This is what it’s like to make love. I’d never say so out loud, but there’s no other way to explain the intensity of the emotions rushing through me.
As we move together, time seems to melt away. The world narrows down until it’s just the two of us, holding each other, linked together as one.
My orgasm builds slowly, but when it hits, it makes me see stars.
Jayce comes moments later, his face buried against my shoulder as he releases a long, guttural groan.
We lay together for several long moments, just soaking in the aftermath of our release. He slowly undoes my ropes and massages me before we get back into bed together. The steady beat of his heart is so soothing, I relax into the mattress, my mind quiet and content. Jayce grabs a blanket and pulls it over us, tucking me into his chest.
Yet, there’s a part of me that can’t figure out how to put words to what just happened between us. It was more than I ever expected from him, and it feels like there’s more possibility between us.
A dangerous hope enters my peaceful mind as I lay beneath the comforting weight and warmth of his body… that if I were to confess my feelings to him, he might actually return them.
CHAPTER THIRTY-FIVE: US
SUTTON
The next day,Jayce drives me to Romero Holdings for the presentation. My nerves are humming and it feels like there’s a steady stream of electricity buzzing beneath my skin.
Last night Jayce held me until I fell asleep. When I woke up, Jayce was already out of bed, standing by the window in gray sweatpants and a black T-shirt, his hair still messy from sleep as he spoke quietly on the phone.
The moment he noticed I was awake, he ended the call.
“Morning,” he said, his voice low and warm.
Before I could even sit up, he’d crossed the room and pressed a soft kiss to my lips. Coffee was already waiting on the nightstand, and my laptop was plugged in and fully charged.
“You forgot to charge it again,” he’d told me when I noticed.
Then he’d disappeared into the kitchen and returned a few minutes later with a smoothie and a small bowl of fruit on a tray.
“Eat,” he told me, nudging the tray closer when I hesitated.
I’d tried to protest, shaking my head. “I can’t eat when I’m nervous.”
“You can today.”
Somehow, I had. As if his mere confidence that I could made it possible.
Now, as the car glides through downtown traffic, I sit in the passenger seat, gripping my folder a little too tightly. The corporate tower rises in front of us, sleek glass and steel reflecting the pale morning sky. It seems so imposing. My stomach twists and I tug at the hem of my black pencil skirt nervously.
Jayce pulls the car to the curb and looks over at me. He studies my face for a moment, like he can read every thought racing through my head.
“You’ve got this,” he tells me. “You know what you’re talking about. This is what you do. You’re going to do great.”
I look at him and manage a weak smile. “Thanks.”
He reaches over and grabs my hand, squeezing it. “Go kick some ass.”
That gets a chuckle out of me. “Okay, I will.”
He kisses my knuckles before letting me go. I climb out of the car and walk toward the building’s entrance. Once inside, I check in at the reception desk and I’m led up several floors to an executive conference room. Needing another minute before going inside, I duck into a nearby bathroom.
I cross to the sink and grip the edge of the marble counter, gazing into the mirror. My reflection stares back at me. Though my skirt and blazer are perfectly neat, I’m pale, wide-eyed, and have a thin sheen of sweat across my forehead. My chest rises and falls too fast.
Oh no.
My hair has come partially undone from the neat bun I had it in. The teal strands I worked so carefully to hide this morning have slipped free, spilling over the back of my neck and shoulders.
