The past was the past, but didn’t I do all of those things I’d never share in a crowded room in order to have a life I was happy with? I let out a long sigh and tossed my phone on top of the pile of my clothes on the floor.
“Vane?” Jaxson whispered sometime later, voice low and worried. I had no idea how long I’d sat there, remembering shit I normally never allowed myself to think about. Sturdy arms curled around my chest from behind, and I turned, smiling at him.
“Yes?”
“What are you doing? Aren’t you tired?”
“Yeah,” I whispered as he ghosted a kiss onto the side of my neck. My heart lurched and pounded hard while warmth chased away the shadows of pain thudding in my chest.
“Lie with me?” he murmured, and his words were slurred with sleep and a sweetness that almost tore me apart, considering the fucked-up places my mind had been wandering. I stood and shrugged off the robe and then slid under the blankets beside him. He nestled his silky warm, naked body up against mine, and I curled my arms around him.
“Daddy….” He sighed and nuzzled his face against my neck, and I held him way too tight.
He didn’t complain.
The next morning, we got ready to leave the Courtesan together. His dark curls had frizzed just a little and his clothes were a wrinkled mess, but I still took the time to smooth his collar down for him as we stood in front of the door outside of the Courtesan in the bite of cold morning air. The sunshine glinted in his hypnotic starry eyes and had me staring too long.
“You’re sure you want to go into the office?” I asked. “You don’t have to, you know. You have the right to take some time for your family.”
He lifted a hand to mine where I was still messing around with his shirt and quirked a dark eyebrow. The look he pinned me with clearly let me know I was behaving oddly.
“You really think I should take more than one day off? Who are you, and what have you done with my boss? Mom texted and said you sent her food last night. When did you do that?”
I thought about bringing up what I’d wanted to do for him—the hospital bills, it would be easy to pay for his father—but didn’t have the nerve so early in the morning. If he was upset about it, I didn’t want to start the day fighting. He narrowed his eyes as I slid my hand out from under his and patted his shoulder awkwardly.
“I have several projects that need my attention today, as JP so helpfully reminded me.”
Jaxson snickered. “No shit. What time did his texts start?”
“Around seven. But you’re more than welcome to go to the hospital. I can meet you there this afternoon.” Did he notice me ignoring his question? He squinted harder.Fuck, he’s not stupid. Of course he did.
“I’ll stop in to see Dad after work,” he said stubbornly.
“You need to start hanging suits in my office closet.”
He stared down his front at yesterday’s clothes with a grimace. “Ugh” was his only response, and I laughed.
It didn’t take long to swing by his apartment for a change of clothes, but the plan, which I fully endorsed, was to shower together at the office. If I played my cards right, I’d fuck those curvy lips that kept frowning at me when he thought I wasn’t looking, and maybe bend him over for good measure.
After what happened with Roberts, we didn’t bother trying to pretend like we weren’t together, but I also didn’t look very professional at the moment, so we snuck in using the staircase, rather than going for the elevators. Heaving a sigh of relief, I beat Jaxson to the door of my office, and he smacked my side with the back of his hand as I jostled with him to eventually be the winner and open it to let him inside first.
“There’s someone waiting for you,” Jean-Paul said before I had even fully stepped inside. He was on his feet and yanked the door aside, out of my grasp. He huffed when he saw me, and then jutted his jaw toward Jaxson and the suit bag slung over his shoulder.
“What?” I demanded.
“Like I said, there’s someone waiting in there.” He pointed behind himself at the door that led into my private office. “A lawyer. He’s been here quite a while.”
Sighing, I dropped my head. I’d only smashed one phone recently and pissed off one highly irritating member of the press. Fucking Roberts.
Jaxson leaned against my side just enough to put pressure on my arm. “Do you want me to wait out here? I can go find somewhere else to change. Maybe the intern room downstairs.”
“No, go through to the bathroom,” I murmured. “Stand tall. Don’t make eye contact with whatever hack is in there. Stroll in there the way you did that first day you met me.”
He nodded grimly and squared his shoulders like he was going to battle before he strutted over and shoved open the inner door to my office. I kept a few paces behind him, in part so I could watch his ass, and the rest so I could spot whoever was waiting to jump on me about one measly fucking phone.
There was a short man in a surprisingly nice suit flipping through the stack of campaign fliers on my desk. The jackass was cute with a tight body and a teen-idol face, and maybe he thought that would keep me from yelling at him, because he didn’t stop what he was doing, even when I came to stand at his elbow.
“That’s private,” I snapped.
