“I have a splendid reference from my last boss,” I said, grinning.
“Indeed?” He rode his fingers just a little bit higher. “Are you talking about the stingy SOB who hired you on the spot without so much as a job interview?”
I nodded. “Yep. I had to quit.”
“Well, we want to avoid you having that kind of boss in the future again. You’re not easily fooled, Ms. Stewart. And you’re very good at what you do. I can certainly need someone like you on our team. Congratulations. You have the job.” He held out his hand then pulled it back again.
“What?” I asked warily.
“I forgot to mention something.” He waved his hand as if it wasn’t really that important. “I was told by very reliable sources—” I grinned at him because I knew he was talking about me “—that I’m insatiable and I can’t help it. It’s the effect you have on me and you’re the cure. Is that going to be a problem?”
“You’re welcome to ask for it anytime.”
“Anytime. Now that sounds tempting.” His fingers gathered beneath my panties, sending shivers of pleasure all over my skin. “I’ll take you at your word, Ms. Stewart. You might want to think twice before sealing this particular deal with me.”
“Anytime.” Shushing him, I pressed my fingers against his mouth and raised my lips to meet his heated kiss.
Chapter 27
One Week later in New York City
We were lying on the soft rug in the living room of Jett’s amazing apartment. My head rested on his chest, his arms wrapped around me, the warmth from the fireplace engulfing us like a cocoon, taking us to a place where love could light up the sky and nothing was broken. Jett’s fingers caressed my back as I listened to his strong heartbeat. In the midst of the stillness, his breathing returned to normal. I moved closer to him and my hands trailed down the almost faded scars on his body telling so many stories I didn’t know. Stories that reminded him of the many dark places he had seen and the many dark things he had done—just like the scars in my heart that reminded me how risky it was to love.
“Having you around me all day long is tempting,” Jett whispered.
I laughed and shook my head in confusion. “Why? What would you do?”
“For starters, I would chain you to my bed and do all the things I’ve always wanted to do. I’d kiss you in every kind of way I know and in all the possible places I could find. And I wouldn’t let you go because you belong here, with me.”
“You’re crazy.” I lifted my head to look at him and ran my fingertips over the tiny stubble covering his chin. Since returning from Italy, we had been so wrapped up in our world, enjoying every second we had together, that we barely managed to leave the house. That he wanted more of if delighted me. “I wouldn’t want you to tie me to your bed because you don’t play fair. I’d rather you be at my mercy.”
“You’d have to learn to cook because I couldn’t possibly live off cereals and takeaways,” he pointed out. “And you’d have to stop smiling like this because it gets me every single time and I can’t stop lusting after you. Every time you smile, I want more.”
The flames leapt at the logs hungrily, casting a golden glow on our naked bodies. In the soft light his green eyes were so deep I could drown in them.
My smile widened. His gaze lingered on me, as if he could see something I couldn’t. What did he see in my smile that other people didn’t?
“I enjoy taking care of you because, honestly, I kind of like the idea of you needing me,” he whispered. “I’m my true self when I’m with you. I feel like I don’t have to hide.”
“Why’s that?” Sensing the serious direction the conversation was taking, I propped up on my elbow so I could regard him. His fingers intertwined with mine and he lifted our hands, watching the slow dance of the flames’s shadows on our skin.
“I don’t know.” He shrugged. “It’s not just that I’m attracted to you on a physical and mental level, it’s also the fact that I love being with you, around you, inside of you. Everything you do makes me want to kiss you like there’s no tomorrow.”
His lips sealed mine and desire swept through me, making me high, so high, reminding me how far I could fall, and he still didn’t know I was pregnant. The first pregnancy test had been positive, and the next, and the one after that. There was no denying, no matter how many times I tried. I had postponed telling him for a week. It had been one poor excuse after another.
“Jett?” I broke off contact with his lips, my voice shaky. The sudden silence hung heavy in the air.
“Mmh?”
A few seconds ticked by. His beautiful green eyes were probing, waiting. I felt like I was trapped in his spell—unable to escape. I swallowed hard as I considered my words. I wanted to be what he wanted because I knew I was what he needed. But sometimes what we need isn’t what we want.
Sylvie was right. I needed to know if what we had was the real deal and whether we had a future together. I had to know if I was wasting my time. I was ready to get hurt—if that was the only way to find out. There was a chance it wouldn’t work out because love means falling and overcoming the fear of height. And God knows, I couldn’t even climb up a rope without feeling scared, without feeling tiny and helpless when looking down. My love for him made me feel that way: scared, powerless, vulnerable.
Jett’s eyes narrowed on me as though he could sense my struggle to gather my courage.
“We have to talk,” I began.