Chapter 20
DORI
It’s been a month since I packed up my life and moved to Miami. As much as I love it here with Jami, I’m lost.
I enter our place after a long walk on the beach and take off my shoes by the front door. Jami’s in the kitchen, talking on the phone with someone.
I wander to him with a heaviness pressing on my heart. I come around the corner, and his eyes light up when he sees me.
“Camilla, I need to take care of something. I’ll see you in the office on Monday.” He pauses for a second then says goodbye. He strolls over to me and kisses my cheek. “How was your day?”
“The same. I still haven’t found anything remotely interesting or close to what I’m qualified to do.” I reach into the fridge and take out an iced tea.
“Something will pop up soon.” He sits on one of the stools at the kitchen island. “Come here.”
I twist the lid off my tea and take a drink as I go to him. He pulls me between his legs, running his hands along my thighs as I place my bottle on the counter next to us.
He stares up at me. “You seem down. What’s going on? ”
“I feel like I’m in purgatory.”
“Dori, you’ll find a job soon.”
I rest my hands on his shoulders and peer into his loving eyes. “I know, but it’s not just that.”
“What else is bothering you?”
“I don’t have any contact with my family anymore. Your business is exploding, so I barely see you. Melanie is busy getting used to her job. And I… I have nothing but the limited time I get with you when you get home from work.”
“I didn’t know you were feeling this way.” His eyes fill with anguish. “Are you not happy here?”
My heart thumps. “It’s beautiful here. I love being close to the beach and having a break to recharge after everything I went through.”
“But…”
I step out of his space. “But I want more. I feel like I’m losing myself.”
He’s quiet as I mope into the living room. I sit on a chair, bringing my legs up so I can hug my knees. He spins off his stool and sits on the sofa across from me. He leans over his legs, resting on his forearms, and clasps his hands together.
He studies me like he’s searching for an answer he doesn’t want to hear. “Are you having second thoughts about being here with me?”
“I love being with you.”
“That wasn’t the question.”
I suck in a shaky breath and slowly release it through my parted lips. “Now that things have settled, I’m going back to Denver tomorrow.”
His face pales. “Why?”
“I need to see Aiden. We have to figure this out once and for all. I need to see if there’s a chance to mend our relationship.” My eyes sting, but I hold back the tears. “I’ve had enough time to figure my feelings out about what he did, and I hate fighting with him. ”
Jami nods. “Okay, but you tried to talk to Aiden the first day you were here, and he wouldn’t give you the respect to hear you out. What makes you think it’s going to be different seeing him in person?”
“He’s just like me when he’s hurt. He needed time to work through his perceived betrayal. I’ve given him a month to get used to the idea of us. If I can speak to him alone, maybe he’ll understand I want him to live the life he’s always dreamed of. And hopefully, he’ll return the sentiment.”
Jami stares at the floor while seeming to think about something. “It sounds like you have it all planned out.”
“I do.”
“How do you know he’ll be around?”
My stomach knots. “I talked with Hunter today. He told me Aiden’s been doing some work for him. I asked more about it, and he told me Aiden’s able to do the work Hunter needs while working from home in Denver.”
Jami’s head snaps up, and hurt flickers in his eyes. “Did you call Hunter, or did he call you?”
“I called him.”
“Why?”
My heart constricts, and I avert my gaze, knowing this next part is going to sting. “When I was fired, he gave me money. I’ve tried to give it back, but he refuses to take it. Because of that, I feel indebted to him.”
Jami pushes to his feet and stands above me. “How much money?”
“Fifty million dollars,” I whisper.
“And you’re just now telling me this?” He huffs and shakes his head. “I thought we agreed to talk and be honest with one another.”
“We did. I just thought I could find a way to give it back by now, and it wouldn’t matter.”
“But he won’t take it because it keeps you tied to him.”
I jump to my feet. “I’m not tied to him. It’s not like that. ”
“No? You just said you feel indebted to him. You called him, didn’t you? If that’s not having ties to someone, I don’t know what is.”
I shrink into myself. “I wasn’t trying to…”
“What? Reconnect with someone who does nothing but cause problems between us?” Jami takes in quick breaths. “Help me understand why you would reach out to him.”
I lower my head. “If I’m being honest, I called him because I knew he’d talk to me. I’m lonely and feel like I’m becoming my mother. I don’t want to live like this.”
“Live like what?”
“As someone who doesn’t contribute. I’m only here to keep you company and make sure all your needs are taken care of.” I raise my gaze to his devastated eyes.
His face sets in a deep frown. “Is that how you see this? That being here with me is only for my benefit? Is that how you feel?”
My stomach twists, and a part of my heart cracks. “Sometimes.”
His eyes gloss over with sadness as his posture goes slack. He nods as his gaze drops to the floor.
We stand in thick, heavy emotions. We promised we wouldn’t lie to each other, so I had to tell him how I’m truly feeling no matter how hard it is to hear.
A few moments pass, then he lifts his palm and cups my cheek. “I’m sorry I’ve made you feel that way. I never meant for you to feel taken for granted.”
Before I can respond, he kisses my cheek and leaves the room. I turn to say something, but I can’t find the words.
The truth is, he hasn’t made time for me, and it hurts. His business is blowing up, so I understand he has commitments, but I thought he would make room for me.
Don’t get me wrong. He treats me great and loves on me when he’s here, but I miss our friendship. I miss us.
He works in his study as I pack my bags for my trip. It’s the first time we’ve hit a stumbling block in our romantic relationship, and I hate feeling the strain between us.
I’m getting ready for bed and brushing my teeth when Jami comes into the en suite. Our eyes connect in the reflection of the mirror. His gaze speaks of apologies, and mine speaks of longing.
I spit and rinse my mouth. He slides up behind me and runs his palms over my ass and up my back.
I turn to face him, wrapping my arms around his neck. “I don’t like fighting with you.”
“We’re not fighting. We’re learning how to live together while both getting what we need from the other. It’s not going to be perfect.”
“I know, but I don’t have to like it.”
He rests his forehead against mine as he holds me at my waist. “I’m sorry I haven’t made you a priority. You’re the reason I’m working so hard, yet I’m forgetting to take care of you like you deserve.”
“Why would you be doing that for me?”
He pulls back and laughs softly. “Because I want to provide you with a life where you feel adored and spoiled. I want to give you anything you desire and then some.”
I lift my brows and smirk. “You know I’d be happy in a tiny apartment as long as I have you at night when you get home.”
“And that’s where I’ve gotten it wrong. But from now on, work ends the second I step in the front door.”
“Come on, stud. I know you’ll need to attend to business sometimes, and I’m okay with that. I just want time to connect with you and be friends, not just lovers. I miss our conversations.”
“Understood. I know that’s what you need. And if I think about it, I need it too. It’s what makes us…” His brows pinch together.
“ Us . The word you’re looking for is us. ”
His smile breaks free, and he nods. “That’s exactly the word I was looking for.”
“You’re my friend before you’re my lover, and I never want that to change.”
“It won’t. Now that I’m aware of it, I’ll make sure you receive plenty of time to talk.” He gives me a quick peck. “Now, let me get ready for bed, and meet me there in five minutes.”
“Okay, Mr. Bossy-pants.”
Desire flashes in his eyes. “Oh, temptress. When are you going to learn your lesson?”
I shrug and saunter away. “When are you going to quit threatening me and teach me this lesson you keep talking about?”
He groans with yearning, and I laugh as I sway into our bedroom, hoping my pheromones are leaving a trail.
Jami comes in a few minutes later wearing black silk pajama bottoms. They hang low on his hips, so the V-shaped muscles disappearing beneath the material are prominent.
He’s absolutely the sexiest man alive. I lick my lips. The mass of desire builds in my core.
He pads toward me. “I thought we could stay up and talk for a while. You know, reconnect.”
My gaze, which has been glued to his defined naked torso, creeps up to his darkening, hooded eyes. “That’s what you want to do? Talk?”
“Isn’t that what you need?” His voice, low and husky, makes me a puddle of submissive skin and bones.
“I never said I need to have a discussion.”
He cocks a brow. “Temptress, you’re sending me mixed messages.”
I want to curse him out for using my words as a seductive torture tactic, but he’s too desirable to test him that way. He may cut me off if I do.
I rake my gaze over him one more time. Heat pulses through me, down between my legs. Wetness pools as my abdomen tightens. My nipples pebble, reaching for him.
My chest rises and falls as I take him in from head to toe. A long ribbon of silky material running through his palms grabs my attention. It’s the same sash he had when he was close to tying me up before.
An explosion of sin and promised pleasure goes off in my chest. My passion for him transforms into raw need.
He steps one foot in front of the other as he drinks in my reaction. “Do you like it when I take control?”
I nod. “But what about your wound?”
“No, you don’t. You don’t get to find a way out of this.” His potent gaze sparks with scorching fire.