Chapter 16
JAMISON
“Jami.” Dori gasps as she works herself into a frenzy.
She’s absolutely stunning, spread out on my bed, showing me how she wants me to touch her.
My cock strains against my pants, but I’m at a disadvantage and that will have to be put aside. “I’ve waited years to see you laid out and ready on my sheets. You don’t disappoint.”
She dips two of her fingers into her tight little slit and I about lose myself. I press her thigh down to give myself a better view.
She peeks up at me through thick eyelashes, moaning as she spreads her lips. “Jami… I want you.”
“Not yet, sweetness. I want to watch as you make yourself come, just like you taunted me with your dirty text message.”
Her chest heaves as she moves her fingertips over her clit. She presses her head back and arches her breasts up.
It’s a sight like no other. I love watching her take my direction with no self-doubt. She owns her sexuality, and it’s a dream come true.
“Oh my god, Jami. I’m getting so close.” Her hips circle as she continues to work herself into a fever. She shudders as she screams, “Fuck! I’m coming.”
Pleasure bursts through my veins. She squeezes her eyes tight and holds her breath, riding out the spasms of her release.
“So fucking beautiful.” I stare at her in awe while she settles back into the room.
Her skin is pink and shines with her heat. “What about you?”
“Help me out of my clothes and get on your knees.” I push down my sweatpants.
She scoots off the bed and does what I ask. “Let me take off your T-shirt.”
“No. It will hurt too much, and I want to stay in the moment. I’ll just hold it up.” I shift so I’m near the edge of the bed and take off my boxer briefs.
When I sit on the side of the mattress, she descends to her knees. I lift my shirt, giving her a good look at my throbbing cock.
“You’re so big. I hope I can do this without choking.” She takes me in her hand and strokes me with the perfect amount of pressure. “Sit back and relax.”
I groan as she licks the precum off the tip of my dick. “Fucking hell. You’re going to kill me.”
Her gaze hooks with mine as she slides me into her mouth. She goes the extra distance until I find myself halfway down her throat. Her gag reflexes fire off and squeeze my shaft, making my eyes nearly roll into the back of my head.
“Fuck. That feels amazing.” I press deeper into her mouth as her eyes start to water, then pull out just enough to let her breathe.
She sucks and hollows out her cheeks, sliding up and down my length. When she moans, the vibration around my shaft takes me to the next level. I’m so close to losing myself in her mouth .
My head falls back as she licks from the base of my cock to the tip. Her tongue makes a loop around the top before she pops off me and takes a deep breath.
She pumps me with her hand as she teases me with her tongue. I bring my head back and stare down at the woman I love, who’s giving me pleasure at my command. My chest fills with burning heat.
I’m the luckiest man alive.
Just as the thought passes, she goes down on me with another moan.
“That’s it. Just like that.” My abdomen tightens. “I’m fucking close, temptress.”
She groans and sucks harder. That’s all it takes to catapult me out of this world. Threads of cum shoot over her tongue and down her throat.
She takes every last drop like she can’t get enough. I spasm when she licks the crown of my dick.
Her pleased gaze comes to mine as she pulls away. “Better?”
“Much.” My entire body relaxes as I smile at the goddess I worship. “How about you help me find a comfortable position and snuggle up with me? We can take a nap and get some rest.”
She stands with love flowing from her eyes. “I’d like that.”
“Me too. I can’t tell you how many times I thought about doing this while you were sitting next to me in the hospital.”
“So that’s what your grumpy attitude has been about.” She bends down and gets my boxer briefs, laughing under her breath. “You were sexually frustrated. I hope you can chill out now.”
“Yeah, yeah. It wasn’t just that.”
She holds my briefs at my feet. “Here. Step into these and I’ll pull them up.”
I roll my eyes. “Nothing like sucking up all my manhood.”
“Stop it. You need my help. ”
I relent and let her assist me with removing my shirt and helping me under the covers. She works herself into one of my T-shirts, then climbs in next to me.
She’s careful as she nestles up to the side of me that isn’t injured, and we settle in for an afternoon nap. She hasn’t left my side for more than an hour. The hospital even let her sleep on a tiny bed that pulled out from a couch in my room.
My love for her grows—more than I thought possible. I’m grateful I took a bullet for her because I would’ve lost her if I hadn’t.
The thought alone is enough to kill me. I can’t imagine my life without her.
My mind wanders, playing different scenarios of the future where Dori and I have it easy. I visualize a time when we’re free from all our obstacles and love flows with ease.
For the first time, I have hope we’ll get there. I’m pulled into a slumber a few moments later.
Excruciating pain wakes me about an hour later. I should’ve listened to Dori and taken my medicine.
She lies beside me, breathing heavy and rhythmic, and her eyelids twitch like she’s in a REM state. I know she must be exhausted, so I allow her to sleep.
I slide out of bed as gracefully and quietly as I can. It’s not easy because every part of my torso feels like I’m ripping it apart piece by piece. I grunt and still myself at least ten times before I’m out of my bedroom.
I drag myself to the kitchen to get my medication. As I’m reaching into the refrigerator to get a soda, something vibrates on the counter.
I glance over to see Dori’s phone, its screen illuminated with an incoming message. She hasn’t spent much time on the phone, so I’m curious who it’s from.
Hunter’s name appears, and my stomach tightens as my chest burns. He’ll never leave her alone. I push out a fake laugh .
How can he when they work together?
Dori comes into the kitchen, yawning. “I think I could’ve slept for another two hours.”
“Don’t let me stop you. If you need to rest, I can manage on my own.”
“I’m not letting you take care of yourself. Go sit on the couch and I’ll bring you everything you need.”
I want to argue, but the pain has the best of me. “Fine. I’m giving in this once because I can barely see straight.”
“Are you that sore?” She eyes me hard. “I knew I should’ve made you take your medicine.”
I hold myself as stiff as possible, careful not to move too fast as I shuffle to the sofa. “The medicine you gave me was all I wanted or needed.”
“Jami, I won’t do that again if you don’t start following your discharge orders.”
“Got it, Doc.” I take a minute to get settled.
She hurries to me with my painkillers in tow, along with some soda and crackers. “I’ll make you dinner, but eat this first so you have something in your stomach. I don’t want you to get sick.”
“Sounds good.” I slam my medication down with my drink. “We need to talk.”
“About what?” Her brows pinch together, and she sits beside me.
“Us.” A stabbing pain digs into my chest. I gasp and hold my breath until it passes. “I’m ready for this misery to be over with.”
“Just take it easy for a minute.” Her face tightens with concern. “You meant the misery from your wound, right?”
“Yes. I’m happy with us, but we need to have a serious discussion.”
“I know we do.”
“In that case, you go first while these painkillers kick in.”
She pushes into the corner of the couch and brings up her legs, hugging them at her knees. “I haven’t been honest with you about something.”
My thoughts go to Hunter. I shake my head and bear down on my teeth. “Tell me what you need to say.”
“It’s not that I was trying to hide this from you, but I didn’t want you to worry.” She glances out my sliding glass doors. “I didn’t take an extended leave. I was fired.”
That was not what I expected.
My eyes round, and my brain loses all thought-processing capabilities. “What?”
She faces me with flaming red cheeks. “Someone turned in pictures of Hunter and me to the board. They fired me for breach of contract.”
I have nothing to say. She knew this would be the consequence if she were found out, but I won’t lecture her when it’s probably killing her inside.
I soften my tone. “Why did you keep this from me?”
“Because I’m embarrassed.” She lowers her head.
“Oh, sweetness. Come here.” I open my arms wide, ignoring the pain shooting in all directions.
She peeks up with glossy eyes. “I want you to hold me, but not when I know you’re hurting.”
“Fuck the pain, Dori. Come over here and let me take care of you.”
She assesses me momentarily, and then carefully cuddles up to my good side. “Thank you. I need this.”
I slide my arm around her shoulders. “You don’t need to thank me, just lean on me.”
“I would’ve told you when it happened, but you had just woken up. I didn’t want you to think about anything but getting better.”
“You’ve been out of work for two weeks?”
“Yes.” She looks up at me. “You and Melanie are the only ones who know. ”
I kiss Dori’s forehead. “Is this why you told me you’ve been thinking about looking for a job in Miami?”
“Yes.” She’s quiet for a moment. “How do you feel about that?”
“Ecstatic. I hate that you were fired, but it makes me believe we can make our relationship work.”
“Are you saying you don’t think we would stay together if I still had my job?” She pushes out of my arms.
I move a pillow behind me and ease back. “I’m not saying that. It’s just if I lived in Miami and you lived here, it would be difficult. Especially with Hunter a few doors down from you.”
“That’s understandable.”
“That’s what I was going to talk to you about.”
Her gaze fills with concern. “Moving or me working with Hunter?”
I shrug. “Both. Before you came out here, your phone went off. I glanced at your screen and saw it was him. No matter what condition I’m in, he won’t step aside and let you walk away. I wanted to talk to you about how you’re going to handle it.”
“Hunter called?” She gets up and rushes to the kitchen to retrieve her phone. “Why didn’t you tell me?”
A bolt of panic hits me. “Why are you so quick to want to talk to him?”
She stops by the counter and stares over at me. “It’s not that. I just wasn’t expecting him to reach out. It makes me wonder what he wants.”
“Really? You don’t know what he wants?”
She’s silent for a moment, then picks up her phone. She looks at the screen and starts typing a message. I grow tense, and heat rises in my chest.
Why can’t we have it easy for once?
I study her from across the room as she taps away on her phone. Her eyes scroll as she reads something .
She places her palm over her heart as a smile splits her face. “Oh my god. No way!”
“What?”
Her gaze snaps to mine. “They got another board member to overturn their vote.”
My abdomen tightens. “What does that mean?”
“Hunter said they have five people who have overturned their vote to terminate my contract.”
Worry crawls up my spine. I should be happy for her, but this isn’t good news for us.
“And if they get enough people to do that, will you take your job back?”
“Of course. Why wouldn’t I?”
“So you weren’t sincerely considering moving to Miami with me?”
“Yes, I was. But if I can get my job back, I don’t know how I could walk away from it.”
I get up and move with deliberate and controlled steps to the kitchen where she’s standing. “If that happens and I go to Miami, where does that leave us?”
She just shrugs and shakes her head.
I give her a gentle nudge with the jut of my chin. “Look, there’s no wrong answer here. I just need to know where we stand. Trust yourself and be honest about what you want more: a life here working for Hunter or a living with me in Miami.”
“I want them both.”
“You don’t get both. It’s physically impossible.” I smirk, trying to hide my concern with humor.
She laughs softly. “I know that.”
“Dori, I’m asking you for transparency. Where do you want to be?”
“I want to be with you.”
“That’s not the question. Take your emotions out of it for just a minute. When you think about your life in the future, where do you see yourself?”
She releases a heavy sigh. “I worked hard to get where I was. It’s hard to see myself anywhere else.”
“That’s understandable.” My stomach tightens. “Are there any visions you have where it looks different?”
She lowers her head and shuffles over to my couch as she seems to think something. I give her the time she needs. I won’t rush this because I know how hard she worked to get her career off the ground. She deserves the space to really consider my question.
She sits, brings her knees to her chest, and hugs them. “I see a life with you.”
“But...” I make my way back to her with my body tight and sore.
Her troubled gaze meets mine. “But I don’t know if it’s a long-distance relationship or if I’m living there with you. It’s hard to get a clear picture in my mind.”
I take my time lowering myself onto the couch. “Do you think a long-distance relationship is something you could handle?”
“I think I could.” Her tone is less than convincing.
“Let’s say I’m invited to one of Mateo’s bashes and you were too busy to come because of work obligations. How would you feel knowing I was there and other women would be around me?”
Jealousy swims in her eyes. “I wouldn’t like it, but I trust you.”
I nod slowly. “Now think about if I was at an event like that and there was a client I was working with whose company happened to be one of the contracts I had. Let’s pretend it’s a woman-owned company, and we were photographed together, laughing and having fun at one of these parties. How would you feel then? ”
Her facial features harden. “I don’t know what you’re getting at, Jami.”
“I know how you are. You have a jealous streak, and you act out when you’re triggered. Take the night you saw me at the club, for instance.”
Her breathing kicks up. “Are you trying to say I should be worried?”
“No, but your reaction is enough to tell me it wouldn’t go over well.”
“I’d try to understand. Sure, I might be jealous, but like I said, I trust you, so it wouldn’t be an issue.”
Her denial is all I need to know. And nothing about it is giving me any hope we make it in the end.