Chapter 48
JASPER'S POV
The door had barely clicked shut before Corinne exploded.
"What the hell was he thinking?!"
She was pacing across the room, heels clicking against the polished floor like gunshots. Her hands trembled as she pulled pins from her hair, unraveling her glossy bun until curls fell like a storm around her face.
I leaned against the counter, watching her unravel.
"He brought them here. He brought *our* children here in the middle of my launch. Without warning. Without asking! Who does that?!"
"Allen," I said simply. "Allen does that."
Her eyes met mine-wild, frantic, glassy with tears she refused to shed.
"And did you see them? Did you *see* Astrid's face? She thought it was a dream. Kyle looked like he was scared I'd vanish if he blinked. And I had to send them away. I had to push them out of the room like they were some afterthought-because *he* decided this was the moment to play father of the year."
I moved slowly toward her, cautious, like approaching a wounded animal.
"You didn't push them away. You protected them from seeing that fight. You did the right thing."
"I don't *feel* like I did the right thing. I feel like I'm drowning. Like I'm always two steps behind and one wrong breath from breaking apart completely."
"Then breathe now," I murmured. "Breathe with me."
She stopped pacing. Her chest rose, fell. She tried.
I reached for her hand. She let me.
"Brittany's taking them to her suite for the night," I told her gently. "She's already called up some snacks and cartoons. You don't have to worry. They're safe. They're happy."
Corinne's voice cracked. "I didn't even get to tuck them in. I didn't even kiss them goodnight."
I brushed her hair back. "You'll get to tomorrow. You can have all morning with them. I'll reschedule everything. I'll keep the press off your back."
She looked up at me then, exhausted. Not just physically. It was emotional depletion-the kind that comes from holding everything together while you're falling apart.
"I can't go back to my place," she whispered. "Not yet. I'll see their toys. Their pajamas. I'll break."
"Then come with me."
"To your room?"
"Yeah."
She hesitated. Then nodded.
---
The ride to my suite was silent. Heavy. She clutched her phone like a lifeline but didn't look at it. I unlocked the door, let her step in first.
It was warm. Dim. The kind of space that welcomed you to fall apart.
Corinne moved toward the window, arms crossed, gaze lost in the London skyline. I went to the bar, poured two glasses of wine.
She didn't touch hers.
"You don't have to be strong right now," I said softly. "Not with me."
She laughed bitterly. "That's the problem, Jas. I don't know how to be anything else anymore. I forgot how to just... fall apart."
"Then let me help you remember."
I walked to her, took the glass from her hand, and set it down. When I touched her waist, she didn't pull away.
"He was the love of my life," she whispered, almost ashamed. "I built a life around him. A family. And when it crumbled, I thought I could rebuild without him. I told myself I was fine. That I didn't need softness. Or comfort. That being hard was the only way to survive."
She turned to me, eyes gleaming.
"But tonight-I looked at him, and I felt nothing. No sparks. No pain. Just *anger.* Because he keeps putting me in positions where I have to choose between grace and survival. And I'm so tired, Jasper. I'm so fucking tired."
I lifted her face. Brushed my thumbs under her eyes.
"Then let me be your rest. Just tonight. Let me take the weight."
Her lips trembled. But she didn't step back.
I kissed her.
Slow. Intentional. Like we had all the time in the world.
She melted into it-hands tangling in my collar, body pressing closer. It wasn't hurried. It wasn't frantic. It was years of what-ifs poured into a single kiss.
When I pulled back, she was breathless.
"Jasper..."
"I've liked you for longer than I'll ever admit. Not like Allen. Not the way he did. I don't want to own you. I want to hold you-only if you let me."
"Don't say things like that," she whispered. "Not tonight. I'm too raw."
"Then let me be the balm."
I kissed her again. Deeper this time.
Her fingers found the buttons of my shirt.
Mine slid the straps off her shoulders.
We moved like magnets. No resistance. Only gravity.
---
She gasped as my lips trailed down her neck, my hands mapping the curves of her body with reverent attention. Every sigh, every moan, I answered with a whispered promise of presence and understanding.
I'm here. I see you. You don't have to carry it alone.
She arched beneath me, legs wrapping tight around my waist, nails digging into my back like anchors holding us together. I kissed a trail down her collarbone, over her shoulder, across her ribs, leaving a path of fire in my wake.
My fingers brushed against the lace of her panties, teasing the sensitive flesh beneath. She bucked against my touch, desperate for more. I hooked my fingers under the fabric and slowly drew it down her thighs, exposing her to my hungry gaze.
I settled between her legs, breathing in her intoxicating scent. She was dripping with desire, her folds glistening with arousal. I ran a finger through her wetness, drawing a moan from her lips.
"Please," she whimpered, her hips lifting off the bed in a silent plea.
I granted her request, my tongue delving deep into her heat. She cried out, back arching off the mattress as I lapped at her most sensitive spots. I flicked my tongue over her clit, circling and teasing until she was writhing beneath me.
Her hands fisted in my hair, holding me in place as I devoured her. I could feel her tightening around my tongue, her thighs clamping around my head. With a final suck on her clit, she came undone, her body convulsing with pleasure.
I crawled up her body, capturing her mouth in a searing kiss. She could taste herself on my lips, a reminder of the passion we shared. Our tongues danced, exploring and claiming each other.
She reached between us, grasping my hard length and guiding it to her entrance. I pushed forward slowly, savoring the feeling of her tight walls enveloping me. We both groaned at the sensation, our bodies moving in perfect sync.
I started to thrust, slowly at first, then gaining speed as she matched me movement for movement. The room filled with the sound of our moans and the slick slide of skin against skin.
She clenched around me, her nails raking down my back as she neared another peak. I felt my own release building, my hips snapping forward in short, sharp jabs. With a final cry, we came together, her walls fluttering around me as I emptied myself inside her.
We collapsed onto the bed, limbs tangled and chests heaving. I gathered her close, pressing gentle kisses to her forehead as we basked in the afterglow.
She whispered my name, a sigh of contentment and gratitude. And for the first time in years-maybe ever-I felt truly seen. Truly present.
This wasn't just sex. It was a connection. A sharing of burdens and a reminder that we didn't have to carry them alone.
And as we lay there, wrapped in each other's arms, I knew that whatever challenges lay ahead, we would face them together.
And I was honored to be the place it landed.
---
She curled into me after, her breath steady, her body warm.
I didn't speak.
Didn't dare ruin the peace we carved out in the wreckage.
Because tonight wasn't about labels or promises.
It was about presence
And I was here.
With her.
Just her.