Chapter 16
JAMISON
My stomach is a ball of nails, stabbing me with every churn. Dori confronting Hunter about her job is the last thing I want to deal with today, but that’s what I get for keeping it from her in the first place.
I pad out of our room to find Melanie lounging on the couch in the living room, binge-watching some streaming show.
“Hey, Mel. Are you feeling better today?”
She peeks over at me. “Yeah. I don’t know what got into me last night. Sorry you had to deal with that momentary weakness.”
“It’s okay. You’ve been a great friend to both Dori and me. You’ve held us together without asking for any emotional support. It was your turn for us to take care of you.” I nudge her feet so I can sit down.
She scoots to the corner of the couch. “I think I was exhausted. It’s the only thing I can come up with.”
“You don’t need a reason to want your friend's help.”
“Whatever.” She hits a button on the remote to pause her show then faces me. “Now that I have you alone, tell me everything. ”
“What’s there to tell?”
“Duh. Dori’s pregnant. That’s got to have you floating in heaven.”
An ache throbs in my heart. “She’s not pregnant. She told them that so they wouldn’t sell her.”
Mel brings her knees to her chest and hugs them. “She’s always been a smarty-pants. Good on her.”
I look away to hide my reaction. “Yeah. It was smart thinking on her part.”
“Oh, Jami. I’m sorry.” She rubs my knee like she’s trying to soothe away my pain.
“For what?” I face her with a mask of armor painted on.
When Dori told me it was all a ruse, my heart shattered. I didn’t think something like a fake pregnancy would make me feel as low as I do.
Melanie smiles in support. “Hey, big guy. You don’t need to pretend with me. I know you would love to see her carrying your baby.”
I push off the couch and stride over to the bar area. “Do you want some coffee?”
“No, thanks. But you can give me a break.”
“What kind of break?”
“You helped me through whatever emotional meltdown I had last night. Now, it’s my turn to help you.”
I pour my drink and fix it to my liking. I turn and face her when I’m done.
“What do you want me to say, Mel? That I’m upset and down about having Dori back? That’s the farthest thing from the truth, so I don’t know what you’re looking for.”
She gets to her feet, glaring at me. “You know that’s not what I mean, king of avoiding.”
I roll my eyes. “King of avoiding? That’s saying something coming from you.”
“Like?” She pops her hands to her hips .
“If I’m the king, you’re the queen.”
She blows raspberries as she shakes her head emphatically. “So not true.”
“Um, okay,” I say with sarcasm oozing from my words.
“Dori’s the queen.”
I shrug. “You got me there.”
“Since you’re coming around to seeing things my way, let’s get back on topic.” She sits down and pats the seat next to her.
I lift my cup. “I’ll stand, thanks.”
“Suit yourself, but you’re not getting out of this.”
I slump my shoulders in defeat. “Fine. I’m disappointed about her pregnancy being a lie, but I’m ecstatic she’s here and safe. That’s all that matters.”
“I get that, but you bought a penthouse for her, and there are enough bedrooms to have a small litter living with you.”
I sip on my coffee as I consider what she said. She’s not wrong, but that wasn’t my intention when I purchased it.
Was it?
I stroll to the balcony and stare out at the spring sky. “Has Dori ever said anything about getting pregnant again?”
“Just that she’s terrified of it happening.”
“I already know that much. I’m wondering if she’s said anything about having a baby through other means. Do you think she would be able to handle that?”
Mel joins me at my side. “She mentioned surrogacy and said she was going to talk to her therapist about it.”
A wave of relief rolls through me. “Good to know.”
“She didn’t tell you that?”
I glance at Mel. “No, she did, but I wasn’t sure if she had thought about it recently or if it was something far removed from her mind.”
“Relax, muscle-head. She’s been thinking about it. Just give her time to do what she needs to in order to feel in control of the process. ”
I croak at that thought. “She’ll never be in complete control of the process. Whatever is going to happen will happen.”
“Yeah, yeah, we know that. But she needs to feel like she has the final say in how everything plays out.”
I take in a deep breath. “I know. Let’s just hope she gets there.”
“You sound like you don’t believe she’ll ever pull the trigger.”
“There’s no saying what she’ll do.”
Mel wraps her arms around her waist, studying me. “And if she doesn’t, then what?”
My soul goes cold. I can’t deny I want a child of my own, so what does that mean for Dori and me?
“Mel, I want to focus on her for the time being. She just went through a traumatic ordeal, and pushing her to talk about that right now is more than insensitive.” I trek to the couch.
She follows and sits next to me. “She briefly informed me about where she was going when she left this morning. Do you want to talk about it?”
“Dori and Hunter need to talk about her job. She has a right to decide what she wants to do.”
“But what if that means she doesn’t move to Miami?”
A piece of me dies, and I swallow hard. “Then she doesn’t move.”
“And you’ll be all right with that decision?”
“I have to be.” My chest concaves with that scenario.
The door to the suite closes, and I turn that way.
Dori strides in with an analytical expression. “Hi. It sounds like I’m interrupting something.”
I stand and meet her near the entrance of the room, kissing her on the cheek when I get to her. “No, we were just talking about you working at Efron Worldwide. ”
She tips her head to the side, studying me. “What about it?”
“What did Hunter have to say?” I take her hand and lead us back to the couch.
I give her the seat next to Mel and lounge on the floor. She takes off her shoes and pushes into the corner.
Mel jumps up and starts retreating to her room. “I’ve got to call Mateo and tell him I’ll be back to work soon.”
She leaves, and Dori gazes down at me.
“Jami, we need to talk about this.”
“I’m ready when you are.” I cross my legs at my ankles, reclining back like I’m relaxed when in truth, I’m sitting on pins and needles.
Our life together rides on what she has to say.
She sends me a warm smile. “Thanks for telling me everything and encouraging me to talk with Hunter about it.”
“You don’t need to thank me. I did what I should’ve done when I found out.”
Her posture caves in. “What do you think I should do about my job?”
“What did Hunter say?”
“He said I can come back if I want.”
My stomach drops, but I force a supportive grin on my face. “That’s great news.”
She tilts her head. “Is it?”
“It is.” I brace myself for the worst. “What do you want to do?”
Her green eyes search mine. “What do you think I should do?”
I get up and snuggle next to her, wrapping my arm around her. “You need to make this decision for yourself.”
“But I need your input.” She peeks up at me.
“Dori, it’s time you trust yourself and your decisions. My love for you has always been about having you make a choice and standing behind you in whatever it turns out to be. That remains true now that we’re together.”
“And if I chose to go back to work there, where does that leave us?”
“Whatever you decide, we’ll figure out how to handle it together.”
She rests her head against my shoulder and takes a few minutes of silence.
My thoughts spin. If she goes back to work there, she could still be in danger. Hunter’s mother is volatile, and there’s no saying how much reach she’ll have behind prison walls.
Not only that, but how will that work with me in Miami, working for Mateo, and her at Efron Worldwide, working for Hunter? Where is our relationship going? Do we ultimately want the same things in life?
She bounces as she twists to me. “I know what I’m going to do.”
My heart rate ticks up. “What?”
“You say I’ve always come to you about another guy, asking you what I should do. I’ve always done that so you’ll fight for me and show me you love me. Well, that stops now.”
“Okay, you’re losing me.” I crease my eyebrows. “Are you saying this is about Hunter?”
“No. This is about our pattern. If one of us doesn’t break it, we’ll never get a different result.”
“I need you to help me out here. What are you saying? Because I’m not tracking.”
She laughs softly. “I’m sorry I’m not being clear. What I’m trying to say is I’ve always wanted you to choose me. My job is just another man in a different form.”
“So what does that mean?”
“It means I choose us. I know you’ll support me in any decision I make because you’ve always accepted my independence. You’ve always trusted me to make the right decision for me, even when it tears you apart. This time it won’t.”
My heart balloons. “Does that mean you want to move to Miami and look for a job there?”
She nods with a smile from ear to ear. “Yes, that’s what I’m trying to tell you. I love you and need you in my life. There are a million jobs out there, but there’s only one of you.”
“That’s great news, but let’s be sure. You love your job at Efron Worldwide too.”
She takes my hands in hers. “I loved that job, but you and Melanie aren’t there anymore, so it won’t be the same.”
I pull her into my chest, hugging her tighter than ever. “You just made me the happiest man alive. This is the best day of my life.”
She pushes back, and her eyes twinkle. “If I would’ve chosen you all those years back, we could’ve been together for so much longer. I’ll never make that mistake again.”
“Dori…” My love for her sweeps me away like the floodgates have broken.
She crawls over my legs, straddling me. “What? Jamison Stone is at a loss for words? I must be blowing your mind.”
I cup her ass in my palms and pull her close, rubbing her over my growing erection. “You’ve been blowing my mind since the day I laid eyes on you.”
“Prove it.”
I smash my lips to hers and go at her with fervor. She’s hands down the only woman for me, and she needs to know it.
Her tongue twists with mine as she grinds down on me. I can barely catch my breath. I’m not sure if it’s because I’m turned on or if it’s because she just gave me a life with her in it. I get the honor of loving her every day and showing her how much she means to me.
She encircles her arms around my neck and presses against me as close as she can. I slide my hand up her shirt and tug her bra to the side, finding her nipple hard. I take it between my thumb and finger and roll it between them.
She barely moves from my lips, so her words come out against my mouth. “Pull your sweatpants down.”
I don’t hesitate. I work them down, and my dick springs out, reaching for her. She stares down, breathing in quick, shallow breaths. I can’t wait, so I lift her and yank her leggings over her hips.
“Let me get out of these.” She jumps off me, strips them off, and climbs back on me like she’ll die if I don’t get inside her now.
“What if Mel comes out?”
“Then she’ll get a show.” Dori’s steamy gaze connects with mine. “Fuck me now, Jami.”
With that, I find her slick opening, and in one thrust, I fill her up. “Fuck, you feel good.”
My eyes nearly roll back. I don’t know why it feels so intense, but it’s better than ecstasy. She’s like heaven and the most erotic, sinful treat all wrapped in one.
“Temptress, you drive me out of my mind.”
Her neck is on full display because her braid is off to one side. I graze my teeth over the long line of her neck, and I almost burst. I nip and kiss on her pressure point as she works herself into a frenzy. She’s the sexiest thing in this galaxy.
“Jami…” She throws her head back and moans.
It’s enough to undo me. I move my hand between us and find her clit. If I’m not careful, I’m going to lose myself in her before she comes. She twists and circles over me, finding the perfect amount of friction.
I love how confident she is about getting what she needs. It ignites a wildfire in me, and I burn white hot for her. I have to hold myself back.
She’s the only woman who makes me lose control. It’s a compliment to her but slightly embarrassing for me. I know I can do better for her, and she deserves that .
“Let me carry you to our room.” I try to push off the cushion, but she stiffens.
“If you think of moving me right now, I’ll never forgive you.”
I laugh, but she glares at me like I’m disrupting a moment of profound pleasure.
“Okay, we’ll stay here.” I go back to rubbing and thrusting into her. “Are you close?”
“Yes,” she pants as her eyelids droop lustfully.
She’s a sight like no other. I pull her into a kiss, and a second later, she’s quaking in my arms and moaning into my mouth. Our tongues frantically roll together, and passion engulfs me.
Something about being joined with her so closely has me sputtering out of control. I grip the back of her head and kiss her with such intensity I know she’s receiving the message I’m sending.
She’s the love of my life. The only woman I’ll ever love from now until eternity. With that thought, I shoot my cum deep inside her. A fleeting thought of making a baby with her flits through me, and I come harder.
We take a minute to bring ourselves down from an intense high as we stay connected. My love for her sweeps me up and gathers in my soul.
“I love you, Dori.”
“I love you too.” She pushes back to gaze into my eyes. “You are a fantastic lover.”
My feelings for her bubble up and lodge in my throat. If I open my mouth, I may scare her away with what I want to say.
Her sated expression transforms into a curious smirk. “What are you thinking about?”
I shake my head, knowing I’m about to do something impulsive. But I don’t give a fuck. I want this .
She tilts her head to the side and glares. “Jami, tell me what you’re thinking.”
“Marry me.”
“What?”
“I said marry me.” I stare deep into her loving eyes. “Let me rephrase that. Will you do me the honor and become my wife? Will you make me the happiest man on the planet and marry me?”