by Ella Brooke
“It’s not a question. I will be back,” James said again.
“About those pictures Arlon sent,” she said, her voice uncertain. “Did you…? What did you think when you saw them? Who were they of?”
Unconsciously, James released her. She stepped back and looked up at him. James pulled his phone out of his pocket and pulled up the picture to show her. When she looked, though, her expression didn’t change. It wasn’t a shock to her of any kind, and James didn’t know what that meant.
“What did you think?” she asked again.
“I wondered.”
“What?”
“If Jonah were really mine. I wondered if you’d been with this man while you were with me, or right after.” James put his phone back in his pocket. “I didn’t want to show you this. It was ugly of Arlon to show me that picture, to try this.”
“Would it matter?” she asked.
James’s world tilted to the side. Vanessa was looking somewhere past him, not at him, and her expression was hard.
“Is Jonah the reason you want to get back together?” she pressed. “If he weren’t yours, would you still want me?”
James had the urge to shake her, and before he could even consider his answer, he exploded, “Of course I would still want you! Vanessa, I love you! If you’d cheated on me, I’d be angry, if you found someone else, I’d be hurt, but I’d forgive you all of those things as long as we could be together.”
She met his eye, holding her hands in front of her anxiously.
“I love Jonah, too,” he admitted. “But if I’m going to go up against my family, they will find out if he isn’t mine, and I need to be properly armed.”
Vanessa gave a slow shake of her head before saying, “He’s yours, Jamie. I thought it was so obvious. I thought you’d figured it out the moment you saw him.”
Relief washed over James so powerfully, he felt his knees nearly buckle. “I did. That night anyway. You lunatic! Why wouldn’t you just say so?”
“I had to know how you really felt,” she argued. “And you had to know that, too. You had to at least consider it. The stakes are high, here. Your family’s resistance, long distance, my son’s emotional health, it all matters. And it’ll be hard.” She rubbed her arms and shook herself, like she had gotten a chill. “We can do a DNA test, if you want the hard evidence. Or you can just look at him. He looks just like you.”
“He’s much cuter than I was at that age.” James pulled her to him again and squeezed tightly. “You are a nut.”
“I don’t mean to be.”
“I’m hoping he gets your talent along with your eyes, and maybe your sense of logic, but not this weird streak.”
Vanessa smacked his arm hard, but then rested her head on him again. “Okay, I agree. I’m crazy. You make me a little crazy.”
“Same, sweetheart.”
“He’s gay, by the way.”
James raised a brow.
“The guy in the picture Arlon sent you. He was my roommate. And he’s gay.” Vanessa sighed heavily. “And I did date someone a little over a year ago, and he was… not a good guy.”
“You don’t have to confess to me. It’s my brother going to church, not us.” James kissed the top of her head. “Now. Our food is probably congealing by now.”
“Our limeade’s getting watery.”
On a whim, James lifted her up, causing her to squeak in surprise. He grinned, carrying her to the island in the kitchen and set her on the counter. She reached over him for her wine.
“It’s been quite the week,” she said.
“Food first.” James held a tater tot up to her mouth.
She ate it. “It’s delicious, but this barely counts as food.”
“Then eat your chicken wrap.” He leaned against the counter and unwrapped his burger.
“Bossy.”
They ate in silence for a few minutes. James caught his eyes drifting to her bare thighs, exposed under his shirt, a long navy Henley. Sitting there, hair messed from their blow up a moment ago, in his shirt, with mayo on her lip, she was still perfect. He leaned in and kissed her, licking the mayonnaise off. When she looked at him questioningly, he grinned.
“You had something on your lip.”
“Oh?” She took another big, messy bite.
“You’re out of control, now,” he teased.
Cupping both sides of her face, he kissed her deeply, first sucking in her lower lip, and then slipping his tongue inside when her mouth opened in a gasp. His hand squeezed against her thigh, and she leaned into his kiss as she guided his hand closer and closer to the edge of her shirt. His crotch throbbed in anticipation, and he grunted softly as his fingertips brushed the front of her soft, cotton panties.
They were dry, but he would soon change that. From her clear invitation, he felt emboldened to rub the front gently, first on the top, then down along the sides. She began to squirm against him, her hips quivering with each stroke. A smirk teased across his lips as his plan bloomed in his mind. His free hand snuck up her shirt, unhooking her bra, before moving in to cup and rub one full breast. They were bigger than he remembered, but just as sensitive, and he was careful to administer his touches gently but purposefully.
He moved his hands to her hips and pulled her forward slightly. She leaned back on her elbows as he slid her panties down and tossed them on the floor.
“Jamie!” she gasped.
Leaning forward so their faces were still close, James slipped a finger inside her and began to work it deep against her g-spot.
“I’ve truly missed the sounds you make when you’re so happy,” James said. He put his hand on one knee and spread it wider as he knelt down.
There she was before him, in all her glory. His fingers were already buried in her folds, and he moved his thumb up to rub the top of her mound before he dove in face first. A move like this took stamina, but he loved the shuddery sigh she gave as his tongue teased and devoured her. Her hand clenched his shoulder, but he only grabbed it, interlocking their fingers and letting her squeeze him tight.
As his tongue went to work, he moved his fingers over the soft flesh on her right side, which she seemed to favor. Her hips were pulling up now, unable to hold still while being so aroused. He slipped two fingers back inside her and thrust them in and out as he moved up to pay intimate attention to the main event, that glorious little nub crowning the excited flesh between her legs. The rest, well, it began as a soft quake. Gasps came out of her louder and louder, until she was crying his name and jerking tight. James kept going, licking, stroking, thrusting, until Vanessa lay back on the counter and waved him off.
He was sure his expression looked a little too self-assured, but he didn’t care. Her eyes were closed, and the back of her forearm pressed against her head. It had been too long for her. He could tell.
When she recovered, she slipped her bra off the rest of the way and scooted up to him. He nuzzled her nose.
“You have the sitter, right? Stay the night,” he urged.
“Okay.”
How much sleep they would get that night would remain to be seen, but James would make the most of these stolen moments they had, no matter what.
Chapter Eleven
Vanessa
“Keep your eyes closed,” James ordered.
“I am, I am.” Vanessa shook her head and put her hands over her eyes.
“You’ve gotta tell me if she peeks,” James told Jonah.
“Okay!” Jonah hugged Vanessa’s leg and patted it with one hand. “No peeking!”
“You’ve been doing pretty well with the surprises so far, but I wouldn’t push it,” she told James as he guided her forward. “Oh!”
“Careful.”
“How can I be careful if I can’t look?”
“Morning, Mr. Agosti,” someone said. A man, probably older, but Vanessa couldn’t tell.
“Morning, Horace.” James kept his arm around her and they took a few more steps and then turned around in place
.
“Wait, what?” She grabbed onto him as the floor began to move, and she realized she was in an elevator. They hadn’t let her look for the whole car ride, or on the sidewalk, and now she was being spirited up an elevator. “Are we going to your hotel suite?”
“You’ll see.”
“Promise?”
“Shush.”
Jonah giggled.
When the elevator doors opened, James let go. “Okay. Now.”
Vanessa opened her eyes to a penthouse apartment. There were dark wooden floors and a brick accent on the outer wall where three large windows were situated. On the far side, there was a fireplace, currently unlit, with wooden bookshelves built into the walls. As Vanessa stepped in, it was hard to believe an apartment like this existed in New York City. She could see stairs going up, probably to the roof, and from the elevator ride, she assumed they must be at the top.
“Is this yours? Your new apartment?” Vanessa asked.
“Partially. I thought it would be good for me to have a place to stay when I’m in the city. And for you…” James caught her eye. “You and Jonah can stay here the rest of the time.”
“What? Jamie, I can’t afford—”
“It’s paid for. It’s ours already.”
Vanessa gaped. “You bought an apartment in the city?” She went to the window. “In Manhattan?”
“It’s a great neighborhood.” James came up to her side. “You can walk to the store, it’s very safe, for New York. You’ll have to commute a little farther to the bakery, but it’s actually about as far from Jonah’s school as your old place.”
Vanessa stared at him as though he’d lost his mind. Which he clearly had. “Why are you doing this?”
“Because whatever you’re paying for your apartment is too much, and I’ve not helped at all for the past five years. You’re due something. The best I can give you is the feeling that you don’t have to pay rent every month.” James shrugged. “You can still work, and live your life, but it’ll be easier, won’t it? And Jonah can have his own room.”
“I can?” Jonah said.
James held out his hand. “How about I show you which room is yours?”
“Yes!” Jonah started to dash off. “Can I, Mommy?”
“Yeah, go ahead.” Vanessa pinched her mouth closed as she looked over the place. The ceilings were high, and the wood around them real. It was beautiful.
“Check out the kitchen while we’re gone, hm?” James suggested.
She was going to smack him. But she did look for the kitchen. By general standards, it was still small, but by the standard of her last place, which could barely accommodate her moving around and trying to cook, it was wonderful. The countertops were beige marble and the overhead cabinets had glass windows. The small amount of storage available was still miles better than what she had, and the stove and refrigerator looked new.
“Mommy! Mommy! Come look!”
Vanessa hurried out to where Jonah was hopping up and down at the bottom of the stairs.
“Careful,” James said. “I don’t want to see you on these stairs without your mom.”
Jonah nodded energetically, then took Vanessa’s hand as they ascended the staircase. It came up into a bright room with cream colored walls, and two glass doors, framed in wood, that led out to a rooftop terrace.
“God, there’s so much space. What in the world would I do with it all?” Vanessa muttered.
James opened the door to the terrace. “Keep the place warm for me.”
Vanessa shook her head slowly as she walked out onto the patio. The stonework beneath their feet and along the edge of the roof was light, in white and pale blue and gray. It would be a gorgeous space to work or have a meal with Jonah and James. Maybe just sit and read. She walked up to the edge, and from there she could see the people milling around below, and a park nearby. This really was the perfect little place.
“Jamie, I can’t—”
James came up behind her and wrapped his arms around her waist. “You can, though. Can’t you? At least try it, while I’m gone, and let me know if it’s good enough for us.”
Vanessa felt tears beginning to sting her eyes.
“I wish you could just come with me,” he muttered. “Then we could have this place whenever we came back to New York.”
“I don’t know if I could just leave,” Vanessa admitted. “I’d like to visit, but…”
“I’d be working the entire time anyway.” James sighed. “So let me do this. I know it doesn’t make up for the time we’ve been apart, but you don’t have to suffer so much for your success. You can reinvest your money in the business, save it, or spend it on yourself. Please consider it.”
“It’s such a great apartment,” she muttered.
“Then take it,” James urged.
She scowled back at him. “You should’ve talked to me about this first!”
“I was in a bit of a rush to find a place. But I promise, if you decide this place isn’t good, we’ll go looking for the next one together.”
Vanessa didn’t know how true that was, but… it was hard to argue with him right now. If he left, she didn’t want him to leave angry. Maybe she should’ve fought him more about leaving. If it didn’t all feel so inevitable, she might have. Instead, he was offering her this amazing place to live, and the part of her that had struggled to make ends meet for most of her life couldn’t say no. She kissed James, then took Jonah back down to the main floor so he could show her the bedrooms.
Vanessa began to miss James from the moment they kissed goodbye. She felt the loss of him at her side even as his private jet was rising into the air. But she had to turn around and take Jonah to school, get back to the bakery, and get all the special orders going before organizing a few things at home in her lunch break. James had had to leave before they had officially moved into their new apartment, but he had set up a moving company for them.
All in all, Vanessa was grateful her week was going to be so frenzied. She would take on whatever she could to distract her from the fact that James wouldn’t be here. If she were lucky, they would be able to get one another on the phone or a video chat, but it wouldn’t be the same as having his arms around her, telling her it was okay. And left alone to think about it, part of Vanessa didn’t think he’d come back any time soon, and the apartment was his way of making sure she’d be okay in the long-term.
As she looked through her financial papers, she had to admit it was a relief. Even their tiny apartment cost most of what she made in a month. James had known she wouldn’t be able to refuse.
When she returned to work, Vanessa caught Anisa and the employees watching her out of the corner of their eyes, off and on, whenever they were in the back, until Vanessa emerged to the front of the house and stared them down.
“Um, yes, honey?” Anisa said.
“You guys need to cut it out,” she said. “I’m here. I’m working. I don’t need to be monitored.”
Candace shrugged. “It just seemed like this would be a rough day for you. Maybe you would want to take off, or something.”
“I don’t get time off,” Vanessa said. “James paid extra so the movers could get us situated on a Sunday morning.”
Granted, they would only be moving personal items, and leaving most of the furniture. James had elected to furnish parts of the apartment himself, with the excuse that he was picky about his mattresses. He had let Jonah pick out his own bedframe, though.
“That’s true, normally.” Anisa leaned on the counter. “But your boyfriend left the country this morning.”
“That doesn’t stop orders from coming in.”
“Maybe we should talk about hiring a second baker, then,” Anisa suggested. “I just don’t want you dropping dead of a heart attack before you’re thirty.”
“I won’t,” Vanessa promised. “I just want to keep my mind off of things. I can’t call him until tonight, in any case.”
“Then maybe I’ll try to drum up some extr
a business,” Anisa threatened.
Vanessa pumped her fist. “Bring it on!”
That evening when she was walking home, Vanessa stopped at the park bench with Jonah, pulled him close, and told him about the night she’d met James.
“Is he coming over tonight?” Jonah asked.
“No, sweetie, he’s out of town. It’ll be a few months before we see him.”
“Oh.”
“You know, I think I’m going to miss walking by this bench every day.” Vanessa looked down at it. Even in the fading light, she could see the paint flecking off of it. That day she’d met him, she had been wearing pigtails and jeans just this side of indecently threadbare. It was amazing that he’d looked her way at all.
Jonah patted the bench, like it had been a good bench, and deserved some recognition, and Vanessa got up with him and left it behind. She would have the apartment all around her to remember James, now. Maybe that had been part of the plan.
Just as they were approaching their building, Vanessa spotted a tall, dark-haired man standing out front and her heart nearly stopped. At first, she told herself it had to be someone else, but then she wanted it to be him so much that she half-convinced herself it could be no one else.
Then, she got a good look at him and pulled Jonah close.
“What are you doing here, Andre?” she demanded of her ex-boyfriend. She’d rarely, if ever, let him around Jonah, and it unnerved her for him to appear out of nowhere after all this time.
“I got a message that you wanted to see me.” Andre pushed his dark hair back, and his blue eyes flashed as he came toward them.
“I don’t,” she snapped. “You heard wrong. Besides, I’m with someone.”
“I don’t see anyone.” Andre stepped up to her and reached over to touch her hair. She smacked his hand away, and he laughed. “No need to be rude, babydoll.”
Vanessa’s cheeks burned with anger and humiliation. “Jonah, sweetie, go inside and go to Mrs. Weinstock’s apartment, okay?”
Jonah looked between them in confusion.
“Now, Jonah,” Vanessa ordered, and he went. “I told you to leave me alone.”