Disillusioned (Swept Away, #2)(51)

“No way.” I turned to him with a smile and he handed me a cup of coffee.

“Way.” He smiled back at me. My heart melted slightly as his eyes crinkled with emotion as he took in my appearance. “Nice to see you as I remember you, for once.”

“What does that mean?” I sipped on the black coffee and made a face.

He burst out laughing and looked at the coffee. “I’m guessing you want milk and sugar?”

“Yes, please.” I nodded and followed him out of the bedroom. “What did you mean, by the way? About me looking as you remembered.”

“Well, your bedhead and sleepy face with no makeup,” he explained sheepishly.

I groaned. “Oh, you mean my scruffy look?”

“I mean your adorable look.” He stopped and patted my ass as I walked past him.

“I don’t know too many people that think scruffy is adorable.” I rolled my eyes, but couldn’t stop myself from grinning.

“How did you sleep?” he asked tenderly as he passed me a carton of milk and a bowl filled with sugar cubes.

“Good, thank you.” I nodded awkwardly. I had slept soundly, but now I felt uneasy. Not because I was worried about what he might do to me. I was worried about what we might find out and how that would affect us. I felt selfish for thinking it, but a part of me wanted to forget the investigation and just be with Jakob like a normal girlfriend—but we were both in way too deep now.

“I wish I could go back.” He sighed and opened the fridge. “Want some toast?”

“Sure.” I nodded as he pulled some slices of bread out and put them in a bright red toaster.

“I wish I could meet you under usual circumstances and ignore the notes.” He pulled some plates out of a cupboard.

“Why?”

“So everything wouldn’t be so complicated. So we could be a regular couple and our only issue would be where we wanted to go to dinner on a Friday night.”

“I doubt that would be our only issue.” I laughed, then paused as my heart skipped a beat. “And what do you mean ‘a regular couple’?”

“I mean normal, no kidnapping issues, no parental murders, no I-kissed-your-brother issues.”

“Jakob.” I glared at him.

He held his hands up. “Sorry.” He made a face. “I know I need to get over that.”

“What do you mean by ‘normal’ couple?”

He took the toast out of the toaster and buttered it. “Like I said, a couple that doesn’t—”

“But we’re not a couple. We’re not together.”

“Oh? Since when?” He frowned and handed me a plate.

“What do you mean ‘since when’?” I mumbled, confused as hell. Had I been asleep for months or something? Was this some weird Sleeping Beauty moment I’d missed or something?

“Since when are we not a couple?” He munched on his toast and stared at me, his eyes sparkling like diamonds.

“Since when are we?” I took a bite of toast and stared back at him.

“Oh.” He grinned. “I guess you want this to go the old-fashioned way?”

“What old-fashioned way?”

“Bianca London, will you be my girlfriend?” He leaned forward and licked some crumbs off my lips.

I swallowed hard. “Well, if you’re asking . . . ,” I mumbled breathlessly.

“I’m asking.” He smiled.

“I suppose so,” I murmured, excitement coursing through me. Was this real?

“Hmm, no need to sound so excited about it, Bianca.” Jakob laughed drily.

“I’d love to be your girlfriend,” I said shyly. “I’m just a little taken aback.” I grinned at him.

“That’s settled, then.” He grinned and made a face. “At least one item of ten billion is settled.”

“Don’t you think it’s a bit fast?” I asked softly, wanting more from this moment than a piece of toast and a that’s settled.

“What’s a bit fast?”

“This whole boyfriend-and-girlfriend thing. I mean, you haven’t even told me when you started to have feelings for me or what you think of me or where you think this is going or what happens next or anything,” I blurted out.

He groaned. “Oh no, you’re a typical girl, aren’t you?” He grinned at my frown and sat next to me at the kitchen table. “Okay, here goes: I thought you were cute the first time I saw you in the coffee shop, I had inappropriate thoughts of you when we were locked in the back of the car. When I told you about my mother on the island, I knew I wanted to be in a relationship with you. I don’t know where this is going. I don’t know what’s going to happen next. I don’t believe in marriage. I’m of two minds about true love and soul mates, and I’m not the sort of guy who’s going to want to talk about our relationship every weekend.”

“Okay.” I looked down, feeling slightly disappointed.

“That okay didn’t sound too enthusiastic.” He grimaced.

“Well, did you expect it to be? No one would exactly call you a romantic.” I rolled my eyes and sipped on my coffee.

“Bianca, the first time I saw your face I was taken aback by the feelings that invaded my body. It was the first time I’d ever been drawn to someone just with a glance. When I sat down at the table with you, you made me laugh as you mumbled to yourself, and I knew right away that you were someone different, someone special. As I got to know you on the island, I was attracted to your body and to your brain and I have been captivated by you ever since. There has not been a morning that I’ve awoken since meeting you that I haven’t thought about you. This is a bloody mess of a situation and I’m a bloody mess of a man and I don’t know what’s going to happen. I wish I could promise you a happily ever after. I wish I could sing sweet nothings into your ear, but I can’t. I don’t know what’s going to happen. Our pasts are so intertwined. Our whole histories are opposed. Even now, we’re both seeking the truth and vengeance for our families. How can we live with each other if we’re the products of the people who brought each other down?” He stroked the side of my face.