Page 124 of Rogue

“You will be. I’ve no doubt about it.” I kiss his lips lightly, gently. Not wanting to hurt him. Never wanting to hurt him. “But not today.”

“No?” He looks me in the eyes.

I shake my head.

“Guess I’ll have to prove you wrong then. Make damn sure today is the day.” He grins at me, his eyes alight with love.

“Exactly what I was thinking,” I murmur, my heart beating double time and about to burst. “I love you, Jaxson.”

He bounces me in his arms. “I love you too, fireball.”

His lips claim mine and I kiss him with every fiber of my being.

“She’s not allowed to head back to your hotel without sharing her news,” Madelyn says loudly.

Jaxson carries me the few feet back to the blanket and rolls us down into a seated position with me on his lap.

“Well?” Madelyn prompts.

“I’m enrolling in the University of Tampa’s chemistry program.”

“You’re staying in Florida?”

“She is,” Jaxson responds for me.

God, my sister is beautiful inside and out, and her genuine excitement in knowing I’ll be close by has my eyes swelling with tears. Yeah, Mama and Pop are probably smiling down at us right now. “Wherever you’ll be, I want to be close by. But thank God you ended up in St. Petersburg and not Shelby.”

She pulls a face. My sentiment, exactly.

I sigh. “There’s still the matter of my having a little chat with the admissions department . . .”

Jaxson and Madelyn burst into laughter.

“Giggle all you want. I’m going to make damn sure I’m admitted in time for the fall semester.”

This causes them both to laugh hysterically.

I look toward the heavens for help.

“Come on. I have a surprise for you.”

He stands, then helps me and Madelyn to our feet. We quickly gather our beach towels, blanket, and miscellaneous items and begin our walk over the sand dune toward the hotel Jaxson and I are staying at. My sister is living in a beautiful house a few blocks away. I’m not quite sure if it’s TORC property or a rental someone set up on her behalf. Who? Jaxson doesn’t know. Madelyn’s been tight-lipped about it, and frankly, the last person I’ll be calling with this or any question is Hayden. So for the moment, I leave it be.

The three of us parade past the hotel entrance, and I wonder where Jaxson is taking us.

It’s not until I spy a long expanse of white picket fence a short distance from the beach do I realize what this is about.

“This is the house we’re going to make babies inside,” he tells me and points.

My sister gasps. Or is that me? Because the house we’ve stopped before is exactly the home of my dreams. A white picket fence. Daffodils in the front garden bed. Picture perfect.

“It’s for sale and I’m buying it for us. But I have two conditions.”

Something in the air changes. Jaxson shifts from playful to what? Thoughtful? He stares at me as if he’s seeing me for the first time. Devouring me with his eyes. Desiring me as much as I desire him.

Loving me as much as I love him.

Taking my hand, he leads me over to stand before the white-picket-fence gate, then drops down onto one knee right there on the sidewalk.