Chapter 18
CHAPTER EIGHTEEN
J ami stood off to the side, watching her sisters with their husbands. The four of them were laughing and joking with the producer. Jules snuggled into Fish’s side while Jacqui leaned against Noah, the picture of domestic bliss. It was a scene straight out of a small-town postcard. The cameras were eating it up. But unlike her and Jed, the others weren't pretending.
Sure, Jami had seen this before. She'd witnessed the love and support her sisters found in their partners in video calls while she was overseas, each morning she'd been home when they snuck kisses over breakfast, each evening when they stopped listening to her while looking at each other with bedroom eyes.
It hadn't bothered her. It made her happy that her sisters had found their perfect matches. But for some reason, today the sight of their bonds struck her differently.
A knot tightened in her chest as she realized the reason why. Jami had been running. Running from the idea of settling down, of putting down roots. She knew she'd been running. She hadn't allowed herself to see the reason why. Because she was afraid.
Jami was afraid that commitment would mean losing her independence, her freedom to chase her dreams. She had spent years convincing herself that love and community came with a price tag—one she wasn’t willing to pay. But then came Jed.
Being with Jed had shaken up her entire world. He challenged her, pushed her, but he also made her feel like she could have it all. Like that price tag didn’t have to come at the cost of her dreams. But was it real? Or was it just for the cameras?
Her thoughts were abruptly interrupted as Jed came up to her. She felt the warmth of his body, the scent of his cologne—earthy with that hint of all spices—wrapping around her. Without a word, he leaned in and kissed her. His lips were soft yet demanding, pulling her into the moment, making everything else fade away. It was the kind of kiss that stole breath and thoughts. But it didn’t steal her doubts.
Jed broke the kiss. He pulled away, his eyes searching hers. Concern furrowing his brow. “What’s wrong?”
It was a demand. It was always a demand with Jed Winchester. It always had to be his way. Except he'd bent for her. He'd compromised. He'd listened and made her feel heard, even when he didn't want to give in. But was it real?
Jami glanced over his shoulder. The red recording lights from the cameras blinked back at her like a thousand accusing eyes. Jed turned his head slightly, following her gaze. His jaw tightened. She felt the tension take root in his big body. He pulled her close, angling his large frame so that it blocked her from the camera's intrusive glare.
Jed opened his mouth… but Rick's voice came out.
"Are you two having an argument?" asked the producer.
Jed clamped his mouth shut.
"Let me get another camera out here and we can reset to catch it."
"We're not arguing," said Jed.
"Well, fake it so we can stage a make-up scene."
Jed pinched the bridge between his nose with one hand, still holding on to Jami with the other. "Rick."
"Yeah, Jed?"
"Can you give me a moment with my wife?"
"You signed a contract that?—"
"Rick!"
The producer held up his hands and backed away.
"Tell me what's wrong," Jed demanded again.
"It's nothing." Jami tried to back away, but Jed held on to her forearms.
"Jami, I don't want to fight with you."
"Why not? It would look good for the cameras."
"I don't care about the cameras." He gave her a gentle shake, but she was still having trouble making sense of things.
"I'm starting to lose track of what's real and what's not."
Jed stepped closer, crowding her into a corner. "Are there any cameras around?"
Jami didn't need to look over Jed's shoulder to say no. She gave a shake of her head. The air was getting thin.
Jed placed his forearm above her head and leaned down. His lips were so close to hers, but he didn't kiss her. "I want to kiss you, Jami."
She felt the whisper of his upper lip against her bottom lip. The spice of him curled around her nostrils, begging her to lean in and savor him.
"I want to kiss you because you are my wife. Because you are the woman I desire above all others. Do you understand that?"
Jami cleared her throat. "I?—"
Jed didn't require her answer. He captured her lips in a fierce kiss. In a claiming kiss. In an all-consuming kiss.
Jami felt herself falling. It was an odd sensation, because Jed's arms were wrapped tightly around her. To keep her from falling? To keep her from getting away from him? Whatever his aim, it worked.
Her arms went around his neck, and she was completely lost. She didn't care if the cameras were there or not. She didn't care who saw. Jami knew for a fact that she would die if Jed stopped kissing her.
"Make sure you get a close-up on them."
"Rick!" Jed shouted, breaking the kiss.
"You signed a?—"
Rick and the camera man ducked back around the corner as Jed advanced on them. But he didn't get far. He had a grown woman still clinging around his neck.
"You said you wanted to kiss me."
A slow grin spread across Jed's face. His body turned back to her. His arms came back around her.
Jami lifted up onto her toes to reach his lips. Jed obliged by bending down to meet her halfway. They picked up where they left off. Only Jed held her closer. Jami gripped him tighter. The kiss deepened.
It didn't matter if the cameras caught them. Not when Jami was so caught up in Jed.
She forgot about the cameras, about the competition, about everything that had been weighing her down. She felt something break free inside her—a realization that maybe life didn’t have to be perfectly controlled, perfectly planned. Maybe it could be a little wild, a little messy.
They pulled away from the kiss, both out of breath. The cameras had returned. But this time, Jami didn’t mind. She let them film, let them capture the reality of this moment—because it was real. It was her and Jed, in all their imperfections and uncertainties.
And as she looked at Jed, she felt her heart swell. Maybe, just maybe, she didn’t have to run from this. Maybe she could stay, be part of this beautifully chaotic life they were creating.