Dying to Run by Cami Checketts

He paused and cleared his throat. “You make me laugh while still being . . . pure. I know whatever you say is exactly what you mean, you couldn’t lie if you tried. But the most amazing thing is how brave you are. All the times you’ve had your life threatened, you didn’t fall apart. Even when you wanted to hurt me for blowing up Nana.” I winced and he hurried on, “You still screamed to distract the guard who would’ve shot me. You’re a fighter. If I wasn’t so overprotective of you, I would love to have you by my side in any battle.”
    I smiled, suddenly feeling bashful. “Thanks.”
    “The only problem is if I really feel that overprotective of you, why do I keep coming around?” He arched an eyebrow and kept speaking before I could interrupt, “I am completely unworthy of you, yet I keep coming back because I can’t make myself stay away.”
     I glared at him. “Have you ever heard the saying, ‘If you love someone set him free, if he doesn’t come back hunt him down and kill him’?”
    Jesse laughed, loud. “I thought you were opposed to killing.”
    “Not in this case. If you love me, you’ve got to lay off this crap about not being worthy, because I am not about to let you go. Gain some confidence, loser.”
    His face crinkled irresistibly as he chuckled louder. “Oh, Cassidy, this is why I love you.”
    “You do?” I tilted my head to the side.
    “Oh, yes.” He moved a step closer and my breathing was suddenly more erratic than my thoughts. I loved this man, but could I reconcile myself to how he truly ticked?
    “I’m still not sure what to think about you,” I said, placing a hand on his chest to stop his forward progression. “Maybe you could convince me by sharing exactly how you feel about me.”
    He smiled. “Show or tell?”
    Both . “Tell.” I was dying for show but that would hopefully come after I heard exactly why this man, who was tough and hardened to life, wanted me.
    He quickly got serious again. “I love you , Cassidy. I love your mind.” He softly touched my forehead. “I love your spirit.” He pressed his palm against my heart. For some reason it had a completely different effect than Sham touching me in the same spot. “I love your body.” Jesse wrapped both hands around my back and pulled me against him. “I love the way you smell.” He inhaled deeply. “Like vanilla and brown sugar, like going to Mom’s at Christmastime.”
    Sadness flickered across his face for an instant and I realized that he probably wouldn’t be going home for Christmas this year. His poor mom. Jesse interrupted my thoughts by lowering his head to mine. Seeing that look in his eyes I could hardly breathe, let alone think.
    “And I really, really love your mouth. Everything you say and everything you can do with it.” He kissed me until my world was spinning.
    Gasping, I pulled away and looked into those dark eyes that I loved more than any eyes in the world. “I said tell, you jumped right into show without permission.”
    Jesse smiled, shaking his head. “You see why I love you?” He trailed a hand gently down the side of my face that was already showing a bruise from where Damon had struck me. “The question is, how do you feel about me?”
    I swallowed hard, wishing he’d quit touching me so I could think straight. “I wish I didn’t love you, but I do.”
    He grinned.
    “But that doesn’t mean I’m not still confused and upset and wondering if I can really be with you after all of this.”
    He nodded solemnly. “I have an idea.”
    This idea had better not include him leaving me to go to Mexico.
    “Your dad’s advising me to leave the country until he can smooth over the bombing with the authorities. Why don’t we go to Mexico and help in the villages and orphanages? You can see why it’s so important to do what I do and you could also be with your dad.”
    Being anywhere with Jesse sounded good, but I couldn’t just up and leave my family and clientele to