Chapter 52 Lexi
LEXI
When we finally made it home—with some difficulty because Jonah simply wouldn’t let me get out of the car in the parking lot—I was half undressed as Jonah kissed and nipped at my neck.
He laughed, half carrying me out of the car and into the elevator with the neckline of my dress just below my chest.
The building had a private elevator that opened directly into Jonah’s living room. I’d heard about such places, but I’d never experienced one firsthand. My eyes nearly popped out of my head at the sight.
“If someone’s watching…” I said, while Jonah took my breast in his mouth as the elevator rode up, while I palmed his length through his pants.
Jonah lifted his head enough to mutter, “I’ll ruin them,” before reaching between my legs and stroking a finger against my pussy. He sucked in a sharp breath when his fingers met my wet folds. “You really aren’t wearing any underwear.”
I braced my hands on his shoulders as he lifted me up, his finger dipping inside me. “Just for you,” I said with a shaky breath.
When we reached his penthouse, he withdrew his fingers to lift me up in his arms and carry me inside. I barely had time to take in the surreal details. I took in the chandeliers, the fireplace, the view of the city through the windows, and my jaw dropped.
Jonah caught my expression and froze, his lips hovering just above my forehead.
“What’s wrong?” he asked, setting me down.
I swallowed hard. “I knew you were wealthy,” I began, my gaze falling on the Fabergé egg on the mantelpiece. What was that worth? My annual paycheck? “I just didn’t realize how much. It’s all … a lot to take in.”
I felt incredibly out of place. I’d only ever seen two places. Middletown, Connecticut, where I’d grown up, and New York. This was a side to New York I was not very familiar with.
I wandered toward the windows. I could see the Hudson River and the Brooklyn Bridge, right across from us, deceptively close.
No wonder he prefers the fanciest restaurants, I thought as I looked at him. This man, with endless options and used to the best of everything—restaurants, homes, travel—wanted me.
“Do you need anything?” he asked, putting his arm around my shoulders.
I stood on my tiptoes. “You’re all I need,” I said softly and kissed him quickly.
Jonah wrapped me in his arms, holding me tight. I closed my eyes and let myself melt into him. “There’s something I want to show you,” he said, leading me to his bedroom. He went to the closet and opened the drawer where he stored his cuff links, then pulled out a folded piece of napkin.
I recognized it instantly as Jonah held it up, smiling. “I couldn’t bear to part with your workplace etiquette notes,” he said.
I looked from the napkin to him.
“You kept it,” I whispered, my voice breaking.
All this time, while I’d thought I was alone in my feelings, he’d been holding onto this piece of me.
The night was hazy after that, with Jonah and I fully undressed, and I rode him on the couch, the bed, and even once on the floor, feeling his fullness inside me. I was completely stretched out, his fingers were alternately on my soaked clit and my pebbled nipples, while he lavished me with praise.
The night faded into darkness, with my hips rolling against him, hot, wet kisses, and Jonah looking back at me in adoration.
I woke up in the morning to the sound of Jonah in the shower. Last night, we’d made love three times in the living room and then he’d gone down on me in the shower, kneeling in front of me while he made me come, again and again.
By then, I was spent. Jonah Walkers was insatiable.
While I waited for him to appear, I reached for my phone and found a few unwelcome texts from my mother.
MOM
I need a little money.
There she went again.
I stared at my phone, my chest heaving. She had sent that a few hours ago.
When I hadn’t responded, she’d followed it up with another text.
MOM
Dylan’s coming here tomorrow. He’ll lend me money.
I felt myself being pulled into a sense of obligation and helplessness, when I heard the bathroom door open.
Setting my phone aside, I watched Jonah walk out of the bathroom, a towel wrapped around his lower body and his chest bare.
My face heated. I got to sleep with this godlike man, with a body to die for, and a face I’d always dream about.
“Like what you see?” Jonah said when he caught me looking.
I blushed and looked away as my phone beeped with a text message. I ignored it.
“Very much,” I said, slipping out of the bed and walking over to him.
It was crazy. I wanted my arms around him, to touch him, to feel his body against mine. Even if we weren’t having sex.
Jonah pulled me to him and kissed me fully on the lips even as I protested.
“I must have morning breath,” I said, mortified that he wanted to kiss me before I could brush my teeth.
Jonah kissed me again deeply. “I don’t care,” he said, his voice husky, and he nipped at my lower lip. “You’re perfect, all the time.”
More than mortified about my breath, I was starting to be mortified about something else.
Jonah found me attractive unconditionally.
I shouldn’t care. I shouldn’t care that he made me feel so accepted and cherished.
So unlike my mother, who never failed to remind me that it was my job to always help her out.
Why was I having these thoughts?
To distract myself, I pushed Jonah away under the pretext of going to the bathroom, and I felt his eyes follow me as I shut the door and fumbled for my toothbrush while I tried to collect my thoughts.
The bathroom door opened, and I turned, my brush hovering just above my mouth.
“Is it Evie?” Jonah asked, following me. “Are you worried about her?”
I nodded. “I need to give her a call soon. That’ll make me feel better,” I lied.
Jonah disappeared, and I watched as the door fell shut again. He’d bought it, I thought, which was strange.
I brushed my teeth and washed up, and when I walked out, I found Jonah standing by the doorway, watching me with a knowing look.
“What is it?” I asked, wondering if I’d done something wrong. Had I used the wrong towel? Not worn the bathrobe right?
He pushed off from the wall and took my hand.
“Is it really Evie that’s troubling you right now?”
I glanced at him, debating what to say, and finally shook my head. He was freaking me out.
“Well, Dylan hasn’t contacted you in a while, and I know for a fact that you’re on top of things at work. So, what is it? What put that frown on your face when I kissed you earlier this morning?”
Sheesh. The guy was perceptive as hell.
I swallowed.
“The truth, Lexi,” he said, his voice a warning this time.
“I’m worried we’re getting too close,” I admitted, which was partly true.
“Is that so bad?”
“You find me desirable all the time, you treat me like I’m something special—”
“Of course I find you desirable,” he interrupted. “You raised Evie all on your own. You’ve been doing so much on your own and I respect you so much for that. Don’t ever be afraid of getting in too deep with me. Do you understand?”
I nodded. “I won’t, Jonah.”
“Now give me the real reason,” he pushed.
I sighed.
“Is it your mom?” he asked.
I nodded, glancing toward the bedroom where I’d left my phone. “She’s pitching Dylan against me, trying to get money from one of us.”
Jonah cursed under his breath and looked away. In a few seconds, he seemed to have made up his mind.
“I think it’s time I meet your Mom, Lexi.”
“She lives in Middletown, Connecticut, Jonah. That’s miles away.”
“So? I could have my driver pick her up and drive her over.”
I hesitated, knowing exactly what would happen next. “She’d see an opportunity,” I whispered, half-afraid of how quiet my voice had gone.
“Let her come. I want to see what kind of woman would treat you like that,” he answered, his voice deep and powerful.
“You’re going to do what? Tell her off?” I asked, skeptical and taken aback.
“Maybe.”
I traced the side of his jaw, skimming along the edge of his sideburns. I wasn’t experienced with men, and I was stunned by how close Jonah and I had gotten. This wasn’t normal.
“What’s the matter? Scared, Lexi?”
“I’ve never had anyone care about me this much, Jonah.”
His eyes held mine. “I don’t know why, sweetheart. You’re perfect.”
I took a step back. We were getting too close and I didn’t want my mind to go places it shouldn’t. I didn’t want to start having dreams of the two of us forever. “Well, I don’t want to underperform at work, or worse, lose my job because of what we have going on. And that’s not even the hard part.”
“What’s the hard part?” he pressed.
“Stuff money can’t buy,” I challenged. “The board when they have to decide between who to keep: the CEO or the intern.”
He stared at me for a long while, breathing quite close to me before he pushed away. He turned to go, as though he was done with this conversation, before he gave me one look over his shoulder.
“By the way, you are special,” he said before he walked out of the bathroom.
I huffed. I’d brought up real problems and he hadn’t argued against it. He knew how futile it was.
Not even Jonah could fend off problems.
“Lexi,” he called from the other room, and I shook myself off.
What was I hoping for? That he’d tell me those problems didn’t exist? It would be a lie, and I knew Jonah. He wouldn’t lie.
I walked toward his voice and found him in his home office, just wrapping up a work video call.
Floor-to-ceiling windows framed the city skyline behind him, the morning light spilling across the sleek desk with dual monitors.
Everything in this penthouse was filled understated luxury, reflecting the man who lived here.
He signaled that the call was almost over, and I leaned against the doorframe, watching him explain a new project timeline to Maya Chen, a junior marketing analyst who, from their conversation, had been with Altika barely four months.
“You’re really good at this, you know,” I said when the call ended and he logged off.
“At what?” He stood and crossed the room to me.
“Making people feel capable.” I nodded toward the now-blank screen before tipping my head up to receive his kiss.
“Maya was confidently taking notes on what sounded like a Q4 campaign rollout, which seemed like a launch that would intimidate someone twice her level. You make people believe they can actually do the impossible thing you’re asking them to do. ” I smiled. “It’s a gift.”
Something shifted in his expression and I found a softness I didn’t see often enough.
The usual tension in his shoulders eased, and for a moment, he looked almost vulnerable, like he’d been bracing for criticism and got acceptance instead.
When was the last time someone had simply told Jonah he was good at something without expecting more?
The moment drew out, and his gaze held mine for a long moment before he nodded.
“Come,” he said, pulling me toward the kitchen while I tried to tug him toward the couch instead.
“We’re doing that next,” he said, gesturing back at the couch with a mischievous glint in his eye.
I grinned and turned to find the table set for breakfast.
He’d made me avocado toast with poached eggs topped with sesame seeds, a bowl of mixed berries, and a cappuccino on the side.
“Eat,” he ordered, and I sat down, curious about what was going on.
I took a sip of the cappuccino he’d placed beside my plate, and I got my answer.
A little card lay on the table, and I reached for it, clearly drawn by Evie.
“She made it for you yesterday and asked me to give it to you in case you missed her,” he said, pushing it toward me.
I opened it and saw the words Mommy, I love you written inside. She’d drawn a unicorn and her and me as two princesses with a castle in the background. Let’s play the princess game when you’re back, she’d written. Underneath, she’d written in small letters, Jonah can be the prince if he wants to.
I looked up to find Jonah watching me intently. “Do you want to see it?” I asked.
I couldn’t believe it; his face lit up as he reached for it.
“I’m in it,” he pointed out, showing me the tiny prince she’d drawn, the one I’d mistaken for a cute little snowman.
“Is that you? I thought that was Olaf,” I said while Jonah snorted and pulled me to him.
“There’s no way I’m that round,” he grunted.
“Okay, fine. You’re more of a … rugged Kristoff type. With a better jawline.”
“That’s more like it,” he said, but he was still smiling at the snowman version of himself like it was the best thing he’d ever been turned into.
After breakfast, I made a quick call to Anne.
I spoke to Evie for fifteen minutes while Anne made Evie blueberry waffles in the background and hung up later, feeling soothed and looking forward to what Jonah had planned.
That afternoon, Jonah ordered in, and we binge-watched three episodes of The Great British Bake Off while Jonah held me close on the sofa. We snuggled, fed each other from a giant bowl of popcorn, and laughed. Oh, there was plenty of laughter.
I couldn’t remember another time when I’d had this much fun.
I was having the best day of my life.