do that. And trust me, once you meet my father and stepmother, you’ll feel the same.”
“Whatever makes you happy.” If that meant winning over her ass of a father, he’d do it. Somehow.
But if she truly wanted to cut him out, that was fine with Jett.
Big tears welled in her eyes, and her smile trembled. “The thing is, I always knew my family was…abnormal. I always believed there could be love and friendship and happiness.”
“You’ll have that with me, I swear.”
“I know, because today, through that long trip from hell…I realized I already had it. You made the whole thing fun. Well, except for that business there at the very end—”
“Don’t.” Jett closed his eyes, unable to think about that and how easily he could have lost her. “I’m not perfect, Natalie.”
“I know that too.”
Jett cocked a brow. So now she was laughing at him? He grinned. “For you, I’ll try to be perfect.”
“For me, if you’d just go on being you, I’ll be a very happy woman.”
Her complete and utter acceptance of him put him over the edge. Within half a minute he had stripped his clothes away. Seconds after that, he was over her again, kissing her, touching her.
Entering her in one long, smooth thrust.
Everything was different now. More potent.
More satisfying.
They had one moment of shock when, just after they came together, Buddy tried to jump up onto the bed.
Natalie screeched, and that made Buddy howl.
Still in a fog, it took Jett a second to realize what had happened. Luckily the dog was too short to make the leap, though he was certainly trying. “Down, Buddy.” Jett jerked the comforter around them both.
Natalie started giggling, and once she started, she couldn’t stop.
Chagrined, Jett felt his own smile crack. Yeah, everything was different.
And damn, it couldn’t be more perfect.
THREE DAYS LATER, STILL snowed in, Buddy came to the bed and barked. Natalie didn’t hesitate. She nudged Jett.
“Hmm?”
They were both naked. Again. Or maybe still. Jett had dressed to get them food and to take Buddy out, but so far she’d only been partially clothed at any given time.
She hadn’t been out of the room once—and hadn’t minded in the least.
“Jett?”
“Mmm…Natalie.” He tried to pull her closer, already kissing her shoulder, his hand sliding around to her stomach.
The man was insatiable.
She was so lucky.
“Buddy has to go out.”
Letting out a sigh, Jett turned to his back and managed to get his eyes open. He yawned, stretched and lifted up on an elbow to look at her. “Hey, beautiful.”
Very softly, Natalie said, “Hey.”
He lifted one brow then smoothed the sheet away from her breasts. “Didn’t I tell you that you wouldn’t need clothes?”
“You were mostly right.” Natalie swatted the sheet back down. “But if I had clothes, I could offer to take a turn with Buddy.”
“I don’t mind.” Jett patted her hip and rolled out of the bed. “Be back in a few.”
Skipping boxers and a shirt, he pulled on jeans, stepped into his shoes and grabbed his coat. Buddy, already well used to their routine, danced around him.
Jett hooked the leash to his collar. “He looks energetic this morning, so I’m going to walk him around the halls a little after he takes care of his business.”
“Want me to order room service while you do that?”
“Naked?” He gave her a mock frown. “Hell no. I’ll bring something back with me.”
And so it went. Natalie did little to nothing while Jett pampered her in the most outrageous ways. She was still in the shower when he returned. She heard him and started to turn off the water, but then the shower curtain moved and he stepped in behind her.
He kissed the nape of her neck and wrapped his strong arms around her. “Natalie?”
She put her