by Kelly Moore
Her words infuriate me. Where is the woman who wanted me to see her? This isn’t the same person. I start to leave, and an idea hits me.
“Where are you going?”
I turn and walk toward her, unbuttoning my shirt.
“What are you doing?” Her brows draw together.
“You want to argue, so I’m playing by your rules.” I tug my shirt off.
“That rule only applies when we’re in private.”
“Says who? Ms. Adams? I want to deal with Reese.” I undo my belt.
“We can’t do this here,” she protests.
I kick out of my dress shoes and off come my pants.
“Somebody is going to come in and see you in your boxers.” She half laughs.
I turn around, lock the door, and remove my underwear. “Start stripping.”
Her mouth gapes. “I’m not doing this here.”
I stride over to her and take her hands, pulling her to her feet. “Your rules. I’m enforcing them.”
She slides out of her heels, then peels off her jacket, laying it on the back of her chair. “We need to renegotiate the terms of fighting naked,” she huffs.
“You can’t change the rules in the middle of an argument.”
She lets out an exaggerated sigh and proceeds to unbutton her blouse while untucking it from her slacks. “This is ridiculous.”
“Your rules, not mine.”
She stops undressing when she’s left standing in her baby blue matching bra and skimpy silk panties. She straightens her spine. “Happy now.”
I rub my chin with my hand. “I think you still have some articles of clothing left on.”
“Arrrrr!” she growls, reaching behind her and unhooking her bra, then dramatically sliding her panties down her legs. She stands tall, flipping her hair over her shoulder.
“I will not ever try to convince someone into something they’ve expressly said they don’t want, i.e., to become famous. Some people don’t care about money. Their happiness and well-being are more important. I have money, but I’m not impressed by it. I don’t make decisions based on how much money I can get out of it. I’m happy with my company, and yes, it affords me things that I want, but it is not for sale for any amount of money.”
“But I…”
I raise my hand. “Neither one of us have the right to force people to change their minds.” I swallow hard. “If I would’ve left Lyla playing in bars, moving around every three months, she might still be here. I regret the day that I tried to convince her otherwise.”
Her facial express softens. “Ultimately, she decided on her own.”
“Yes, she did, but I’ve made a promise to myself to explain the pitfalls of leading a life in the public eye. I lay it out for them. It’s their choice. I offer no persuasion one way or the other.”
She runs her hand down my arm and holds my hand. “You’re right. I’m used to playing cutthroat with the big boys. I’m working hard to change some things in myself. Life isn’t all about money, and you’d think I’d learned my lesson with my ex-husband. I hated being controlled, and I need to let go of trying to manage other people’s decisions.”
I take her face in my hands and kiss her. “Thank you.” I turn and pick up my clothes.
“Wait, that’s it?”
I tug on my pants. “What do you mean?”
“Well, you’re naked, I’m naked, and I think you’re going to have a hard time tucking that into your slacks.”
She points at my crotch. “This wasn’t about sex. That was never part of the rules. For a smart businesswoman, I think you need to be more specific with your fighting naked terms. And, you might want to have your clothes back on by the time I open this door.”
She scrambles to get dressed.
“I’ll see you at your place tonight. Bring Reese, not Ms. Adams.”
Chapter 13
“It’s been a while.” The cool air on my face holds back the wetness in my eyes. I squat down next to Lyla’s headstone and brush my fingers over her name. “I still miss you. I know when I left here, I told you goodbye, but I didn’t really let you go. I’m in a place now that I’m ready to do that, but somehow, I think you already know that. You looked so beautiful and carefree in my dream, playing with Jacob.” I stand and take a seat on the bench next to her gravesite.
“I met someone.” I chuckle. “She’s a handful, but she’s worth it. I guess I’m drawn to that kind of woman. You were a handful too, but in a different way.” My jaw clenches, restraining my emotions. “I don’t want you to think it doesn’t mean I don’t love you anymore, because god knows, I do. I’d give anything for you to still be here.” I swallow hard. “But, you’re not, and it’s time I let someone else in my heart. I’m fucking terrified, yet excited at the same time. I think you’d like her.” I laugh again. “Reese, not Ms. Adams.” I wave in the air. “Long story. The point is, she has a sweet, carefree side that I find intoxicating.” I think about her other side before I speak again.
“Her business side shows a confident, smart, headstrong woman that I think is sexy when I’m not the target of whatever it is she’s after. She’s broken in a different way than you, but her heart hasn’t been shattered.” I’m rambling. I rub my hand down my face. “She even got me to shave.” A single tear slips down the corner of my eye.
I stand. “This is me letting go for the last time. I love you, Lyla, don’t ever forget that.” I use the same words she used to say to me.
I take one last look at her gravesite before I climb into my rental car. I stopped in Nashville only to tell her goodbye. My flight to New York is in an hour. Reese flew up there a week ago on business. I had almost forgotten about the tickets to Wicked that Greg gave me. I found them stuffed in my pants pocket the other day and decided I’d pay a surprise visit to Reese and take her to the play.
Up until she left, our nights have been spent wrapped up in each other as much as possible. She’s been remotely working from my place for a couple of weeks. We’ve grown close so quickly. The last argument we had was in her office when I forced her strip. I can still see her facial expression when I made her follow through with her own rules. I find myself missing her when she’s not around and falling more in love with her every day. Hell, who am I kidding? She hit me with a ton of bricks the moment I met her, yet I’ve held back part of me from her. Now that I’ve said goodbye to Lyla, I’m ready to give her a hundred and ten percent of me.
I make it to the airport in no time and place a quick call to Reese, not letting on that I’m on my way to see her.
“Hi, Mr. Wilde,” she answers the phone in a sexy little voice.
“Hi yourself. I miss you.”
“I’m glad to hear that because I’ve been missing you like crazy.” She sighs into the phone.
“How’s your day going?”
“Oh, you know. Meeting after meeting. Boring stuff. What have you been up to?”
“Keeping myself busy.”
“I’ll be wrapping things up here by mid-week next week. I can’t wait to come home to you.”
“Home, huh?” I love that she thinks of my place as home.
“Yeah, home. Maybe you could manage to clear a little more closet space for me.” She giggles.
“How about I build a walk-in closet just for you and all your handbags. I might even build a cabinet to hold your sunglasses?” I tease.
“I’d like that.”
I glance at my phone. “I’m sorry to cut it short, but I’m on a tight schedule today.”
“Okay. Call me later.” I almost hang up, but stop when I hear her voice. “Jameson, are you still there?”
“Yeah.”
“I love you.” She breathes out.
An honest, warm smile covers my face. “I love you, too.” God, it actually felt good to say the words out loud.
I disconnect and grab my carry-on to board the plane. I can’t wait to see her face when I surprise her. I want nothing more than to hold her in my arms and
make love to her for hours on end. I love her tight body and how well it fits with mine. I love that she submits to me in the bedroom…or any other room I want to play in.
I’m achingly hard by the time I get off the plane, envisioning all the times I’ve been wrapped up inside her. I hail a cab and give him the address of the Marriott in the heart of the city. Traffic is bumper-to-bumper in multi-lanes moving at a snail's pace. Sidewalks have a steady flow of pedestrians. Some look like they are headed to meetings, others are weighed down by shopping bags. Colorful food trucks and vendors are selling t-shirts and memorabilia, and there are hotdog stands almost on every corner, along with coffee houses tucked in between large brick buildings. Car horns seem to honk in rhythm with one another at the slightest forward movement of a vehicle.
The cab driver pulls over on the curb of the high-end hotel. I pay him in cash and grab my suitcase, lifting the handle to roll in along beside me. I’m greeted at the entrance by a uniformed doorman ushering visitors inside. As I make my way to the elevator, I hear Reese’s laugh coming from the bar tucked inside an open restaurant area for casual diners. I stop in my tracks and head to where her laughter is coming from.
When I walk into the restaurant, Reese is sitting at the bar with her body angled toward a man who looks to be a few years older than her, wearing a casual dinner jacket and an expensive watch. Her head is thrown back in laughter at something he says. I take a step toward her and freeze when his hand reaches out and touches her face, lingering a little too long. Whoever he is, knows her very well. She tosses her strawberry-blonde hair over the shoulder of her black dress and starts talking to him using her hands for emphasis. His smile widens at her every word, then he leans in and kisses her cheek. His eyes dip down to her cleavage with an appreciative smile on his face.
My gut clenches and that familiar ping of panic rolls over me. I rush out before she sees me and find the men’s restroom, relieving my stomach of its contents. “How could I be so fucking stupid,” I mumble, wiping my mouth with the back of my hand. I rinse my mouth and dry the sweat from my face. “I’ve got to get out here.” I stare at the man in the mirror, wondering how I could’ve been so wrong about her.
Rolling my luggage behind me, I walk back out into the hotel entryway, glancing into the restaurant as I go by. They’re sipping on drinks and still all smiles at one another. Squaring my shoulders, I decide that maybe I was wrong; it’s only a business meeting. Two steps are all it takes before I stop again. She traces her finger from his shoulder down to his elbow where she cups it gently. But it’s the way that she looks at him that has me turning the other way to flag down a cab to get me the hell out of here.
Reese has called my phone several times a day, and I’ve let it go straight to voicemail. It’s a dick move I know, but I can’t bear to talk to her on the phone. It vibrates again as I walk into Dr. Sanders’s office. Turning the phone completely off, I shove it in my pocket.
“I’m glad to see you again, Jameson.” He sticks his hand out.
I sit, without responding, in my usual spot and chew on my knuckle.
“What’s going on?” he says, dragging his pad of paper into his lap.
“I did it. I completed your list.”
“Really? Give me the details.
“I flew to Nashville, and I finally let go of Lyla.”
“I think you’re leaving out some vital parts of the story.”
I let my hand fall to my lap and cross one leg over the other. I start listing them off.
“I went on a date with Reese.”
“I made a real connection with her.”
“I passionately kissed her without it being planned.”
I hold up four fingers. “I made love to her.”
All five fingers are up. “I let Lyla Go.”
He clears his throat. “I’m a little concerned because you’re listing them like none of it really happened to you.”
“What do you mean.” I scowl.
“You’re checking off a list with no emotion behind your words.”
“That’s because none of it worked out, other than I really let Lyla go.”
“You mean things didn’t work out with Reese?”
“No, they didn’t.”
“Do you love her?”
My jaw flexes. “Yes.”
“Then why can’t whatever it is be worked out?”
“Because there’s another man in her life and I won’t compete.”
“A little competition might not be a bad thing.”
I stand. “I’m not going to fight to be in someone’s life.”
“So your feelings for her just end?” He splays his hands out.
“No, but I’ll tuck them away and focus on work again.”
“I’m not so sure that’s a good idea. I mean you’re back to where you started, except for Lyla. You don’t want to fight for her? Didn’t it piss you off? You’re not showing me much emotion here, and that worries me.”
I press the heel of my hand to my aching forehead. “I wanted to storm into that bar and kick his ass.” My voice is strained.
“Why didn’t you?”
“Because no matter how deeply I feel for her, I don’t want someone that isn’t honest.”
“Is it possible you read the situation wrong?”
“You didn’t see the way he looked at her or vice versa. Her body language spoke volumes.”
“I’m truly sorry, Jameson. It was good to see you making such progress. Don’t let it stop you from trying again.”
“I want to thank you for helping me get through this past year.” I stick out my hand.
“You know my number if you need anything.”
“Thanks, Doc. I’ve got something I need to go deal with at home.”
I know from the last voicemail, based on the timing of her flight and the length of time since the last call, that Reese’s plane has landed and she’ll be headed in my direction. Racing home, I place her bag with the few things she’s left here by the door. I’m determined to make this as quick and painless as possible.
The tires of her Yukon crunch over the root of a tree when she parks off to the side of the house. Closing my eyes and pressing my forehead to the door, I take a deep breath before I open it. Picking up her bag, I carry it onto the porch.
She tugs her sunglasses off as she bounces up the stairs. “I’ve been calling you. Did you lose your phone?” She stops when she sees her suitcase. “What’s this?”
“This isn’t working for me.” I clench my teeth.
“I don’t understand. That last time we talked on the phone, you said you loved me and now this?” Her eyes glass over with tears.
I’m still hurt and angry, but seeing her, all I want to do is hold her. I briefly close my eyes, and a vision of her in New York at that bar with him reminds me why I’m doing this. “I’m sorry I thought I was ready, but I’m not.”
She steps up close to me. “I don’t believe you. Something happened.”
I turn my head when she reaches out to touch my face, and she gasps. “What, please tell me?” Tears cascade down her cheeks.
How does she do it? She seems so sincere about her feelings for me. “I need time.”
“For what? To sit around here and drink to forget. I’m right in front of you, Jameson. Please don’t push me away.”
“I can’t. You’re a distraction for me. I need to focus on the studio.”
She picks up her bag. “I’ll never measure up to her. You’ll never see me, always Lyla. You’re a coward for not telling me what’s really going on here.”
She’s right; I am. I want nothing more than to scream at her to tell her how wrong she is. Lyla would never have cheated on me. I bite my tongue and let her go. I don’t want to hear her excuses. I don’t have the energy for them.
As she walks down the steps, she looks over her shoulder with tears streaming down. “I love you, Jameson, but I won’t wait around for you to figure your shit out. I need a man who
loves me for me.”
You had that, but from my perspective, it wasn’t enough for you.
Chapter 14
“Jameson Wilde?” The glass front door to the studio rattles when someone pounds on it. I came in early to catch up on paperwork; it’s only noon, and I don’t have a client coming in until later today.
Pushing back from my desk, I get up and walk into the hallway. Aubrey’s fist hits the door again. “Jameson, I know you’re in there. I saw your car parked out front!”
“What are you doing here?” I ask her, unlocking the door.
“I want to know what the hell happened?” She storms inside.
“What are you talking about?”
She points her finger in my face. “You and Reese. She’s been marching around the office grumbling at everyone since she got back over a week ago.”
I turn and slide the lock on the door. “You could’ve called and saved yourself a trip.” I walk by her, back into my office.
“I know it has something to do with you because she curses your name every time it’s mentioned.” She follows me.
“This is not something I want to discuss with you.” The chair rolls when I sit in it.
She squats down in front of me. “I’m worried about you.”
“There’s nothing to be concerned about. I’m fine.”
“Have you been drinking?”
“Not a drop.”
“We’re friends, you can tell me what happened.” Her eyes are no longer throwing darts in my direction. They’re filled with compassion.
“I’ll tell you, but I swear to god, if you even remotely tell her, our friendship is done.”
She stands and sits on the edge of my desk. “I promise I won’t say a word to her. Your friendship means too much to me.”
“I stopped in Nashville to let Lyla go.” I look down at my hands.
“That’s great. I wish you wouldn’t have gone alone. I would’ve made the trip, but what does that have to do with Reese?”
“I was on my way to New York to surprise her with tickets to a Broadway show.”