22. Jessica
JESSICA
Ithink he has bipolar disorder. One moment, he’s gruff and overbearing, and the next, he’s being the perfect gentleman. And the way he jumps from one emotion to the next with no breaks in between makes my head spin. He was in the middle of bruising my lips with his when his assistant walked in.
It only took one look to know she was trouble.
I’d noticed her beauty the last time I was here, but didn’t pay too much attention; now it was hard to miss the look of aggression she shot me before plastering a fake smile onto her face.
Since this one has no problem staking his claim, I don’t see why I should be any different, plus this was a good chance to see what, if anything, was going on between these two.
I never pegged him for the two-timing type, but you never know.
I ignored her looks of hostility and, where a normal person would step back and away from him for propriety’s sake, I got closer.
She was pissed. She all but slammed the folder in her hand down on the table as she tried to grab his attention with some mundane shit that even a blind bat could see through.
“Baby, I’m hungry!” I nibbled on his ear and ran my finger down his chest while smiling at her. Bitch recognizes bitch, and I’m sure she knew exactly what I was doing, just like I peeped her game from the gate. His surprise lasted for all of two seconds before the dog in him reared its head again.
I got my answer about their relationship when he, as if she wasn’t even there, kissed the hell out of me in answer to my teasing.
I missed a step, though, I’d forgotten how potent his kisses are, and what they do to me.
“Behave!” he whispered in my ear before turning his attention back to her. What is it that you want, Lynn?”
“These contracts need your immediate attention.”
“They can wait, my wife is hungry. Let’s go.
” Damn, I only meant to tease old girl, but his words seemed to leave her gutted.
Still, I was tempted to stick my tongue out at her as he led me from the room, but that would probably send her over the edge.
Besides, now that I saw her interest in him, there was no way I was going to let her stay by his side for much longer.
Just because I haven’t decided whether I want him doesn’t mean I’ll let anyone else have him. It turns out I really was hungry because my tummy started making grumbling noises as soon as we left the building, and he acted like it was a grave insult to him that his woman was hungry.
I listened to his lecture with one ear while toying with the idea of listening to Dale’s message, but figured the old man next to me had had enough excitement for the day, so I’d better leave it until I was alone.
Normally, I’d grab some fast food on a day like this, but he pulled into a five-star restaurant that was known for its snob factor.
“Don’t you need a reservation to eat here? And how did you know that I like the food here?”
“First, I own thirty percent of this place, and second, I bought into it for that very reason.” My mouth almost hit the floor. I’m accustomed to my family spoiling me, but I had no qualms about him doing the same.
“When did you…?” I almost choked on my words because my throat was full of something I can’t explain.
“A while ago, it’s not important.” Not important? Who buys shares in an upscale restaurant just because someone they slept with likes the place? Just how much does he know about me anyway?
JULUIS
Oh, good, she hasn’t realized the choke hold she has on me yet.
I’m sure of it since knowing her, she’d use it to her advantage, and so far she hasn’t done anything too outrageous.
When she didn’t answer the phone earlier, something inside me snapped, and the first sign of the craziness I’d seen in my brother years ago showed itself.
I used to think he was exaggerating when he tried to explain this phenomenon to me, but now I see he might have been downplaying it, or I might have it worse than he did. Either way, this feeling of being out of control was not something I could easily brush aside.
It’s not that I want to act like a caveman with her, I just can’t seem to help it.
Poor girl, I almost feel sorry for her knowing what’s to come.
I need to have a serious talk with her father and those old men back at her place before long, out of respect for them, because I know if I go on like this, they are the only ones who might get in my way.
But the way this thing feels, I’m pretty sure I could mow them down if they stood in my way.
As for her not realizing what was going on with me, I’d like to keep it that way for as long as I can.
The other side of this pseudo curse is the fact that the woman damn near owns you once the shit is activated.
She’s crazy enough now; once she learns about that, I’d probably have no peace for the rest of my life. Once the kids come, it’ll be all over.
“Fuck me!” My outburst startled her, and she glared at me.
“Are you off your meds or something? What’s wrong with you?” No fear whatsoever. I just slammed my hand into the steering wheel for no reason while going ninety in a fifty-five, and all it did was make her jump in her seat for a second.
I ignored her and dragged her into the restaurant, which didn’t open for another few hours but had staff on hand this early for setup and prep for the night ahead.
I was sure there would be someone here who could make the dish I knew was her favorite, and something as small as that made me feel like pounding my chest.
“Doesn’t this place open at four?”
“Yes, but as part owner, I can come and go as I please.” Why that should make her glare at me again is anyone’s guess. Even without the curse, she’s a pain in the ass.
“How many times have you done this?”
“This is the first!” That seemed to smooth her ruffled feathers, and her pique of jealousy did wonders for the raging in my chest. Whatever the hell this thing was that she’d unleashed in me, it had teeth and was bound to devour her any second.
It’s good that she’s full of piss and vinegar, I guess; that way, she can hold her own against it and not be swallowed up.
Had it not been for the interference from my family, my poor sister-in-law would’ve been in a world of shit, dealing with my brother as timid as she used to be.
Then again, she didn’t have the Thorntons backing her as my little spitfire does.
That, too, is good; they’ll help keep my crazy in check, so I don’t go too far and hurt her.
Just thinking about anyone getting between us made that raging in my chest act up again.
“Hey!” She tugged at my hand, and only then did I realize that I’d grabbed her nape because of my thoughts.
Ah damn! I guess there’s no use fighting it since it seems to have a mind of its own. I so do not need this shit.
The day was full of surprises, some of them aimed at me, but I’d shelve those for now.
The most glaring thing, and the one that occupies my thoughts right now, is that the girl whom I’d always seen as spoiled and willful seems so grounded.
There was no hint of the princess I’d always sarcastically called her in my mind, but instead a mature woman who held poise and an air of something more grandeur than the prissiness I’d come to expect.
I’ve only ever seen her in familial settings, surrounded by her family who always treated her like a pampered princess, letting her have her way in everything, so it was easy for me to get the wrong idea, I guess.
Even though she wasn’t the youngest, I guess the fact that she was the youngest daughter made them all act and treat her like spun gold, something I always thought had gone to her head, making her someone I had no interest in, no matter what my heart and the family curse said.
Now I watched the way she dealt with the staff, how effusive she was with her apologies, since she knew that they weren’t really supposed to be serving anyone at this time. It wasn’t for show; that was obvious, and what was even more obvious was the way the men in the room reacted to her presence.
I would’ve called her out on her flirtatious ways, but the truth is, it just came naturally; she wasn’t doing it on purpose.
I still felt like dragging her out of there and locking her away somewhere where no one else could see her.
Does she have to attract everything with a dick?
Intentional or not, I grew hot around the collar of my thousand-dollar business shirt.
The effortless way she smiled and talked with some of the kitchen staff who had come out to see her made me grind my teeth, and I had to remind myself that I had bought into the restaurant because I learned that it was one of her favorite haunts, so of course, they knew her here.
Yes, I’m that much of a behind-the-scenes simp, and I've done even more than that over the years, just to feel close to her.
My idiot brother, once he found out had laughed his ass off for weeks afterward until he calmed down and seriously suggested that we kidnap her and drag her back home.
Something I had given serious thought to until I came back to my senses.
Now, as the restaurant manager with his fifty-dollar smile, who came from the back office, where he was busy going over the prep for the coming night, found time to smarm, I wanted to knock his teeth out.
I felt the way I did when she first started dating that Dale guy, and every time I heard that she was seeing someone.
She’d never know how I spent those days and nights; in fact, only Roman knew why I’d get blind drunk and break everything within reach because he would be the one watching over me until I passed out from the pain in my heart. Still, I couldn’t bring myself to go after her until now.
I watched her eat and listened to her talk to her family as they called her one after another, starting with her Dad.
I half expected her to complain or to beg them to come get her, but instead she reassured them that she was fine and that I was taking very good care of her.
I’m not sure why that made me blush, but it did, and I only smirked when I overheard her father’s threats of mayhem if I hurt a hair on his precious little girl’s head or caused her to come to any harm.
By the time we left, I was a mixture of relief and angst, which is the most uncomfortable feeling.
I was relieved that she no longer seemed to want to run away, and the angst was brought on for the same reason.
Why wasn’t she making a run for it? I’d set up a contingency plan just in case she tried to leave me, but it wasn’t needed.
Her car had a tracker or two, I should say.
I wasn’t very surprised when I found one already planted, but just to be sure, I called her father, who confirmed that, yes, he was the one who had it put there and told me to mind my own business.
Having a little sister myself, I know all too well how men are with their daughters.
That thought led my mind down a dangerous path, one where we were already married and she was carrying my child, a little girl who looked just like her. By the time we got back to my office building, my heart was in knots that stemmed from my no longer wanting to let her out of my sight.
“Go back to my place.” I grabbed her hand and looked out the windshield, thinking of what to do if she disobeyed. Now that she was already out of the house, my options were a bit limited.
“Can’t; I have some stuff to take care of.” She seemed so nonchalant, and my hand tightened around hers.
“Jessica!” She must’ve heard something in my voice, something even I wasn’t aware of, and squeezed my hand back.
“You can’t keep me locked up forever; I’m not a canary in a cage. If you don’t trust me, we should end this here.”
She’s never sounded more serious, and it was a bit of a jolt. “Fine, do you mind telling me what is so important?” I knew from my spying on her over the years that she did most of her work from home, only going to the high security lab she worked for sparingly.
“I have to wreck Dale and his side piece. What else?”
“You…” I was back to thinking she was a spoiled princess who always had to have her way. It was the glint in her eye when she said that and the way she seemed hell-bent on getting her pound of flesh.
“Why don’t you leave him to me?”
“Not a chance; some revenge is best handled personally.” I gritted my teeth, and the grip on the hand I still held grew tighter. It was all I could do not to drag her back to the house and lock her in again. Instead, I peeled out of the parking lot and headed in the opposite direction.
“Where are we going?” I didn’t answer her as I pulled into the local shopping center about twenty minutes away. I knew this place well since the women in my family practically lived there, so I was sure I’d find what I was looking for here. “Stay here, I’ll be right back.”
I slammed the door and wished there were a way to lock it so she couldn’t get out. I spent five minutes finding what I was looking for and came back to find her on the phone, tapping away. “Here, put this on.” I threw the bag I was carrying on her lap.
“What’s this?”
“Open it.” I didn’t need to tell her since she was already digging through the contents. Her snort grated on my nerves.
“You want me to wear this?” This was a five-hundred-dollar dress that a Mennonite would be proud of. It was a thousand times better than the short shorts she had on, and it gave me peace of mind.
“Either that or you don’t go anywhere near him.”
“Jealous?”
“Yes!” Dammit. She said it playfully, but my truthful answer came out before I could conceal it. It was all worth it, though, when she leaned over and kissed my cheek reassuringly.