Page 89 of The Jilted Lovers Club
He’ll walk away unscathed, no matter what. But she’s the one left to deal with the fallout. He’s using his power to make her pay for standing her ground, like she’s nothing more than a piece in whatever game he’s playing.
I can’t stand it.
“That fucking asshole,” I say through clenched teeth.
“It gets better. He’s refusing to pay for any of the local items in Timeless. Rather than return them, he’s taking it out of my contracted fee, which will basically leave me nothing. He’s also cut off all business expenses, which means I have to return the rental car today and book my own flight home.”
“Do you need money?” I ask.
She shakes her head. “No, I have it. It’s just an inconvenience. I wasn’t even going home yet, I was going to hold on to the rental car a few more days so I could visit my cousin in Southern California before I figure out what’s next.” She looks up, then nudges me with her body. “Listen to me. I’m crying over fixable problems. I guess I’m just tired. All I really want to do is curl up in a ball and sleep until I can forget all of this.” She looks down at her hands. “I don’t even know what to do next. I had all these plans…” She wipes at her eyes, then offers a watery smile. “And now everything’s changed in a day.”
Jordy stands, moving to peer out the window. I join her, looking down toward Timeless. Alexander is there, signing papers with a delivery person. Through the large windows of the shop, I can see dozens of balloons at the ceiling and flashes of light as the tech guy messes with visual effects. The official grand opening is tonight, and judging by the luxury cars lining the streets, Jordy is right—not one person in attendance will be local. Griffin even told me there was a party boat scheduled to dock this evening, with a huge crowd of people who’d made reservations at his restaurant. For now, this is the upside ofwhatever Alexander has planned. But give him enough time, and he’ll probably get his clutches on Charred too.
I wrap an arm around Jordy’s waist, and she leans into me. When she looks up, I press a kiss on her forehead. “I’m so sorry,” I say, “I’m sorry about your job, that Alexander is such an asshole. I’m sorry that this town treated you like shit when you didn’t do anything to deserve that. Most of all, I’m sorry that I doubted you for even a second, because you’re the most incredible woman I’ve ever met. I wish we had more time because I think this could be something, and I’m sorry I’m saying this now, because you’re leaving, and you have every right to never speak to me again.”
She turns in my arms and traces a line over my face with her finger. Her eyes follow as she caresses my eyebrows, my cheeks, the bridge of my nose, my lips, then she tilts her head and kisses me, long and slow. Her hand wraps around the back of my neck, and I pull her closer at the waist. I want to devour her, to make up for one night of lost time, to make this goodbye count by tasting every inch of her body. But I restrain myself, knowing it’s enough that she’s in my arms.
This woman. I could lose myself completely to her.
She ends the kiss and touches her forehead to mine, our breath mingling in gasps. “What do we do now?” she whispers.
“I don’t know.”
She pulls away so she can look me in the eye. “What do youwantto do?”
I see the hope in her eyes because it’s mirrored in my heart, and I know I can’t keep this inside. I have to tell her, even if my pride is screaming not to.
“I want to make this work,” I say quietly. “I’ve never met anyone like you.” I take a breath. “We’ve only just met, and somehow it feels like I’ve known you forever. The thought of saying goodbye…” My voice catches, “It’s eating me alive.”
I look into her eyes. “I don’t want to say goodbye. Not today. Not ever. I want to make this work until the day it doesn’t make sense anymore. But Jordy…” I swallow, heart pounding, “in my gut, I don’t believe that day will ever come, because you are the person I’ve been looking for all my life. You’re who I want to wake up to every morning and fall asleep with every night. You’re the one I want to share my life with. Raise my daughter with. Build something new together.”
I laugh softly, shaking my head. “I know I barely know you, but when I look at you, I see my past and my future tangled up together, and somehow it makes more sense than anything I’ve ever known.” I take a shaky breath. “I want the chance to find out if this is real. Starting right now. Starting today.”
I pause, my heart pounding so hard it takes my breath with it. Then she becomes my air—her mouth on mine, urgent and certain, matching every beat of what I feel.
“What are we doing?” she murmurs against my mouth, barely pausing before kissing me deeper. Her hands tug at my hair as she climbs on top of me.
“I think we’re kissing,” I laugh, though I’m at war in my body. There’s nothing I want more than to rip her clothes off and show her exactly how much I missed her.
“No,” she breathes, pulling herself away. “I mean, why are we so stupidly stubborn when we’re obviously crazy about each other?”
“I don’t know what you’re talking about.” An involuntary growl escapes my throat as I stand and turn, falling on top of her and the bed. She grins as my hands find the buttons on her jeans, which I quickly unfasten before tugging them over her hips. “Because I’m about to make you forget all your reasons you don’t want me.”
She laughs, throwing her head back as I continue pulling at her clothes. “I think you were the one who decided that.
“Bull shit,” I say, taking my own pants off as she tears her shirt over her head. “You’re obviously delusional.”
“Way to gaslight me, Oregon. Oh!”
My mouth finds her slick cunt, and I slide my tongue across her before looking up with a grin.
“Do you want to argue? Or do you want to experience the best orgasm of your life?”
“If this is how you’re going to win every argument, I think I’m going to spend this relationship being wrong.”
Relationship. I love the way that sounds coming from her mouth.
“You and I both know you’re much too stubborn for that,” I say, then duck my head again so I can taste every drop of her.
