Chapter 6 Second Chance at Love
For the first time in over a month, Tessa Johnson woke up smiling.
It took her a few seconds to realize why.
Then she remembered.
Dinner with Jamison.
The way he had looked at her across the table.
The way he had listened when she spoke.
The way he had thanked her for saving more than his life.
And that hug.
My goodness, that hug with his strong sexy arms wrapped around me.
Tessa buried her face in her pillow and groaned.
She was entirely too grown to be acting like this.
Her phone buzzed on the nightstand.
A text message.
Her heart immediately started racing.
Jamison: Good morning, Nurse Tessa.
The smile returned instantly.
Tessa: Good morning, Mr. Edwards.
Three dots appeared.
Jamison: We really need to stop calling each other that.
Tessa: Why?
Jamison: Because I like the way my name sounds when you say it.
Tessa stared at the screen.
Then smiled so hard her cheeks began to hurt.
In downtown Atlanta, Jamison sat behind his desk pretending to review a contract.
Pretending.
Because in reality he had read the same paragraph six times because he couldn’t stop thinking about Tessa and the hug.
His assistant, Lauren, knocked before entering.
"Is everything okay sir?"
Jamison looked up.
"Fine."
Lauren narrowed her eyes.
She had worked for him for nearly eight years.
She knew every version of him.
The ruthless negotiator.
The exhausted workaholic.
The impossible perfectionist.
The man who trusted nobody.
This version was new.
"You smiled at your phone."
Jamison blinked.
"I did not."
"You absolutely did."
Lauren sat down.
"Who is she?"
Jamison stared.
"Excuse me?"
Lauren grinned.
"Oh my goodness."
"No."
"There is a woman."
"No."
"There is definitely a woman."
Jamison rubbed a hand over his face, smiling.
Lauren leaned back triumphantly.
"I knew it."
It had been years since he had felt this way about anyone, he even found himself laughing.
Actually laughing.
Not politely.
Not strategically.
Genuinely.
Lauren's eyes widened.
"Oh wow."
"What?"
"You really like her, I can tell."
Jamison's smile faded slightly.
Because the truth was...
He did.
More than he should maybe.
Much more than was wise.
And that realization scared him.
The following week became a blur of text messages.
Good mornings and good nights.
Random conversations throughout the day.
Inside jokes.
Book recommendations from both of them.
Photos of terrible cafeteria food from Tessa.
Photos of ridiculous corporate meetings from Jamison.
Every conversation felt easy.
Natural.
Comfortable.
Dangerously comfortable.
One evening, Tessa sat in her apartment reading when her phone rang.
Jamison.
Her stomach fluttered.
"Hello?"
His voice immediately filled her ear.
"Hey."
Something about hearing him instead of reading a text made her smile.
"Hey yourself."
"What are you doing?"
"Reading."
"Let me guess."
Tessa laughed.
"A book."
"I knew it."
"What are you doing?"
Jamison looked around his massive penthouse.
The city lights sparkled beyond the windows.
Expensive furniture.
Luxury art.
Every comfort money could buy.
And yet...
"Talking to you."
The honesty slipped out before he could stop it.
Silence followed.
Soft.
Meaningful.
Then Tessa smiled.
"I'm glad."
Jamison closed his eyes.
That simple response affected him more than it should have.
By the second week after their first date, the entire fourth floor had become invested in their relationship.
Especially Lizzie.
"Tessa."
"No."
"Tessa."
"No."
"You like him."
Tessa continued charting notes.
"I like lots of people."
Lizzie gasped dramatically.
"You like him."
The smile that appeared betrayed her.
Immediately.
"Uh huh."
Tessa sighed.
"Maybe."
Lizzie nearly screamed.
Denise looked up from across the room.
"Oh, she admitted it."
Tessa buried her face in her hands.
"This was a mistake."
The nurses laughed.
Tessa finally looked happy, since Anthony had hurt her.
Truly happy.
And everyone noticed.
Including her.
One Friday evening, Jamison invited her to dinner again.
This time somewhere simpler.
A small jazz restaurant downtown.
The moment Tessa arrived, she felt herself relax.
No luxury pressure.
Not an intimidating atmosphere.
Just music.
Conversation.
And Jamison.
He stood when she approached.
Again.
Pulled out her chair.
Again.
Looking at her like she was the most beautiful woman in the room.
Again.
Tessa was beginning to enjoy it.
A lot.
Halfway through dinner, Jamison became unusually quiet.
Tessa noticed immediately.
"What's wrong?"
He looked down at his glass.
Then back at her.
"Tessa."
Her stomach tightened.
The serious voice.
She recognized it.
"What is it?"
Jamison exhaled slowly.
"I need to tell you something."
The words instantly made her nervous.
"Okay."
For several moments, he simply looked at her.
Then finally spoke.
"I don't do this."
She frowned.
"Do what?"
"This."
His hand gestured between them.
"Dinners. Texting. Looking forward to seeing someone."
Tessa's heart softened.
Jamison stared down at the table.
"For a long time, I convinced myself I didn't need anybody."
The truth is I was tired of being hurt by people.
The vulnerability in his voice surprised her.
"I worked."
He shrugged.
"Built businesses. Made money. Stayed busy."
"Why?"
The question slipped out before she could stop it.
Jamison was silent.
Then finally answered.
"Because people usually want something."
Tessa immediately understood.
Not fully.
But enough.
The loneliness.
The isolation.
The caution.
"That sounds exhausting."
His laugh was humorless.
"It is."
Silence settled between them.
Then Tessa reached across the table.
Without thinking.
Without planning.
She simply reached.
And placed her hand over his.
Jamison froze.
The contact sent a spark racing through both of them.
Warm.
Immediate.
Powerful.
"You know," Tessa said softly, "it's okay to let people care about you."
His blue eyes lifted to hers.
For a moment, neither looked away.
Neither wanted to.
Later that night, Jamison walked her to her car.
The city felt quieter.
Smaller somehow.
Tessa stopped beside her vehicle.
"So."
"So."
They smiled.
Neither seemed eager to leave.
Finally Jamison spoke.
"Tessa."
"Yeah?"
His eyes searched hers.
Careful.
Hopeful.
Nervous.
A combination she never expected from a man like him.
"I want to ask you something."
Her pulse accelerated.
"Okay."
He stepped closer.
Not enough to invade her space.
Enough to matter.
"Can I kiss you?"
The question stole her breath.
Not because she wasn't expecting it.
Because she was.
The chemistry between them had become impossible to ignore.
The attraction.
The connection.
The longing.
All of it had been building for weeks.
Yet the fact that he asked...
That mattered.
A lot.
Tessa looked into those blue eyes.
Then smiled softly.
"Yes."
Jamison's breath caught.
For one brief second, neither moved.
As if both wanted to remember this moment forever.
Then slowly...
Carefully...
He lifted his hand and gently brushed a curl away from her face.
The tenderness nearly undid her.
"Tessa."
The way he said her name sounded like a prayer.
Then he leaned in.
And kissed her.
Softly.
Slowly.
Like she was something precious.
He wasn't rushing.
Jamison wanted to savor every second of this kiss.
Tessa's eyes closed immediately.
Heat rushed through her body.
One hand settled against his chest.
Strong.
Warm.
Real.
Jamison deepened the kiss slightly.
Just enough.
Not demanding.
Not possessive.
Simply honest.
At that very moment…
Tessa had forgotten every cruel word Anthony had ever said to her.
She had forgotten every insecurity.
Every doubt.
Every heartbreak.
Because at that moment, she felt beautiful and happy.
Not because Jamison told her she was.
But because of the way he looked at her.
The way he touched her.
The way he treasured her.
When they finally pulled apart, both were breathing heavily.
Neither spoke immediately.
Neither trusted their voice.
Instead Jamison rested his forehead against hers.
"Wow, those lips are something."
Tessa laughed shyly.
"Yeah."
His smile returned.
The one she loved most.
The real one.
Not the billionaire or the businessman.
Just Jamison.
"I've wanted to do that for weeks."
The confession made her grin.
"Weeks?"
"Since room 323."
Tessa gasped dramatically.
"Sir."
He laughed.
"What?"
"You were pretending to be unconscious."
"No."
"You absolutely were."
"Partially."
"That's worse."
Their laughter filled the night air.
And something shifted.
Something important.
Neither felt like they were healing alone anymore.
That night, after Tessa drove home, she stood in front of her bathroom mirror.
For a long moment, she simply stared at herself.
Then smiled.
Not because a handsome man kissed her.
Not because she suddenly needed someone to complete her.
No.
She smiled because she had survived.
The betrayal.
The Heartbreak.
The loneliness.
The grief.
And somehow, after all of it...
Her heart had remained open enough to love again.
Meanwhile, across town, Jamison stood in front of the windows of his penthouse.
The Atlanta skyline stretched endlessly before him.
For years he had filled his life with success.
Money.
Power.
Control.
Yet none of those things had ever made him feel the way one nurse did.
One kind woman with a book.
A sandwich.
And a habit of praying for strangers did.
Jamison smiled.
He wasn't looking at the city.
He was thinking about the future.
And for once...
The future looked beautiful.