“You were perfect in your marriage to a dickhead, so you might have missed a couple of things,” I mumble.
“Nothing was ever perfect.” She looks into my eyes. “It was just an illusion.”
I smile so big my face hurts when I say the next words. “You, Lexi”—I get up and walk over to her—“you are perfect.” I grab her face. “Now if you aren’t finished packing in three seconds, we’re going to end up sleeping here and only going back to my house in the morning.”
“But Jefferson, believe it or not, doesn’t like to be alone.”
“I don’t believe it.” I move my hand from her cheek to her jawline. “I was home for an hour and a half and I never even saw her.”
She gasps. “Oh my God! Did she get out?”
“No.” I shake my head. “I think she was doing her own shit.”
“We have to go and make sure she’s there,” she urges and I bend to kiss her neck.
“She’s home. I saw her when I was leaving. She came out to drink water and then went back into the bedroom.” I lick her collarbone. “Now, it’s been five days without you, so we either fuck here or we fuck at my house. You decide, but make it fast.”
Her hands grip my shirt. “How about we fuck here and then go to your house?”
“No can do,” I deny, my hands roaming to her ass. “I plan to fuck you so hard you pass out.”
“Ugh, I can’t focus when you are touching me.”
“This wouldn’t happen if we lived together.” I move my tongue lower and push her top down, her strapless bra covering her nipples. “See? More benefits to us living together.” I chuckle before taking her nipple in my mouth and she pushes me away.
“I can’t concentrate when I’m worried about Jefferson. So you are going to have to hold your horse there for a bit.”
“My horse? You mean my bull. A bull is bigger than a horse.”
“You men and your dicks.” She rolls her eyes, moving past me and rushing around the room, pulling up her shirt. It takes her a full three minutes before she packs what needs to be packed and we are walking out of her house and toward the garage.
The drive to my house is the longest drive of my life, but that’s only because she keeps rubbing her hand on my leg, unaware that it is driving me crazy. We pull up to my house, and when I grab her bag and follow her inside, I smile when she says, “Jefferson, we’re home.”
thirty-five
Lexi
I’m in the middle of composing an email when the phone rings beside me. I look over to see it’s Ryleigh and my blood turns cold. My stomach lurches and my palms get sweaty. I hate every fucking second of it. Picking it up, I put it to my ear instead of putting it on speakerphone.
“Hey,” I answer with a smile and a shaky tone.
“Hey,” she returns, her voice is filled with a sort of glee. “So,” she starts and then stops, and I close my eyes. “I just got off the phone with Trent’s lawyer.” I lean back in my chair. “He was so happy to hear from me.” She laughs and that makes me laugh. “Anyway, told him to take the twenty million and shove it up his client’s ass sideways, no lube, obviously.” I silently laugh because I can just imagine Trent’s face at being told no. “They want to meet with us face-to-face.”
“Why?” I ask, surprised, but not that surprised. This is Trent’s MO. Get them in the room and then try to strong-arm them. I sit up in my chair, looking out the window, trying to press down the way my heart is beating erratically.
“So he can fuck with you.” Ryleigh already knows his games.
“What if I say no?” I tap the desk with my index finger.
“Then he stalls,” she replies reluctantly.
“So he wins,” I groan, “again.”
“No,” she snaps. “You see, showing him you’re not under his thumb anymore and how unbothered you are by him and his money will push him to another level. Trust me, I’ve known guys like him my whole life living in Hollywood.”
“I don’t know,” I waffle, my voice trailing.
“They gave us two dates to work with.”
