Since I really, really didn’t want to have to go through my whole history with another counselor, Dr. Romain, who I now called Annette by her request, had agreed to doing video sessions when I moved with Jett to Seattle, so I wouldn’t really miss any of my counseling.
“Are you sure you still want me?” I asked hesitantly.
“Of course I’m sure,” he answered brusquely.
“I know you’re angry—”
“I’m not mad at you, Ruby. I’m pretty much pissed off at myself. It never should have happened,” he said firmly.
“I wanted it to happen,” I told him quietly.
Annette and I had already discussed my involuntary reaction, and she’d told me it was normal. But it didn’t feel natural to me to reject Jett in any way. Not anymore.
He finally looked up and pinned me with his turbulent gaze. “No, you didn’t want it to happen. I think you feel like you owe me something, and maybe you didn’t want me to feel rejected. But the last thing I want from you is a pity fuck.”
I was shocked into silence. Is that what he thought? That I was willing to screw him to survive?
There was silence in the kitchen for a moment.
Me…because I was still trying to figure out what exactly Jett had meant by his comment.
And Jett…because he was devouring the pastry I’d put in front of him.
“Jesus, this thing is good. What is it?” Jett asked.
“It’s just a simple puffed pastry with fruit and a cream cheese mixture topped with powdered sugar.”
He pointed to the half empty dish as he said, “There’s nothing simple about this dessert. It’s fucking amazing.”
I wanted to address what he’d said about me rejecting him, but it was the first easy conversation we’d had in a few days, and I didn’t want to ruin it. “I could do a lot better, but I don’t have everything I need for complicated stuff.”
“I’ll get you anything you want in Seattle if you can keep making these,” he said right before he swallowed the rest of the sweet treat.
I smiled at him. “I love to bake. I’ll make whatever you want. Even if you have a small kitchen, I can still do a lot with the right ingredients and a few other pans and accessories.”
He dropped his fork on the empty plate and picked up the mug of coffee I’d given him before I’d dropped off the dessert. I truly believed that pastry was best with a fresh cup of coffee.
He set the mug back in place once he’d downed half of it. “My kitchen isn’t exactly small,” Jett said in a careful voice.
I hadn’t meant to insult him in any way. “Seattle is expensive. I was researching since I’m moving there and the average rent for a one-bedroom is over two thousand dollars. I’m sure the average person doesn’t have a chef’s kitchen or anything elaborate.”
He looked at me with a guilty expression. “I’m not exactly an average person,” he stated.
I folded my arms, wondering if he was going to start gloating about what a great tech guy he was again. “Then what are you?”
His eyes were intensely focused on me as he said, “I have a chef’s kitchen, Ruby. I have a downtown penthouse that’s built on two levels and bigger than most houses in Seattle. I have an up-close-and-personal view of the Space Needle out some windows, and the Puget Sound from the others.”
I looked at him in confusion. “But that has to be a seven-figure home. I didn’t know your business was that big.”
“It’s an eight-figure home, and I can easily afford it.”
“What are you trying to say?” I knew Jett wasn’t delusional, but I was confused.
“Ruby, what kind of computer did I buy you?” he asked in a careful tone.
“A Lawson,” I answered obligingly. “One of the best laptops on the market, according to almost all sources.”
“It is the best,” he said gruffly. “I should know because my two brothers and I own the company. Me, my brother Carter, and my brother Mason are partners and the owners of Lawson Technologies.”
My brain tried to process what he was telling me, and my mind balked. Yeah, his last name was Lawson, but that last name was fairly common. But if he was one of the owners of Lawson Technologies, he’d be one of the richest men in the world. Lawson was an international tech company, and one of the giants.