His eyes cut to me, and then he shook his head. He clearly hadn’t told this story in a while. “Anyway, long story short, my father died. Left with nothing but his disappointment, I took over the company and moved back to Lubbock. There wasn’t another option since Austin was still in college. Landon, as you know, was about to graduate high school. The board needed someone they could trust. They got me. Vanessa stayed in New York. She was…modeling part-time, and things were looking up. We got married that summer. She started modeling full-time, and Marc got my full-time job at the architectural company.”
I covered my mouth. I felt like I was watching a train wreck without knowing how to stop it.
“Wright did as much business in New York as I wanted. I could have flown there every weekend to see Vanessa, but I didn’t. I was engrossed in work and still grieving.”
“But it wasn’t enough for Vanessa,” I whispered.
His eyes were far away. “Never could have been. Then she ended up in Marc’s bed.”
I sighed heavily and leaned into him, wrapping my arms around him. “That’s not your fault.”
“No, it’s not. It took many years of therapy to realize that it was entirely her fault. She was the one who found solace with Marc. She was the one who could have stopped the whole thing, but she hadn’t. She’d wanted the visionary she had fallen in love with…but I wasn’t that man anymore. So, she’d settled for Marc in the meantime. Second best.”
“Everyone is second best to you.”
Jensen had a sad, lost look on his face. “Thanks.”
“So…why is Marc so bitter when he was the one who did wrong?”
“To him, I ruined his life.”
“That’s ridiculous.”
“It is. I understand it from his perspective though. He was always in love or obsessed with Vanessa. Whatever the case was, he finally had her, and then she left him again for me. I got the girl. He ended up having to take over his father’s company. And, now, I’ve taken that, too. He’s bitter. But I don’t, no, I can’t sympathize with him. He might find it convenient to blame me, but he’s the bastard who did this.”
“And you shouldn’t sympathize with him. I didn’t, and I didn’t even know the circumstances. I’m glad I snapped at him.”
“God, you’re amazing,” Jensen said. “The way you handled dinner, it was brilliant.”
His hands were back on my legs and moving up to my hips. He crawled forward over me, and I fell back onto the sofa. A smile teased at my lips. I loved the way he adored me like this. When his eyes were only on me and all those skeletons were shoved back in his closet, he was just a sexy, confident man, unhindered by his past and ready to devour me.
“You think so?” I whispered.
“Know so, love.”
He pressed his lips to mine, and I forgot all about our night and deep discussions. I kissed him harder, held him more possessively. I wanted and needed more. This was our first time together since we’d become official, and in the past day, so much had happened to move our relationship forward that I couldn’t seem to get enough of him.
We stood up, and I tore his suit jacket off and removed the rest of his layers in a hurry. I cared so little about the expensive designer suit he was wearing, only wanting the birthday suit underneath. My dress was hastily discarded.
He shoved me up against the wall and then fell to his knees to drag my thong off with his teeth.
I groaned and dropped my head back as he kissed and licked his way back up until he was between my legs. My body was on fire. I couldn’t fathom how I had ever said no. All I wanted to do was scream yes over and over again.
Jensen obliged.
He hooked one leg over his shoulder and then sucked on my clit until I was dripping wet. Only then did he finger-fuck my pussy until I came on his face. My legs were shaking from exertion, but Jensen didn’t even hesitate. He stood, hoisted my legs up around his waist, and then thrust into me in one easy swoop. He braced himself against the wall, and bounced me up and down on his dick at a bruising, rough pace that I matched stroke for stroke. It was only minutes before my legs were trembling again, and my entire body exploded.
Jensen lifted me off the wall, and we both tumbled down onto the floor. He pounded into me a few more times with my hands raised over my head. My breath was coming out in pants. I didn’t think it was possible that I could come again. But Jensen was so close, and feverish desire in his eyes practically pushed me over the edge a third time. His body sleek and rippled, he came with me, toppling onto me.
We lay there, heaving, for endless seconds before Jensen slid out of me and rolled over onto the floor.
“I can feel my heartbeat,” I whispered. “Feel it.” I took his hand and pressed it against my lower abdomen.
“You’re welcome,” he said throatily.
I laughed and then leaned over and kissed him. “Now, he has manners.”
“Didn’t seem like you minded.”
“Not one bit.”
“Good. Then, maybe you’ll be up for round two?” he asked with an arched eyebrow.
“Oh God,” I said with a laugh. “Let me recover first.”
He leaned up on his elbow as I stood up to pad to the bathroom. He smacked my ass as I passed him. “How about we use that Jacuzzi for recovery?”
I glanced back at him from under my thick black lashes. “Why do I have a feeling that you’ll make that sexual, too, Mr. Wright?”
“Everything about you is sexual, Miss Robinson.” He grinned devilishly, flashing me those irresistible dimples. “And I intend to take full advantage of you being naked in my hotel room.”
I seductively shook my hips as I walked away. “Guess I’ll turn the jets on and get started myself then.”
His gaze told me that he was thinking every dirty thought in the book. And I did not regret it one bit when he joined me in the tub and used those jets in all the best ways.
We rose late the next day, and I finally got to give Jensen the tour of Austin I’d wanted all along. It wasn’t as spectacular as I would have wanted since we were short on time. But he didn’t seem to mind when I dragged him back to the hotel, before and after dinner, to use that Jacuzzi again. The feel of those jets combined with his fingers sent me over the edge faster than I’d thought possible. It was even better when he bent me over the side. I could have stayed in that bathtub all day and night.
With all the revelations that had been shared and meeting the people who had been deeply involved in our lives, I felt closer to Jensen than ever. I’d walked into this whole thing, imagining one night of hot sex. Maybe a date after that. Then, our connection had been off the charts. Now, I couldn’t get enough of him—physically, mentally, and emotionally. Spending three days with him, almost one hundred percent of the time, had not irritated me once.
If we didn’t have to get back to town for work, I would have encouraged him to stay longer. I was reluctant to go home.
Jensen could sense it in me, but I thought he must have felt it, too, because he never commented on it.
After our short plane ride, Jensen drove us back to his place.
I wanted to get back to Kimber and see how she was doing with the pregnancy. She was getting pretty close now. Plus, I definitely needed some Heidi time to fill her in on my weekend. But I also wasn’t ready to say good-bye to Jensen yet. I wanted to discover if he had a Jacuzzi as well. I just wanted…to spend more time with him.
As soon as we parked, I hopped out of the car and raced around to his side. He pulled me into his arms and ducked down to give me a firm kiss.
“God, I’m going to miss you,” I whispered.
“Don’t miss me. Stay here.”
I rolled my eyes. “I can’t stay here.”
“Stay here every night you like. I sleep better when I’m with you.”
“We have not been sleeping at night,” I countered.
“Exactly.”
He slid a hand around my waist and drew me toward the front
door. We breached the entrance, my laughter filling the foyer. My gaze was still locked on Jensen’s face when he stilled completely. His smile disappeared.
My head snapped to the side, and my stomach dropped. “Landon…”
Chapter 22
Jensen
“What the fuck is going on?” Landon asked.
Oh, fuck!
Fuck!
“Landon, man”—I casually disentangled myself from Emery as she was hastily doing the same, looking shell-shocked—“you’re back.”
I’d been meaning to tell Landon about Emery so he wouldn’t hear it from someone else first. I had known he was coming back for Christmas. But I’d thought I still had a few days. I’d wanted to make sure things were official with Emery before bringing it up with Landon. Now…he was here.
“Cut the shit, Jensen. Just answer the question. What is happening right here?”
Landon pointed between the two of us, but neither of us said a word. We just stared forward at Landon, as if he might be an apparition that would disappear at any moment.
“I meant to tell you—”
“Tell me what?” His posture was stiff. His eyes kept shifting between the pair of us, as if he were trying to decipher a particularly difficult code. “Are you two…together?”
“Yes,” Emery said, regaining her voice, “we’re together.”
Landon’s eyes moved, as if he were watching tennis. “I was only gone a couple of weeks. I don’t understand how this could have happened…and why I was never informed that this was fucking happening.” He shook his head and then glanced away from us.
“Where’s Miranda?” I asked him to try to move the discussion into safer territory. “Did she come in with you?”
“Are you kidding me? After the fit she had when she found out that Emery was still here, you think she’d have let me fly back alone?” he ground out.
“So…she’s here?” I asked warily. I did not want Emery to be here if Miranda was at my house. That was a recipe for disaster.
“She’s out shopping. Fuck, could you imagine if she was here?” Landon ran a hand back through his hair and then glared at me. “Could you fucking imagine? I came back at your request, and you didn’t even tell me about Emery? Is this what you wanted?”
“No,” I said. It had been my request. I hadn’t wanted Landon to miss Christmas with his family. I’d wanted him here because he was my brother, and I loved him. Now, he was pissed off, and I didn’t know how to fix this. But I would have to. “I wanted to tell you in advance about Emery so we could talk about this like men and not just get pissed off at each other.”
Landon looked like he wanted to tell me to fuck off.
“You know, I should go,” Emery said. She took a step back toward the door. “It’s been a long weekend.”
I turned to face her and wondered what she must be feeling. We’d both been anxious about telling Landon that we were dating, because the whole situation felt out of our hands. I didn’t want to piss off Landon. He and Emery might have dated almost a decade ago, but it was tricky dealing with someone else’s past relationship.
“Are you sure?” I asked.
“Yeah. Um…I should go see my sister. Check in, you know.”
“All right. I’ll call you later.”
“Yeah, sure.” She didn’t even lean in for a kiss. Just gave a half-wave and then was gone, out the front door, leaving me all alone with my pissed off brother.
“So, you’re fucking my ex-girlfriend now?” Landon asked. There was fury in his voice. It was something I hadn’t heard from Landon in a long time. Not since Dad had died.
“It’s not like that.”
“What is it like exactly? Gave up on messing around with every girl you came across when you were out of town and decided to dick around with all those in town, too?”
I ground my teeth and felt the hair rise on the back of my neck. Landon was looking for a fight, but I wouldn’t oblige him.
“I don’t want to fight with you,” I said finally.
“Well, you don’t get to make that choice, Jensen. You walked in here with Emery Robinson. We’d dated for two years. You knew her when we were in high school, Jensen.”
“I didn’t know her then, and like you, I didn’t even recognize her at first.”
“Like me?”
“At the wedding,” I bit out.
Landon’s face ignited, and he rushed toward me, shoving me backward. “You met her at Sutton’s wedding? You’ve known who she is this whole time and didn’t say anything?”
“Yes, all right? Yes. I’ve known who she was since that next morning. You were the one who told me that she was leaving town after a couple of days.”
“That wasn’t an invitation to go and fuck her!”
“I didn’t take it as one!” I yelled back. “I was going to leave her alone, but then we kept running into each other. I’ve fallen for her, Landon. I have.”
“For now,” Landon said under his breath. “What happens when you’re tired of her? We all know you bore easily. You can fool her with whatever you’re doing, but I know your reputation.”
“Emery does not compare to any other girl I’ve been with,” I growled. “Comparing Emery to any of my flings is an insult to her.”
“Or is it just an insult to you?”
There were a million things I could throw back at him—namely, his horrible wife—but I knew that wouldn’t get me anywhere. I needed him to understand.
“I should have told you.”
“You said that already.”
“I was planning to tell you before Christmas. But I wanted to make sure this was a real thing. I didn’t want you to find out this way.”
“Whatever, Jensen. Just admit it. It’s not that you didn’t want me to find out this way. It’s that you didn’t want me to find out at all. Everyone else in the family can fuck up, and you solve their problems, but you can’t solve your own.” Landon sneered at me and crossed his arms. “You just hide them.”
“That’s not what I was going to do. I care for Emery. I wanted to make things right. This isn’t a joke to me. And why are you so pissed off anyway? You’re married.” I reminded him. “By the way you’re acting, I’d think you still had feelings for Emery.”
“Fuck off, Jensen,” Landon said. He turned away from me and paced toward the door.
He twitched his hand toward the handle but stopped when I began to speak, “The breakup was ten years ago, Landon. This is all harsh for someone you’ve barely spoken to since high school.”
He whipped around to glare at me. “You don’t know anything.”
I bit out a laugh, harsh and low. “You went to different colleges. You were going different directions. A lot of couples break up for those reasons.”
“If you believe that is what happened, then you don’t know Emery.”
I tilted my head in confusion. Ten years ago, that was exactly what Landon had said about Emery. I remembered it because he had told me after our father’s funeral. They’d broken up shortly after that. I hadn’t ever suspected there was more to the story.
“And you’re smarter than this, Jensen,” Landon said. “You know that you don’t want to bring her into your mess.”
“She already knows.”
“Everything?” Landon prodded.
“Not everything,” I said slowly. “It’s only been a couple weeks. I’m trying to ease her into my life.”
“You better tell her, Jensen or I will.”
“Don’t threaten me, Landon.”
“Fuck! You know I won’t tell her. Though I should,” he said with a glare. “Emery is a good, kind, and genuine person. She’s too good for you.”
With that, Landon wrenched open the door, leaving me standing there in shock. I stared at his retreating form until he disappeared completely.
How had that all gone so completely fucking wrong?
Chapter 23
Emery
After checking on my sister
, I hurried over to Flips to meet Heidi. Peter was working the bar when I entered. He waved distractedly as he poured out beers for a few guys.
“Heidi here?” I asked.
“Pool table.”
“Of course. Should have known.”
I grabbed two tequila shots from Peter and then brought them to the back. Heidi was running the table, but it was a slow night, so she wasn’t hustling anyone…yet.
“Shot?” I asked.
“God, yes,” Heidi said.
We tossed back the alcohol, letting it course through our veins and make our minds all fuzzy. I needed a good fuzzy mind after the day I’d had.
“Good to have you back, baby,” she said, winking at me. “Now, tell me all about your Wright brother. Is he the right brother?” Heidi cackled, as if her joke were hilarious.
“How many drinks did you have before this?”
Heidi innocently fluttered her eyelashes at me. “More than one.”
“Whore.”
“I didn’t know you were back yet! And Julia is in Ohio or wherever she’s from. Somewhere cold and snowy.”
“It’s cold and snowy here.”
“Yeah, sometimes. But not today!”
“No, not today. But snow is on the forecast for forty-eight of the fifty states next week. Everywhere is cold, except for Florida and Hawaii.”
Heidi sighed. “If only. Now, tell me about your sexy weekend. There were sexy times, right?”
“Yes,” I conceded. “We ran into my ex-boyfriend, and Jensen bought a million-dollar company from a man who his ex-wife cheated on him with. Then, when we came home, Landon was waiting for us at Jensen’s house.”
Heidi blinked twice and then burst into laughter. She dropped the pool cue onto the table and then doubled over. “Oh my God,” she cried. “Oh, phew! Wow!”
“What the hell are you laughing about?”
“Did you not hear how ridiculous you sounded?” Heidi asked. She swiped at her eyes.
“I just told you what happened!”
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