Chapter 31
"Christmas is coming. So is reality." ~ Parker
Parker
I snuggle into Jeremy’s warmth. I don’t feel the need to run away. This is where I belong. With Jeremy.
I don’t want to let him go. Especially after the scene with his parents. He needs to experience how love and loyalty feels because his parents didn’t give him that kind of love. They didn’t give him love at all.
My brow wrinkles. I’m using the word love an awful lot today.
Because you love Jeremy.
I don’t…. I stop the thought before the lie is fully formed. I’m done lying to myself. I love Jeremy, plain and simple. I was powerless to stop myself from falling for him.
Because Jeremy is perfect. He’s sweet and funny and makes my toes curl with a single kiss.
He also listens to me – really listens to me. He doesn’t try to bulldoze me. Unlike my parents, who become deaf whenever I open my mouth. They don’t even try to understand me.
I want to wake up every morning in Jeremy’s arms. But I can’t. My stomach sours. Jeremy isn’t here to stay.
Sure, he said we should try for ‘more,’ but everyone knows long-distance relationships don’t work. I’ve seen the movies and read the books. I know how it goes.
At first, you’re into each other and visit each other as often as possible. Soon enough, life gets in the way and you can’t manage to visit as often. Before you know it, you’re heartbroken, lying on the floor in the bakery, cuddling Viking while eating a chocolate cake.
Jeremy’s phone rings and he groans before rolling over to answer it.
“What?” he barks into the phone.
I start to get out of bed but he captures my hand to stop me. “Where are you going?”
I yank my hand from his. “To give you some privacy.”
“Hold on, Chuck.” He mutes the phone. “Why do you need to give me privacy?”
I roll my eyes. “Because you run a billion-dollar business.” He grunts. “Maybe I’m a corporate spy and I got into your pants to steal all your ideas for apps.”
He barks out a laugh and I glare at him.
“Sorry.” He clears his throat. “You’re a corporate spy?”
“I could be a spy.”
“You bake too well to be a spy. Besides, you can’t lie for shit.”
“I can, too!”
He nods to my hand where I’m scratching my palm. “Damn the pirates. You couldn’t pretend to not notice?”
“Why would I pretend to not notice? Noticing you and all the crazy shit you do is the highlight of my life.”
“I don’t do crazy shit.”
He lifts a brow. “And you don’t have an otter for a pet either.”
I stick out my bottom lip. “Viking’s living at the restaurant since someone…” I glare at him, “is afraid of him.”
He sighs. “Fine. Bring Viking over here.”
“And you’ll cuddle him?”
“Don’t push your luck, Princess.”
“Can I go use the bathroom now while you answer your call?”
“Go. I enjoy watching your ass when you walk away.” He returns to his phone call and I make sure to sway my ass as I walk to the bathroom.
I take my time getting ready since Jeremy’s on the phone. No matter what he says, he deserves privacy to deal with business.
When I finally emerge from the bathroom, Jeremy is still on the phone.
“Fine. I’ll be there.” He hangs up and throws the phone onto the bed. “Damnit.”
“What’s wrong?” I hold up my hand before he can answer. “I’m sorry. I shouldn’t have asked. It’s none of my business.”
He stalks toward me. Unfortunately, he put on his sweatpants while he was on the phone. But his chest is still on display, so I still get to ogle him while he approaches.
“Eyes up here, Princess.”
“But I had a pretty view.”
“My face isn’t a pretty view?”
“Maybe if you smile and your dimples are on display.”
He smiles and I watch his dimples appear. Yep, it’s a pretty view, too.
“Now.” He grasps my hands and yanks. I fly forward into his body. His hard body I enjoy touching.
I lift my hands but he shackles my wrists. “Serious discussion time.”
“Uh oh. Am I in trouble? Are you going to spank me?” I joke since ‘discussion time’ doesn’t bode well for me. Maybe Jeremy has decided a long-distance relationship is too difficult. Is he done with me already?
“Don’t distract me, Princess.”
I raise an eyebrow. “Was it working?”
He studies me. “Maybe it would work if you were naked.”
“I can be naked in two seconds flat.”
“As much as I’d enjoy watching you fail, we do need to have a serious discussion.”
“What?” I pout.
“We’re in a relationship.”
“Phew.” I run the back of my hand over my forehead. “I didn’t have sex with some man I don’t know.”
“Knock it off,” he says but his lips tip up. “What I’m trying to say is that we’re in a relationship and my business is your business. I don’t mind you listening in on phone calls. Or knowing what’s going on at Apparoo. I trust you.”
“I trust you, too, but …”
He places a finger over my lips. “No buts. I don’t want to hide or keep secrets from you.”
“For not doing serious relationships, you sure know how to act in one. Is this how it’s going to be? You always besting me in everything?”
“Pretty sure you can bake circles around me.”
I giggle. “I can’t disagree.”
“Now, about business.”
I clear my throat and straighten my back. “Okay, Mr. CEO. Hit me with it.”
“Unfortunately, that was Chuck on the phone. He’s the operations manager for Apparoo. There are some issues with the rollout of our new product and I need to troubleshoot.”
“Does this mean you’re going to California?”
And so it begins. How long will this long-distance relationship last? I won’t be taking any bets on it lasting, no matter how much I love Jeremy. If he doesn’t feel the same, there’s no chance for us.
You don’t know he doesn’t feel the same.
Yes, I do. Jeremy’s a straight shooter. He would have told me otherwise. But he hasn’t.
He caresses my cheek. “Why don’t you come with me? My penthouse has a view of the Pacific Ocean.”
“I can’t. It’s nearly Christmas or did you forget, Scrooge?”
“I’m not Scrooge.”
He isn’t Scrooge anymore but it’s fun to tease him.
“I have a ton of Christmas pies and cakes to bake.”
“What about Holly? You’ve been teaching her to bake.”
I snort. “Teaching. Holly is not ready to handle the Christmas rush on her own.”
“Damnit. I can’t delay this trip until after the holidays. The launch is in January.”
“Will you be back before Christmas?”
Christmas is less than a week away. I don’t want to experience Christmas without him. I want to show him all the things to love about the day. Exchanging presents, kissing under the mistletoe, dressing up as a pirate for the Smuggler’s Hideaway Masquerade Dance.
“I will. No matter what happens, I’ll be back.”
“Good. Because I already reserved your pirate outfit for the dance on Christmas Eve.”
He blinks. “Pirate outfit?”
“It’s a masquerade dance. You have to wear a costume.”
“I’ll be back. I promise.”
“Don’t make promises you can’t keep.”
“Worst case scenario, I fly back for Christmas and return to California the day after.”
Disappointment hits me. The week after Christmas is the slowest time of the year for the bakery. There are no special orders since everyone is usually still suffering from their gluttony over the holidays.
I was eagerly anticipating spending the time with Jeremy. This long-distance relationship stuff sucks. No wonder they don’t work.
“Hey.” Jeremy pinches my chin. “We’re going to make this work. I’m going to do everything in my power to make sure of it.”
I blow out a breath. “Okay.”
There’s no sense worrying about the future when I don’t know what the future holds. I’m going to enjoy spending time with the man I love for as long as I can.
“When do you leave?”
He smirks. “The jet won’t leave without me. Which means we have time.”
“Time for what?”
“Me to show you all the reasons I plan to hurry back to Smuggler’s Hideaway.”
I tap my chin. “I’m intrigued. Tell me more.”
His smile stretches from ear to ear and shows off his dimples. “I have to show you.”
“If you must.”
“Oh, I must.”
He carries me to the bed and drops me on it. “You wasted time getting dressed. But now I get to enjoy stripping you.”
“Go ahead and do your worst, Scrooge.”
He playfully growls at the word Scrooge before getting to work on stripping me.
Maybe this long-distance relationship will work after all. Maybe I should stop worrying about the future. And maybe I should…
The thoughts fly out of my mind when Jeremy bites my inner thigh. I moan and concentrate on the moment.