Joanne stared at him for what felt like forever, unable to tear her gaze away. His grip on her hand tightened, grounding her in the mont. Words failed her. Everything else faded into insignificance as she drowned in his eyes. He looked at her, as if she was the only thing in his world.
She had been terrified that morning when he acted distant, convinced she had lost him before she ever truly had him. But when she needed him most, he had appeared as a charming knight in armor—fierce, unwavering, protecting her without hesitation.
Those eyes... the way he looks at ...
She didn’t even realize she was crying until he reached out and wiped away her tears.
"Does it hurt?" Jeffrey asked softly. His voice, deep and velvety, like a purr of a panther, sent a shiver down her spine, the tenderness in it making her heart skip a beat.
"No." She shook her head and, without thinking, pressed his hand to her cheek, then kissed his palm. "No, it’s... your eyes..." Her lips brushed against his skin again, her voice barely above a whisper. "I’ve never felt this way before. And this morning... I thought..."
The words tangled in her throat, choked by the weight of emotions she couldn’t even na. She had never lost control of herself like this, never let her feelings unravel so freely.
But this man... From the mont she t him, sothing about him had been different. His na alone should have made her turn away, made her push him out of her life.
And yet... he’s here. Right here. With .
Jeffrey leaned in, capturing her lips in a kiss that silenced her thoughts. Her words... if that wasn’t love, then what was?
He deepened the kiss, desperate to close the space between them, as if rging with her was the only way to keep from losing her again.
He had been cruel to her that morning. After their first night together, he had left her cold, retreating into himself because of his misunderstanding of the truth.
And still... she was here. Holding him. Kissing him.
"I’m not a perfect man, Jo..." His voice was thick with guilt, his forehead resting against hers. He had wronged her so many tis, but despite it all, her love filled every hollow space inside him. It made him ache to cherish her more, to hold onto her tighter, never to let go.
A lump ford in his throat. What if, when the truth ca out, she threw him away?
Without her... what do I have?
Joanne exhaled softly, her breath warm against his lips. "I don’t want a perfect man, Jeffrey..." She cupped his face, her thumbs stroking his jaw. "I’m the most imperfect person in the world. I just... I want soone who stays."
Her voice wavered, but there was no mistaking the pain beneath her words. She had been hurt, abandoned ti and ti again by the n in her life. All she wanted was stability—soone who would hold her hand and be her safe place; soone who’d carry her burdens when it was too much for her.
Jeffrey’s eyes burned as he pulled her closer, kissing her deeply. She clung to his back, her body warming beneath his touch, lost in him, in them...
Click.
The hospital bed suddenly collapsed from its sitting position, flattening out with a jarring thud. Joanne gasped, her heart nearly stopping from the abrupt fall.
Jeffrey let out a startled chuckle, holding her steady. "Are you alright?" He pressed his palm to her chest, feeling the rapid beat of her heart. "Whoa... Your heart’s racing."
She clutched the back of his shirt, breathless. "Yes, it is..."
She loved his touch. She loved his kisses. She loved everything about him.
And before she even realized it, wrapped in his arms, she drifted into the most peaceful sleep; sleep that even those dications couldn’t give her. Without her even realizing it, he had beco her resting place.
Jeffrey placed a tender kiss on her forehead, lingering just long enough to breathe her in. Guilt gnawed at the edges of his heart, a relentless whisper reminding him of the truth he was keeping from her. But he forced himself to silence it. He needed to be objective. He needed her.
And if deception was the price to have her for the rest of his life... then so be it.
He was a selfish bastard. He knew that. But for just a little longer, he allowed himself to be. Just until she was his.
A quiet chuckle escaped him as his gaze dropped to their entwined hands. Even in sleep, her fingers curled tightly around his, as if she was afraid he might slip away. The sight sent warmth flooding through his chest. She truly was terrified of losing him.
I’ll stay with you, my love... he vowed silently. I’m not going to leave you again.
For hours, he sat by her side, watching the steady rise and fall of her breath. At tis, her fingers would tighten around his, and a faint smile would ghost across her lips, as if even in dreams, she could feel his presence.
Sothing deep inside him shifted. That sa feeling—the serenity, the rightness—that he once felt as a boy beneath that towering oak tree... it returned now, settling over him like a quiet promise.
You are mine.
Just then, a soft knock echoed through the room. It wasn’t hospital staff—they never knocked.
Jeffrey exhaled sharply, already dreading whoever was on the other side. When he opened the door, his gaze landed on Jonathan yer. A muscle in Jeffrey’s jaw tightened. What the hell is he doing here? After everything he had put Joanne through, did he have the nerve to show up and feign concern now?
Jeffrey’s first instinct was to shut the door, but a glance at Joanne—still asleep with her fingers where his hand had been—held him back. He gently released her hand, smoothed the blanket over her, and stepped into the hall.
Closing the door behind him, Jeffrey squared his shoulders, eting Jonathan’s gaze head-on.
Jonathan looked at him strangely, as if searching for sothing in his face. When Jeffrey didn’t break eye contact, Jonathan licked his lips and exhaled, like a man forcing himself out of his thoughts.
"I heard what happened..." Jonathan cleared his throat. His voice was uneven, almost hesitant. "How is she? She’s not... badly hurt, is she?"
Jeffrey’s lips pressed into a firm line. He wanted to snap, to demand whether Jonathan actually cared or if this was just so hollow attempt to ease his guilt. But they were standing in a hospital, and this wasn’t the ti for a fight.
"She’s fine," Jeffrey said, his voice clipped.
Jonathan released a slow breath, nodding as if he had braced himself for a worse answer. He hesitated for a mont before continuing. "I know there’s a lot to be said, but... did Charlotte co here by any chance?"
Jeffrey’s expression hardened. Charlotte? Sothing about the way Jonathan asked sent a chill down his spine.
His eyes narrowed. "What do you an? Is she missing?"
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