Gabe studied him. “You’ve been searching for something. It’s why you left Scotland and came here. It’s why you’ve spent most of your weekends at the club these past few years.”
“And what have I been looking for?” He loved his cousin, but the man liked to meddle in the lives of his family. He certainly took his responsibility as the oldest to heart.
“What we all want. Someone to love. And when you find that person, you hang on to them for all you’re worth.” Gabe’s gaze landed on Sophia holding their little boy.
“When did you get so sentimental?” He snorted. Before Sophia, Gabe had been the king of The Eros Pit, with submissives all but flinging themselves at him. And now he was a solid family man.
“When I married Sophia and again when I held Matthew in my arms for the first time. Love’s the most powerful emotion on the planet. It’s what we’re all seeking.”
It was the same song and dance he’d heard his entire existence. Not that it made a bit of difference for him. “And what about those of us who can’t fall in love?”
Gabe scowled and scoffed. “Stop telling yourself that. Because you’re more than capable of falling in love. All it means is you haven’t met the right woman. Perhaps you need to examine the real reason behind why you married Freya.”
“I wanted her. And she needed the protection my name offers her. Simple.” He shrugged because that’s exactly what he’d done.
Gabe laughed and shook his head. “You’re going to drag your feet kicking and screaming the whole way down, aren’t you? Can’t say I’m surprised. You’re the most stubborn out of all of us. I only hope you wise up before you hurt them. And keep in mind, it won’t just be Freya you will hurt with your indifference, but Maddie too. You’re her stepfather now. When she was intimidated by the crowd at the office, she reached for you.”
He knew that. “She’s easy to love.”
“And you don’t think you are?” Gabe asked.
His question hit far too close to home. “Enough with the shrink questions. We’ll figure it out. I got Asher her ex’s information. I’m doing what I can to protect them. Josh put a rush on their passports. We should have them in a few weeks. And then we’ll head to Scotland while Asher does his thing.” Simple. Easy. They would be far out of her ex’s grasp until Asher could put a stop to it.
“We just want you to be happy, Jasper. That’s all. And they’re innocents who have been harmed by another man. Be gentle. And if you can’t give her your love, stay out of her bed, because that woman has permanence written all over her.”
Too late for that. Not that he would inform Gabe of their nighttime activities, because it wasn’t any of his business. But he understood what he was getting at. He had to tread carefully with Freya, treating her with kid gloves and even putting some distance between them, like letting her sleep in her own room.
Screw that. He wanted her. And last night, it had only whetted his appetite for more. But he lied and said, “I’ll consider it. Thanks for hosting this. But we’re going to have to wrap up the celebrations and get Maddie home for her nap.”
He didn’t inform him they were stopping at Levi’s office to get tested and to get Freya on birth control. But then, there was a lot that he didn’t say. Like how close to the mark his cousin had been where Freya was concerned.
Because for the first time in his life, his emotions were involved. He hadn’t stopped to examine them too closely. They made him uncomfortable because they were unlike anything he’d felt before.
Was he falling in love for the first time with Freya, his wife? It was such a novel concept that it didn’t frighten him. If anything, he wanted to see if it was actually possible for him.
18
After she put Maddie down that night, Freya made her way to Jasper’s bedroom. Her bedroom now. She’d shared a bed with Ian, so she wasn’t a total newbie at it.
But her nerves were out of control. It was ridiculous for her to be uneasy. They’d already had sex. They stopped on the way home from getting married, and she had a pelvic exam and blood test done. Then she got a shot of birth control medicine in her ass that would last for twelve weeks.
Dinner had been a quiet affair, each of them lost in thought while they entertained Maddie. Because the reality of what they’d done finally sank in. She’d married Jasper Campbell. That was her last name now—Campbell. For better or worse, they were tied together for the next year.
He was still downstairs while she got herself ready for bed.
They’d already moved some of her things into his room before today. The room itself was grand with a huge king bed, and the cover was a deep, forest green that complimented the décor. There was a huge stone fireplace in the same tan stone she thought would be wonderful on cold winter nights.
But the most stunning features were the windows and the view. It was a clear night, and they were far enough away from the city that she could see more stars than usual. And she’d bet during the day, the mountain view was breathtaking.
She removed her makeup, then washed and moisturized her face. After brushing her teeth and hair, she changed into a black satin negligee.
Freya trod into the bedroom and drew up short.
Jasper stood in the center of the room in a pair of black boxer briefs and nothing else. His gaze landed on her and heated to the surface temperature of the sun. She shivered at the lust pulsing in his eyes.
“Maddie get to sleep all right?” His voice was husky and thick, his Scottish brogue causing everything inside her to tingle.
“She went right to sleep. She was exhausted after such a big day.”
“It’s been a long day.”
“The longest.” Need curled in tingling tendrils through her body the longer she stared. He truly was a gorgeous man. His body was sculpted and muscular, and she craved him.
“Tired?” he asked, prowling her way.
He was like a big, sleek jungle cat zeroing in on its prey. It electrified her. And she stayed still—she wanted him to catch her. Because sex with Jasper was out of this world. He’d ignited an inferno in her blood. An ache she couldn’t satiate without him.
While she did worry about what continuing to be intimate with him would do to her heart, she shoved her concerns away. Because lord alive, she wanted him so badly her entire body vibrated with the need to be with him again. “Your family’s nice.”
“Nosy, but they’re well-meaning.” He stopped close enough to touch her but far enough away that she would have to take the final step.
His hot gaze caressed her body. Her nipples pebbled in invitation.
“Are you too tired?” His question made warmth blossom in her chest.
She’d been ready to drop. But one look at him in nothing but his underwear, and she’d been instantly awake, aware, and aroused. “No.”
“If that night was a onetime thing—”
That’s when she finally moved to put an end to that line of thinking. A onetime thing? Not if she had anything to say about it.
“It wasn’t.” She stepped forward until her chest brushed against his. Heat pumped off his body like a forge. She wanted to burrow in his arms. “But I’m not sure how this works.”