“I’m also smiling because youaregoing to marry me, eventually. I’m a very patient man, in case you haven’t noticed.” He kissed her knuckles. “Take all the time you need, but just know that I plan to make myself a nuisance, because I’m not letting you out of my sight again.”
Chapter 41
Robert relaxed and put his arm across the back of the sofa in his family room. Jessie snuggled into him like he’d hoped she would.
“Phew, finally, a weekend that we don’t need to go to Seattle,” said Jessie as she laid her head against his shoulder.
Robert had made three different trips to Seattle with Jessie over the past three weeks. The first, for her divorce hearing, where the judge, after learning of the abuse Jessie had suffered along with all the charges against Patrick, not only granted the divorce, but awarded Jessie half of all Patrick’s assets.
The second trip had been for Jessie to get anything she wanted from the house in Seattle, which had been very little, and to sell Patrick’s Lexus along with her Infiniti. And last week’s trip had been to Patrick’s lawyer’s office to sign paperwork for her share of Patrick’s investments, and paperwork for the estate sale.
“Is Patrick’s lawyer going to take care of the sale of the house and everything else from here on out?”
“Yes, he’ll split the proceeds from the estate sale and the equity of the house after it sells, and send me a check. There’s not much equity in the house, since we’d only been in it a year, but the real estate agent said the market is good right now.”
“That’s good.” Jessie would have a sizable nest egg when everything wrapped up.
Not that she needed it, because Robert had every intention of marrying her as soon as possible. Then he’d take care of her and their child. He hoped she’d be willing to have few more children in the coming years.
As if on cue, Jessie put her hand on the side of her belly. “He’s moving.”
Robert placed his hand beside hers and gently pressed. He’d been able to feel the baby moving often lately. It was always only just a slight bump against his palm, despite Jessie’s growing belly, but it made Robert’s chest swell.
The child she carried wasn’t biologically his, but he’d vowed to love him and raise him as his own. He couldn’t wait until he could see the baby’s movement, like Ben now could on Amy’s belly.
Jessie turned and looked up at him. The joy on her face filled him with happiness. Oh, how he loved this woman.
Baby forgotten, he lowered his lips to hers, and she shifted her body toward him. He moved his hand from her stomach to her hair, pressing his mouth more firmly against hers.
They had shared many passionate kisses over the past few weeks, each one becoming a little more reckless. The passion between them grew deeper each time they touched, and Robert feared he would burst into flames one of these days. He ached to be one with Jessie.
Having to take her home each night was torture. He wanted to bring her into the home he’d built for her, carry her to the master bedroom, and shut the world out for a long, long time.
The desire that had been burning in him for the past four weeks intensified, and Robert knew he’d be in trouble if he didn’t put some distance between him and Jessie. He tore his lips away from hers with a groan.
He’d promised her he would be patient, but with Pendleton permanently behind bars, and Jessie’s divorce final, his patience had worn thin.
He pushed himself off the couch and stood in front of the window, looking into the darkness of his backyard. He still couldn’t believe Pendleton had been here and watched him and Jessie, and Robert had no clue. The thought sickened him and made him feel like a failure as a law enforcement officer.
“Is something wrong?” Jessie’s hand landed on his shoulder.
“Nothing I can’t handle.” The words came out a growl.Maybe.
She slid her arms around him and rested her cheek against his back. “Talk to me, please.”
“I can’t right now, sweetheart.”
“Why?” That one word held so much tension.
“Because I promised I wouldn’t rush you.”
“Does this have to do with that thing we agreed not to discuss until my divorce was final?”
Robert gave a grunt of agreement.
Jessie walked around in front of him and slipped her arms around him again. “My divorce was final two weeks ago.”
“Yep.”
