Lane
For the second time in a year, Bess had to call in for coverage at work because of me. I could tell she didn’t like doing it, but she also didn’t love the idea of leaving me either. Which I liked—a whole lot.
I got up the morning after my apology and our sleepless night of reconnecting, tugged on my Prada boots—I know, ridiculous—and let Brooks out. Taking in the country air didn’t provoke the same panic it once had. I was breathing easier now that the truth was out, at least with Bess and Jake.
Having it out with Jake had been my first step, coming clean over how gutted I’d been and hearing him take responsibility was the beginning. Admitting what happened in the past to Bess was another step, one that had me in knots the whole flight and car ride to her. But now that it was over, I didn’t feel the usual anxiety I had in the past over traveling back to the brisk fall weather.
Whistling for Brooks, a new panic set in. I had to leave. I was pretty sure that Bess might have passed my business as a priority, but that didn’t mean I could let everything go to shit. I had meetings scheduled and an office to run. Pulling out my phone, I e-mailed my assistant and asked her to push my schedule by a week.
I wanted to dump the whole damn thing and drop off the face of the earth with Bess, but somehow, I knew that wasn’t an option for either of us.
Walking back into the small house, I smelled coffee brewing.
“Bess, want me to feed Brooks?” I called out.
“Sure! I’ll be right out. I just want to brush my teeth,” she called back.
I definitely want to drop off the face of the earth with her.
I hunted around the kitchen until I found the dog food, then scooped some into the bowl on the floor, filled the other with water, and patted the big dog on the head as he ran by me to his meal.
Then I searched through the cabinets until I found some mugs, and poured us each a steaming cup of coffee and went looking for Bess. I found her standing in her room, staring at herself in the mirror, fingering the heart necklace now around her neck.
After setting the mugs on the dresser in front of her, I wrapped my arms around her, pulling her back into my embrace. Feeling her wiggle her ass up against my semi almost tempted me to take us back to bed. But this wasn’t about making love or fucking or anything more than the way my heart beat in sync with hers.
Sliding my other hand along her collarbone, up her neck, and pushing her hair back, I whispered in her ear. “Looks perfect, but could be a little bigger.”
She bumped her hip back into mine. “No way, it’s already too much.”
“Well, I like seeing it on you, its rightful owner.”
“I don’t think I can even wear this to work,” she said with a frown, staring at my reflection in the mirror.
“About that, I’m sorry you had to get someone to cover for you. I decided I’m going to stay a week now, so maybe you can get a few more days off,” I said with puppy-dog eyes.
She turned in my arms and lifted a hand to my beard. “I like this, by the way. A lot,” she said with a wink.
Leaning forward, I rubbed my face over her cheek, letting the tiny hairs tickle her skin.
Her gaze pinned to my chest, she said softly, “But I can’t miss a whole week of work, Lane.”
“If it’s the money—”
“No, it’s not that.”
“I have more money than I know what to do with, Bess. And if we’re gonna make a go of this, which I assume is where we’re heading, you have to learn to accept things from me,” I said firmly, knowing it was probably not going to win me any brownie points.
But Bess went somewhere I never thought of. She continued to amaze me.
Raising her big brown eyes to meet mine, she said, “Listen, I’m sure I won’t always be comfortable with letting you do so much for me, but work is something more to me. It keeps my mind and hands busy, because too much idle time is bad for me. Work is part of my coping mechanism with my past, and maybe for you too.”
She was wrapped tightly in my arms at this point, and her revelation shook me to the core. Kissing the top of her head, I let my mouth linger before responding. “You may be right. Thank you for explaining how you feel about work to me. I can’t say that I don’t want you to call off work for forever and be with me, but I get it.”
Her stiff posture relaxing somewhat, Bess brought her arms up around my neck and kissed me. We tangled tongues and lips, allowing our actions to speak our feelings.
Breaking free, she said, “I’m going to take a few days off, and then I have to go back. But you can stay however long, for forever if you want. I want as much as I can get of you.”
Without thinking, I said, “I can’t be here for forever,” ruining the moment.
