I try to blink the tears away, embarrassed by the emotion. But Walker kisses the corners of my eyes while he moves inside of me like he knows what this is doing to me. It’s a small act, but it feels profound in its meaning.
Together, our breathing quickens until I can’t hold back any longer. My orgasm crashes through me, every nerve sparking, every thought consumed by him. It’s not just pleasure; it’s everything we’ve survived, everything he makes me feel, breaking me open and stitching me back together, all at once.
Chapter Twenty-Four
Walker
Ineed to tell her or end it now. I’ve already royally fucked up by letting it get this far. I don’t know how I thought there would be anything casual between Jessie and me. Because she is the air to my lungs. Being without her is like suffocating. But this secret is like pollution to our world. It’s constantly sneaking around and threatening to destroy us.
Eli is now nine weeks old. Jessie has been in my life regularly for over a month, and everything I thought I knew about myself and my future has been blown to smithereens. As I try to put the pieces back in place, I find they no longer fit where they once did.
She’s coming over tonight after work. I have to decide by this weekend. It’s an impossible decision.
Bradly appears in my office with a strange look on his face.
“What’s going on, Bradly?” I ask from my chair behind my desk.
He closes the door and walks in closer, taking a seat in front of me. “Just overheard Pierce talking to some associates in the break room.”
I roll my eyes. I’ve successfully dodged him the last couple of weeks. I refuse to go into the break room where he frequents. Call it being a sore loser, but the thought of hearing about the case makes my head hurt. Or how he’ll definitely become a majority partner after this case if he wins. I’m sure all he wants to do is continue to rub the possibility in my face.
“Being a prick, I’m sure,” I add.
He smiles and nods. “Always. He was talking about you. Saying he’s noticed you’ve been leaving work at five p.m. for weeks now. Thinks you’re no longer putting in the time you should as a partner at the firm.”
My jaw muscles bunch and twitch with restrained fury. “The man has some nerve, letting my name fall from his dry, crusty lips.”
“Are you going to talk to him about it?”
My voice drops low, my words clipped. “I’ll deal with him. Thanks for letting me know.”
“No problem, boss.”
Bradly gets up and leaves me to stew in my office, my mind churning with all the ways I’d like to wipe that smug look off Pierce’s face. The man thrives on playing dirty, and humility has never crossed his path.
Instead of leaving the office with excitement to see Jessie and Eli, I have the weight of Pierce’s words hanging over me. They crush down on me like my father’s look of disappointment, knowing I let the opportunity slip through my hands.
When I walk into my place, I am short and quiet with Mrs. M. She tells me about Eli’s day and then pats my shoulder and offers a smile. She can sense I’ve had a bad day.
“Go cuddle your daughter,” she says on her way out. “It’ll make everything better.”
Once the door is closed, I rid myself of my jacket and tie, then walk over to Eli, who appears to be happy in her swing. I turn off the music and motion, then unbuckle her, scooping her up into my arms. Her head rests just under my chin, and I take in the smell of her innocence.
Innocence the world hasn’t trampled over yet. I squeeze her a little tighter at the thought of her losing it one day.
An hour later, while Eli and I are snuggling on the couch, Jessie walks in the door. She still has a key from the first week she stayed with me to help. I like knowing she feels so comfortable that she still uses it.
Yet another reason why I know the clock is ticking on my decision.
Her bright smile, the one that used to light me up inside, now cuts both ways. I want to hold on to it forever, but all I can think about is how many more of those smiles I’ll get before the truth rips it away.
“Aw, look at you two,” she says adoringly, then leans down and kisses me on the lips, then gives a sleeping Eli a kiss on her cheek. “How was your day?”
“Fine,” I reply as I stand up and gently place Eli back in her swing.
“Oof.” Jessie wraps her arms around my chest. “That doesn’t sound so good. Wanna talk about it?”
“Not really.” I rub her arms and kiss her lips. “I just want to enjoy a glass of wine and some dinner with you.”
