Page 90 of Playing the Game
She stops staring out the car window and peers my way. “I’m sorry. I just have a lot on my mind.”
“You don’t need to apologize.” I take her hand in mine. “I would like it if you talked to me about whatever’s going on in that head of yours. If this is going to work, I want you to feel like you can talk to me about anything.”
She peeks up at our security man, George. He’s driving us home, probably pretending not to listen. I squeeze her hand for encouragement.
She nods. “Okay, but I want to preface this by telling you I wouldn’t change being with you these last few weeks.”
My stomach twists as a sliver of anxiety pumps through my veins. “Should I prepare myself for a fall?”
“No. That’s not what I meant.” She scoots a little closer to me. “It seems like you’re just waiting for me to leave you.”
She’s not wrong, but I don’t want to discuss that now.
I place my good arm around her. “Tell me what’s on your mind. Let me be here for you like you have been for me.”
Her hand moves over my heart. “It means a lot to me that you want me to lean on you.”
“I’m always going to be here for you, Dori. I love you, and you’re my partner. This is what you should expect from me.”
“Being here with you like this and hearing you say things like that is unreal.” Her eyes sparkle even through the darkness of the night. “I never thought we would get here. It feels kind of surreal.”
“I know what you mean.” I inch over and press my lips to hers, giving her a sensual kiss. No matter how many times I do this, I’ll never get sick of her.
I pull away. “Is being with me why you’re quiet?”
“No. I’m in my head because I realized tonight that I don’t have a job. It’s not like I didn’t know, but it hit me hard after seeing Jonah and Hunter.”
“And that upset you?”
She lowers her head. “I won’t be working with them anymore. If I’m being honest, I’m sad about it.”
My shoulders go slack. “I’m sorry, sweetness. I should’ve paid more attention to how you’re feeling about that. I know that was your dream job.”
She peers up at me just as the car pulls into the parking lot of our building. “You’re not angry with me for feeling this way?”
“Not at all. There are a few things about you I know for sure. One of those is how much you loved working there.”
George pulls into a parking spot and turns off the engine. He gets out of the car and looks around the area. When he’s done, he nods, telling me we can get out of the vehicle.
He opens Dori’s door. She grabs her purse and slides out.
She pops her head back in the car. “Do you need help?”
“No, I should be good.” I reach for the door on my side.
George opens it, and I shift to get out. My back and chest muscles tighten, but the pain isn’t as terrible as it has been. I take a breath, and with a grunt, I push off the seat.
Dori’s by my side in a matter of seconds. “Don’t try to be a hero, Jami. I’m here to help you.”
“You are helping, but I need to start doing some of this on my own or else I’ll never get through it.”
She laughs. “Okay, stud. I’ll let you do it on your own.”
I get to my feet and roll my eyes. “I thought we agreed you were going to use a different pet name.”
She brings her lips between her teeth and gazes at George.
Her eyes come back to me, and she’s smiling mischievously from ear to ear. “You mean grumpy?”
