cream.
It’s her dream come true, and I made it happen.
I swallow the bubble of anxiety that’s clenching my throat.
“Sweetheart?”
Tesla turns her head toward me. Her expression is one of complete and utter surprise, which is the perfect reaction, obviously. But there’s something else, and it’s something I never want to see.
Tears.
She’s in tears.
They roll down her cheeks, and I can’t stand it. I pull her into my arms and gently wipe them away.
“I know you’re going to say it’s too much, but it’s not. It’s all you’ve ever wanted, and I want to help you make your dreams a reality. It’s just a building, Tesla. It’s just walls and shelves and a long glass counter.”
“Don’t do that,” she says softly. “Don’t pretend this isn’t the most amazing thing ever.”
I smile, and the knot in my stomach begins to relax. “You think it’s the most amazing thing ever?”
I wrap my arms around her. She lays her head back against my shoulder as we gaze at the building.
“Almost,” she says.
I chuckle and nuzzle her neck. “Oh, I see. There’s something better?”
“Yes.”
She turns in my arms and places her hand against my rapidly beating heart.
“Of all the gifts, this one is the best.”
We kiss tenderly. And I’m ecstatic, because I know she’s going to accept it.
She’s accepted me—all of me. I wish I deserved her, but I know I don’t. No man ever could.
“Can we see inside?” she asks, and I hear the delight in the tremble of her voice.
“Of course.”
I fish the keys out of my pocket and place them in her palm.
“It’s the big silver one,” I tell her.
Her excited fingers fumble with the lock, but it finally cooperates, and we walk inside. There really isn’t much to see. I wasn’t kidding when I said it was just walls and shelves.
“We haven’t done much,” I explain as we walk toward the glass counter. “I wanted your input. I didn’t know if you wanted tables or booths or just . . .”
She isn’t listening. She’s just looking around, sliding her hand along the glass countertop. She’s making plans. The wheels are turning, and it makes me smile.
“It’s perfect,” she finally says. Her voice is soft and low and just completely awed.
“Yeah?”
Tesla nods. “Thank you seems so inadequate.”
“Just the fact that you’re accepting it without a fight is all the thanks I need.”
She reaches for my hand and gives it a squeeze.
“I’ve been saving for a down payment on a space. I didn’t have a particular place in mind. I didn’t dare look. I didn’t want to get my hopes up, you know?”
“Is this okay? I mean, did you want something bigger? Maybe something on the other side of town?”
She shakes her head. “No, Jax. This is perfect. Thank you.”
I pull her into my arms again and hug her close.
“I can’t believe you aren’t fighting me on this. I was sure I’d have to give you my speech.”
She giggles. “You prepared a speech?”
“Yeah, just a short one. It was basically just me on my knees, telling you how much I love you.”
She tilts her head, looking into my eyes.
“I love you, too.”
I smooth the hair away from her face before kissing her softly.
“And I love my bakery.”
“I’m so glad, baby.”
Her eyes soften. She loves when I call her that.
“Will you take me home, Jax?”
I can’t deny I’m surprised.
“Home? Don’t you want to look around some more?
Her hand drifts along my chest and down toward my navel. It leaves me breathless. And aching. All I do is ache for her, but I’m trying to be good. I’m trying to take it slow. I’m trying to let her lead.
“I want to come back tomorrow, but right now . . . right now, I want you to take me home with you. I have this overwhelming urge to show you how much I love my bakery . . . and you.”
She takes my hand, and I get my wish.
She leads.
And I follow.
I stare at myself in the full-length mirror in his bathroom.
It’s her dream come true, and I made it happen.
I swallow the bubble of anxiety that’s clenching my throat.
“Sweetheart?”
Tesla turns her head toward me. Her expression is one of complete and utter surprise, which is the perfect reaction, obviously. But there’s something else, and it’s something I never want to see.
Tears.
She’s in tears.
They roll down her cheeks, and I can’t stand it. I pull her into my arms and gently wipe them away.
“I know you’re going to say it’s too much, but it’s not. It’s all you’ve ever wanted, and I want to help you make your dreams a reality. It’s just a building, Tesla. It’s just walls and shelves and a long glass counter.”
“Don’t do that,” she says softly. “Don’t pretend this isn’t the most amazing thing ever.”
I smile, and the knot in my stomach begins to relax. “You think it’s the most amazing thing ever?”
I wrap my arms around her. She lays her head back against my shoulder as we gaze at the building.
“Almost,” she says.
I chuckle and nuzzle her neck. “Oh, I see. There’s something better?”
“Yes.”
She turns in my arms and places her hand against my rapidly beating heart.
“Of all the gifts, this one is the best.”
We kiss tenderly. And I’m ecstatic, because I know she’s going to accept it.
She’s accepted me—all of me. I wish I deserved her, but I know I don’t. No man ever could.
“Can we see inside?” she asks, and I hear the delight in the tremble of her voice.
“Of course.”
I fish the keys out of my pocket and place them in her palm.
“It’s the big silver one,” I tell her.
Her excited fingers fumble with the lock, but it finally cooperates, and we walk inside. There really isn’t much to see. I wasn’t kidding when I said it was just walls and shelves.
“We haven’t done much,” I explain as we walk toward the glass counter. “I wanted your input. I didn’t know if you wanted tables or booths or just . . .”
She isn’t listening. She’s just looking around, sliding her hand along the glass countertop. She’s making plans. The wheels are turning, and it makes me smile.
“It’s perfect,” she finally says. Her voice is soft and low and just completely awed.
“Yeah?”
Tesla nods. “Thank you seems so inadequate.”
“Just the fact that you’re accepting it without a fight is all the thanks I need.”
She reaches for my hand and gives it a squeeze.
“I’ve been saving for a down payment on a space. I didn’t have a particular place in mind. I didn’t dare look. I didn’t want to get my hopes up, you know?”
“Is this okay? I mean, did you want something bigger? Maybe something on the other side of town?”
She shakes her head. “No, Jax. This is perfect. Thank you.”
I pull her into my arms again and hug her close.
“I can’t believe you aren’t fighting me on this. I was sure I’d have to give you my speech.”
She giggles. “You prepared a speech?”
“Yeah, just a short one. It was basically just me on my knees, telling you how much I love you.”
She tilts her head, looking into my eyes.
“I love you, too.”
I smooth the hair away from her face before kissing her softly.
“And I love my bakery.”
“I’m so glad, baby.”
Her eyes soften. She loves when I call her that.
“Will you take me home, Jax?”
I can’t deny I’m surprised.
“Home? Don’t you want to look around some more?
Her hand drifts along my chest and down toward my navel. It leaves me breathless. And aching. All I do is ache for her, but I’m trying to be good. I’m trying to take it slow. I’m trying to let her lead.
“I want to come back tomorrow, but right now . . . right now, I want you to take me home with you. I have this overwhelming urge to show you how much I love my bakery . . . and you.”
She takes my hand, and I get my wish.
She leads.
And I follow.
I stare at myself in the full-length mirror in his bathroom.
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