“Mine,” he choked out. “You’re mine, Mia.”

“I’m yours,” she whispered, and the sweet confirmation sent his heart, mind and body soaring to a new plane of rapture.

He wasn’t rough tonight. Didn’t f**k her hard. Didn’t go fast. Rather, he made love to her. Slow and gentle, rocking into her with infinite tenderness while his mouth sought out hers in a never-ending kiss.

When he climaxed, it wasn’t so much an explosion as a drawn-out rush of bliss that washed over him. Mia’s orgasm was equally low-key, eliciting a quiet cry and a shiver that seemed to ripple through her body.

After their breathing had steadied, Jackson rolled them over so they were lying face-to-face, his c**k still buried inside her. Their skin was sticky from his seed and her juices, but Jackson didn’t mind and Mia didn’t seem to either. She just moved closer and rested her head on his biceps.

“I’m so sleepy,” she murmured.

“Go to sleep then,” he murmured back.

“You sure? You don’t want to stay up late and talk?”

He smiled. “Not really. I’m feelin’ dang sleepy myself. It’s probably from all that turkey we ate.”

She snuggled against his chest, making no attempt to separate their joined bodies. “What’s the plan for tomorrow? Are we going to that Thanksgiving parade Evie mentioned?”

“Yeah, it’s a family tradition.” He didn’t want to spoil the mood by warning her that they’d probably be subjected to stares and whispers when they went into town tomorrow, so he kept the grim thought to himself. “It’s not until late afternoon, though. Oh, and tomorrow my dad and I are goin’ for an early-morning ride. He wants to show off the new stallion he picked up at auction last month.”

“What’s early?”

“Seven a.m. probably. Maybe eight.”

“Okay.” Her voice was growing drowsier by the second, and when he peered down, he saw that her eyes were firmly closed. “Told your mom I’d help her in the garden around eight. Don’t wanna accidentally sleep in, so wake me up before you go, ’kay?”

He smiled in the darkness. “Don’t worry, I’m really good at wake-up calls.” He paused meaningfully. “Of the sexy variety, of course.”

Her sleepy laughter was muffled against his chest. “God, I love you.”

Jackson froze, his heart coming to a grinding halt.

He waited a couple of beats, but Mia didn’t say another word. She was fast asleep, he realized. Probably wasn’t even conscious of what she’d just said.

I love you.

Goddamn.

He suspected she wouldn’t remember this moment when she woke up tomorrow, but he was never gonna forget it.

She loved him.

She f**kin’ loved him.

He carried that spirit-lifting thought with him as he drifted off. And fell asleep with a smile on his face.

Chapter Eighteen

The following day, Mia learned what it felt like to be the subject of unwanted attention. She’d spent a wonderful morning on the ranch working in the garden with Arlene and then taking a long walk on the Ramsey property with Evie, but the second she and Jackson had driven into Abbott Creek’s downtown core, the fun atmosphere evaporated into a cloud of friction.

Everywhere they went, people stared at Jackson. He was gawked at, glared at, whispered about. The short walk down the cobblestone street toward the town square was utterly unbearable, and had succeeded in making Mia understand precisely why Jackson didn’t like coming back here. If she was treated like a specimen under a microscope each time she came home, she’d probably stay away too.

And yet with the understanding came the fierce need to defend the man by her side. What had he ever done to these people? And what the hell gave them the right to judge him? Jackson had been a nineteen-year-old kid who’d indulged in some kinky bondage sex with his willing girlfriend. So f**king what? He didn’t deserve to be ostracized for it, not one goddamn bit.

Mia wasn’t normally into PDA, but today she went out of her way to shower Jackson with affection. She held his hand as they stood on the sidewalk to watch the parade, kissed him at every available opportunity, and gave him more than one bear hug over the course of the afternoon. She wanted him to know that he was worthy, that he deserved none of the scorn being directed his way.

And he seemed to appreciate her efforts, smiling at her whenever she touched him and always making sure she remained close to his side.

His family had come into town with them, including Shane and Tiffany, who’d driven over separately and were keeping their distance by standing several feet away from the main group. Throughout the day, Mia had been shooting surreptitious glances in Tiffany’s direction, trying to locate any outward flaws in the woman, and it really grated that she couldn’t.

As irritating as it was, it didn’t surprise Mia that Jackson had loved the other woman. The blue-eyed blonde was undeniably beautiful, and the air of fragility that surrounded her made it easy to see why Casper Griffen had believed his daughter had been victimized. Tiffany emitted an innocent vibe that only annoyed Mia all the more, especially knowing that the woman liked it real dirty behind closed doors.

Jackson’s brother was even harder to read. Shane didn’t say much, not even to his wife, and Mia would’ve given anything to get a glimpse into his mind. Did he still believe Jackson had forced himself on Tiffany? Did he long for reconciliation? Or did he still harbor deep hatred and resentment toward his younger brother?