Free Hurricanes and Handcuffs: A Red Hot Cajun Nights Story by Jodi Redford Page B

a game. This is my fucking life, Jax. Don’t do this to me.”
    He bracketed her face in his hands, his thumbs brushing away her tears. The solemnness in his eyes reached out to her, luring her in. No matter how hard she tried, she couldn’t pull away from him. “I’m sorry I’ve hurt you, Gabbi. If I could take back all the pain I’ve caused you, I would. You’re the most important person in my life. I can’t lose you.”
    She opened her mouth and he leaned down, cutting her off with a quick, hot kiss. He sighed at her glower when they came back up for air. “Yes, I know that was unfair too. And I’ll let you get everything off of your chest—I promise—but right now I really need to say this. I think it’s way past due.”
    He took a deep breath and looked her in the eyes. “I love you, Gabbi. I always have.”
    Her world tilted off its axis for a moment before slowly settling back in place. It took everything inside her not to pinch herself to see if this was a dream. “Y-you love me?”
    “Yes, baby. I’m  not used to the people I love loving me back, so for a long time I convinced myself that if I didn’t admit I loved you that you would never leave me.”
    A wayward tear broke free of its dam, but this time she shed it for him. For the lonely prince who’d been too afraid to believe he was worthy of love when it’d always been standing right in front of him. Her fingers trembling, she stroked his dear face. “Man, we are really a fucked up pair, aren’t we?”
    Chuckling, he cupped the back of her head and coaxed her to him. Their lips met, the kiss a beautiful extension of the joyful emotion bursting in her heart. Twining her fingers in his hair, she sucked on his bottom lip, reveling in his moan. She stroked his cheek again and whispered the words that’d been locked inside her for so long. “I love you, Jax. And you can’t get rid of me if you tried.”
    A shudder ran through him and he hugged her so tight, every broken piece of her heart stitched back in place. He dug in his pocket. “Not that I don’t take your word for it, but I’m not taking any chances.” He held up a black velvet box. The diamond ring nestled inside blinded her with its brilliance and size.
    She lifted her stare to him just as he dropped down onto one knee and took her hand in his. His grin was more dazzling than the damn diamond. “You’ve been living with me for three years, woman. Don’t you think it’s time to make an honest man out of me?”
    Epilogue
    “That filet mignon was incredible.”
    Jax’s mouth trailed kisses along her nape while his nimble fingers unfastened the long line of pearl buttons on the back of her dress. “Mm, but not nearly as delectable as you, Mrs. Noble.”
    She closed her eyes with a blissful sigh as he slipped his hands around to her breasts and unsnapped the hook and eye closures on her corset. “I was thinking about this moment all through the ceremony and the reception.”
    “I like it when you have my cock on your mind.”
    “Who said anything about your cock? I just wanted out of this damn corset.”
    “Smartass.” He tugged her dress down and massaged her butt cheeks. “Beautiful too. I’m a lucky bastard.”
    “And don’t you forget it.”
    “Never.” He picked her up out of the puddle of her wedding dress and undergarments and carried her to the bed. Leaving her sprawled on the silk comforter, he performed a slow, sexy strip tease as he removed his tuxedo. She started to reach for her garters but he shook his head. His expression loaded with one hundred degrees of sin, he secured her wrists in the fur-lined handcuffs dangling from the headboard.
    She offered him a teasing smile. “You know, these aren’t necessary anymore. I’m not going anywhere.”
    “True. But you look fucking sexy handcuffed to our bed.”
    Their bed. Yeah, she definitely liked the sound of that.
    He stroked his cock. “So which for the first course? Beignets? Or me?”
    “Like you