Magnolia Parks: The Long Way Home (Magnolia Parks Universe, #3)

by Jessa Hastings

I’m quite fond of him, if I’m honest. I’ve always been, to a certain extent. Something about him, isn’t there? You get it. Maybe it’s how deep his voice is, or how big his hands are, or that his eyes are the most peculiar blue I’ve ever seen. And do you know, it is the strangest thing — for all the ways that he’s allegedly the most dangerous man in the country, I feel unbelievably safe with him. He’s different towards me than anyone else I’ve seen him with, even more so when we’re alone. There’s still that rough edge, of course. He feels me up all the time, talks about sex a bit too casually for my preferences as well. He’s a big fan of leaving love bites on me, tiny territorial markings of where his mouth has been, but he always pulls me onto his lap or rests his chin on my shoulder if we’re sitting or on top of my head if we’re standing — he’s so tall. And, when he thinks no one’s looking, he whispers things to me. Sometimes they’re sweet nothings, sometimes it’s about what he’d like to do to me later, other times he whispers funny things about other people in the room, but either way, every time, the way his mouth feels against my ear makes my toes curl and forces me to swallow heavy. I still get the feeling like I’m going down the biggest dip of a rollercoaster any time he puts his hands on my body — and his hands are always on my body. He’s still rude to nearly everyone around us, he can be possessive and brash, and he’s always obnoxious, but then he knows that I love...