Jack watched as his brother stayed standing in front of him. He wondered if his brother was going to say anything more about it but was glad when he shrugged his shoulders and walked away too.
He couldn’t understand why everyone was so quick to judge him when he was just doing what he felt was right. He had seen how people had acted when he had first decided to make the change to his lifestyle. They had all taken it so well, acting proud of him for doing something good with his life, but it seemed that, now that things were finally going right for him, people were even more quick to judge him than they had been when he was a playboy.
Jack turned his attention back to his work as he tried to rid his mind of their judgmental comments. He had more important things to worry about and he wasn’t going to let anyone stop him from doing what he thought was right for himself. He went about the rest of his day, somewhat distracted from his work by the morning’s conversation, but still making sure that he got everything done. He wanted to get home to Danielle so he could feel at peace again. He hadn’t planned on telling anyone that he was thinking about marrying Danielle, and he now wished he hadn’t. He wasn’t going to ask her to marry him tomorrow, but he thought that in a few months, or maybe even a year, he would make that part of his dream come true. He wanted to settle down and have a family before he got too old, and maybe before they had children, they could travel. Jack had a lot of ideas for the life he wanted regardless of what anyone else said.
When the day came to a close, he started to pack up his things, and Jake matched his stride as they both headed for the elevator. “Do you want to go out for a drink? Maybe we can chat,” Jake asked.
“Oh, no. Thanks though, but Danielle took the night off so we’re going out for dinner,” Jack replied.
“Right, maybe another time then,” Jake said before looking straight at the elevator doors.
“Do you have a problem?” Jack shot back impatiently.
“No, no. Sorry, I just wanted to spend time with my brother is all,” Jake said casually.
“You do realize that I’m not dying? I’m just having a night in with my girlfriend,” Jack answered sternly. He was tired of his brother's judgmental comments. “Don’t forget that you went missing for years when you first met Elizabeth.”
“Yeah, and I regretted it, so I’m just concerned that you’ll regret it too,” Jake said as he turned to face his brother.
“I won’t regret it because, unlike you, I met the right person. Besides, I see you every day in the office. You can easily talk to me as much as you’d like then,” Jack added.
“It’s not the same. The office is for work, and even when I do talk to you, all you talk about is Danielle,” Jake accused, rolling his eyes and pissing Jack off even more.
“I love her. Don’t you get it?” Jack roared. “This is the first time in my life I’ve truly loved another person that wasn’t blood-related to me. Don’t you understand what a big deal that is to me? You’re all sitting there judging me for acting the way I am and talking the way I am, but you forget that I’ve never loved a woman before. This is all new to me, and right now it’s all I can think about.” When he'd finished his rant, Jack stood there and huffed. He'd lost his breath halfway through trying to get his point across.
His brother stood there in silence for a moment as he looked at Jack. “You’ve never loved a woman?” Jake asked after the shock had worn off.
“No, man. That’s why this is so important to me. I don’t want to mess it up,” Jack said as he rubbed his face.
“Oh, man. I didn’t even realize. I feel like such an idiot,” Jake replied as he blew out a heavy breath.
“You are an idiot. We’re still brothers even if we both have girlfriends. Right now though, I want to spend as much time with her as I possibly can. Who knows what the future holds?” As Jack finished his sentence, the elevator opened onto the ground floor and they both stepped off.
“I get it, man. I’m sorry I’ve been so weird about it,” Jake apologized as he quickly hugged his brother. “I want you to be happy, I guess I was just being overprotective. I don’t want to see you hurt like I was.”
“I’m honestly better than I’ve ever been. There's nothing to worry about,” Jack assured with a smile.
“Alright, but let’s take a raincheck on that drink?” Jake asked as he started to walk towards his car parked on the other side of the street.
“Deal!” Jack called with a wave before heading off to his own car. As he made his way home, he reflected on the past couple months. He had never expected to find himself thinking about marriage so soon into a relationship, but when he was with Danielle he felt like the best version of himself. Driving home to see the love of his life, Jack turned the radio up, singing along and envisioning the life he and Danielle would build together. This, he realized, is what it’s like to be truly happy.
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Conflicted Affection by Denean Dawson
About the Author
Do you like to escape?
From what, you ask? How about life, kids, work, the never ending to do list, or whatever is getting in the way of relaxing today?! Who doesn't love that hour or two or three (right!) where your special reading spot beckons to you to settle in with your favorite comfy outfit and disappear into a digital or paper world that takes you away from it all?
If so, welcome to the club!
If you like fun, sexy stories with a happily ever after, you've come to the right place.
Travel is Denean's passion and inspiration. Domestic travel, international travel, long weekends, months at a time, lots of luggage, or a single backpack. The world is filled with unique people, incredible landscapes, and a mountain of opportunities to experience something new. It's the perfect canvas for creating characters, storylines, and settings, or envisioning the perfect ones, to share with her readers.
So, come escape with her!
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Table of Contents
Chapter One, A Change of Heart
Chapter Two, Welcome Home
Chapter Three, Jack’s on the Job
Chapter Four, A Family Affair
Chapter Five, Meet Cute
Chapter Six, A Pleasant Surprise
Chapter Seven, Everything Happens for A Reason
Chapter Eight, Happy Family
Chapter Nine, First Dates
Chapter Ten, Stars Are Aligning
Chapter Eleven, Closer Than Ever
Chapter Twelve, I Love You’s
Chapter Thirteen, Meeting the Family
Chapter Fourteen, Anything for Danielle
Chapter Fifteen, Forever Girl
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About the Author
Passion For Change (Jamyson Brothers Madison Heights Book 2) Page 10