Page 104 of Property of Yak

He laughs as he comes up behind me, kissing my neck.

“Not really. I wasn’t a saint, but women were never on my radar,” he admits.

“No? Why not?” I ask as I move to grab plates.

He reaches around me and grabs them, going to the stove to help me. As I plate dinner for us, he continues to talk.

“Didn’t have a great childhood. I have two sisters who have a great life, but I think it’s because their mom was decent. She got them out before shit got too bad. Probably helped that my old man went to prison. Hard to ruin a child’s life from behind bars.”

He carries my plate to the table before taking his seat. I do the same and look over at him.

“I didn’t know your dad was in prison.”

I take a bite of the penne alla vodka I made. It is perfect.

“I know,” he sighs. “I don’t really talk about him. Up until my brother called me to come here, I didn’t really talk to any of my family. It was better that way. Rich can’t find us if none of us are together.” When he takes a bite, I smile as he closes his eyes, seeming to savor the taste. “This is so good.”

“Thank you.” I clear my throat. “Your brother is why you are here? Who is your brother?”

He tilts his head. “Yooper. I told you that before.”

“Oh.” Then it hits me. “Oh. I thought you meant brother like a club brother. I didn’t realize you meant he is your actual blood brother. Wow. So much makes sense now.”

“What do you mean?” he asks.

“You look a lot alike. I wondered if it was a biker thing, but no. It’s just DNA.”

He chuckles. “You saying my brother is hot?”

“What?” My cheeks heat. “No. I didn’t say that.”

He shakes his head. “Relax. I’m kidding. Besides, if we look alike, then I hope you do think he’s hot. As long as you think I’m the more attractive brother.”

“The most arrogant too,” I tease.

“Seriously though. I don’t know what it is about you, but it’s different. You are worth risking it all for.”

I reach out, grabbing his hand.

“I’m risking a lot too. My father won’t understand. At least not at first. You’re worth it, though. This? Whatever this is between us? It’s worth it.”

He brings my hand to his lips, placing a kiss on the back of it. “You haven’t figured out what this is yet?”

I swallow hard. “You rescued me from a bad situation. I keep waiting for you to decide you’re bored with me. That the adrenaline has worn off.”

“You silly girl.” He pushes his nearly empty plate away, leaning across the table to kiss me. “This has always been more than that. I love you, Angel. You know that, right?”

My heart feels like it is about to beat out of my chest.

“You love me? Like really love me? You’re not just saying that?” I ask, desperate to know.

“Julie, I am so hopelessly in love with you that you have become essential to my being. You are the first person I want to see when I wake up in the morning. The last one I want to kiss before I close my eyes. You’re the person who quiets my mind when the chaos becomes too much. Before, I had a task, and I was doing it, but you brought focus to me. Motivation. I’m tired of keeping this to myself. You need to understand how I feel about you. This isn’t fleeting. I won’t wake up tomorrow and decide I don’t want you. For me, this is forever. Every single day, I find more reasons to be in love with you. Not less. No matter how you feel, you deserve to know the truth. I love you, and it’s the best feeling in the fucking world.”

Tears fall freely from my eyes at his words. I have never felt more loved or desired than I do in this moment.

To think, the night I met this man, I watched him kill two people to protect me. It was a shock to my system. I didn’t know how to handle it. Now, I know without a doubt I made the right decision. I put all my trust in him and took the leap. It brought me here, and I wouldn’t have it any other way.

“Jameson,” I manage to choke out.