Page 37 of With a Broken Wing
I should walk away. I should leave her to pout on her own, but the way my stomach churned at the thought of her hurting held me in place. “I’m not playing around. Either you open the door, or I’ll get an extra key and let myself in.”
Her dramatic sigh was audibly forced, but the nervous twitch of the doorknob wasn’t. She opened the door, refusing to step aside. The short black shorts she’d worn to breakfast had been traded for a pair of tight bike shorts that sat lower on her hips. Her pink tank top exposed her stomach, and the milky skin was begging to be bitten.
“How was your meeting?” she asked, crossing her arms under her chest.
I put my hand against the door and pushed, stepping over the threshold. “It was fine,” I said, taking another step while she took a couple of her own. “I’m not here to talk about my meeting.”
Her throat bobbed when she gulped. “Then what do you want to talk about?” Her voice would’ve almost been described as chipper if it hadn’t broken on the last couple of words.
“For starters, you were pretty upset this morning.” She just nodded as I reached out and grabbed her hip, pulling her back towards me. “I don’t like seeing you upset.”
I slid my hand up her side and across her back until my arm was wrapped around her waist, and I tugged her body flush against mine. Her breaths were heavy, and with each inhale, her chest heaved. I ran my fingers down the side of her face, pulling her bottom lip from her teeth with my thumb.
“Are you still upset?” I asked her.
She shook her head, pressing her face against my hand. I turned my hand and cupped her cheek, running my thumb along her skin and taking in every feature. “Good,” I said before briefly pressing my mouth to hers. “All day I’ve been thinking about these lips, this mouth, you. Do you know the hold you have on me?”
“I do now.” She said it on an exhale and rose to her toes, pressing her mouth against mine. Her lips were soft, and when she ran her tongue along my mouth, I opened, giving her control. When she whimpered against me, I stepped back.
“I promise you Erin doesn’t mean anything like that to me and she never has. My mom was so happy when my youngest brother got married, and then William brought home Jules and she was beyond herself. In her perfect world, I bring home an amazing woman with an engagement ring and settle down, and that’s just never been something I want.” Looking at her now, I questioned that.
She shook visibly while she watched me. Nodding, she relaxed her shoulders, showing the tension she had to have carried all day. In the silence, her stomach growled, and she cringed.
“Let’s go,” I said, turning towards the door.
“Where are we going?” she asked, even though I think she knew exactly where we were going.
“To get what I can probably assume is the first and only full meal you’ll eat today.”
“I’m in my pajamas…”
I looked at her again, relishing in the way her skin was exposed. Then I thought about anyone else seeing her that way, and fury filled my chest.Not happening.
“Fine. I’m ordering a pizza.” I sat down on her bed, making myself comfortable and pulling my phone from my pocket before looking at her staring from where she stood a few steps away. “Come here, sunshine.”
I didn’t give her the time to argue with me before holding my arm out. She curled her body against mine, and I almost forgot about the pizza I’d unlocked my screen to order.
* * *
Andy took a large bite of a fresh beignet, breathing in quickly as she chewed in hopes of cooling down the fried dough, and I chuckled. It was impossible to stifle the laugh completely when powdered sugar covered the front of her shirt. She seemed to be in a better mood this morning after having pizza and dozing off on my arm last night.
“I need you to change our hotel arrangement for Miami this week,” I said, my eyes drawn like a magnet to the way she was licking the grease and sugar from her fingers.
“Why? Are we staying so we can keep eatingthese?” Her voice was muffled by the mouthful of pastry she talked around, and she cradled the bag of beignets in her hand like they were her most prized possession.
I couldn’t help but laugh again, reaching for the bag and taking one. She scowled at me. “No. We are very much still going to Miami.”
“Then what is it?” The confusion on her face was amusing.
“There’s been a change, and my brother is joining me for the meetings.” I watched while she realized what that meant.
“Jules too!”
“Yes, sweetheart. Jules too.” She was beaming, and it caused a feeling much like an enjoyable dread to fill me. “I’d like you to find a vacation rental for the week. Something with at least three bedrooms. A pool would be a plus. You two can catch up and do whatever it is women in Miami do while we nail down a few accounts.”
Andy squealed, drawing glances from the people around us. She flung powdered sugar, waving her hands around as she listed off all the requirements for the rental. “Naturally we need the poolanda hot tub, a great view, close to the beach, maybe close to shopping? We could take an Uber to go shopping, so definitely closer to the beach.” She pursed her lips in thought. “Oh! And a fire pit!”
She wore a genuine smile that stretched from ear to ear, and her eyes lit up. I wanted to believe her excitement was for the idea of any alone time with me on the beach or in the pool I asked her to find, but truthfully, Jules would walk into the room and I would cease to exist. I’ve never been so willing to fade into the background, but if she smiled like she was now, I’d do anything.
