Total pages in book: 68
Estimated words: 61851 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 309(@200wpm)___ 247(@250wpm)___ 206(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 61851 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 309(@200wpm)___ 247(@250wpm)___ 206(@300wpm)
He watched her struggle with some kind of internal conflict, one part of her trying to be strong and another wanting to give in to his care. She was wary of depending on another person. Even him.
“It’s fine, Jessica,” Avery said, having come into the back room at some point and overhearing their conversation. “He’s right. There’s nothing you can do from here that will change things. Not tonight, anyway. Take a change of clothes off the rack for tomorrow, and go with Derek. Stay off of social media and try to decompress. Maddie and I will close up.”
“Okay,” she finally said, the stiffness in her shoulders easing as she gave in.
Relief surged through him as she gathered her laptop and a few other items into a carrying case, then selected an outfit to wear the next day since she wouldn’t be going home.
She was quiet on the ride to his place, staring out the passenger window. Instead of forcing conversation, he allowed her the time she needed to think. There was no point in making small talk or even rehashing what had happened, which would only increase her anxiety. All Derek cared about was that she was with him and that she knew she wasn’t alone.
They arrived at his building, and she followed him past the doorman to the elevator, which they rode up to the top floor. The steel doors opened into his penthouse suite, and he set her things on the couch while she glanced around.
He’d only recently purchased the apartment, so it was sparsely decorated. Just the basics and necessities so far, and she silently walked to the floor-to-ceiling windows overlooking the New York City skyline. While she stared at the view, still lost in thought, he placed an order for dinner from a nearby Chinese restaurant, selecting a few of their popular dishes so there would be plenty to choose from.
A short while later, their meal was delivered, and while he ate a good amount, Jessica merely picked at her food, clearly not having much of an appetite. Her silence continued, and after a while, it grated but there was nothing he could say. Afterward, he cleaned up, settled them on the couch, and turned on a random TV show, knowing whatever he selected wouldn’t matter much to Jessica. She stared blankly at the screen, still utterly despondent, and his heart hurt just watching her.
There was no cheering her up, no distracting her from the troubling thoughts tumbling through her mind. Nothing he could say or do to reassure her that everything would be okay, because that wasn’t a promise he could keep. And it made him feel fucking helpless, because he knew how scared she was to lose everything she’d worked so hard to achieve. All because of one person’s vindictive streak caused by Jessica getting involved with him.
Jessica adhered to Avery’s request to stay off social media for the evening. She didn’t obsessively check her phone or scroll through the notifications still randomly pinging, which had slowed considerably as the night went on. Thank God.
After watching a few shows, she finally relaxed against him, and he decided it was time to call it a night. “Let’s go to bed.”
She didn’t argue, just followed him into the main bedroom.
He gave her a new toothbrush and one of his T-shirts to wear, and she disappeared into the bathroom, returning a short while later, looking way too tempting in his shirt. She’d washed off her makeup, leaving her skin smooth and pink. She still looked incredibly beautiful.
He was already in bed, wearing a pair of pajama bottoms, and he pulled back the covers and patted the mattress beside him. She slid in and he turned off the lights, then he secured an arm around her waist and spooned her from behind, his head resting on the pillow beside hers.
All he intended was to comfort her, but his body was still completely aware of hers—the way her ass felt pressed against his dick, how close his hand was to her breast, and the feminine scent permeating her skin. He swallowed back a groan and attempted to force his mind to non-arousing thoughts.
“Thank you.” She finally spoke, her voice quiet in the dark.
“For?” he asked.
“Taking care of me.” She slid her hand along his arm, down to the hand resting on her stomach, and intimately entwined their fingers. “And for not letting me be alone tonight,” she admitted.
“You don’t ever have to be alone,” he said. And he meant it.
If he had his way, when all this shit was over, he’d make sure she knew just how serious he was about that statement.
Chapter Nineteen
Jessica woke up cocooned in the warmth of Derek’s arms. Contentment and a sense of security rolled through her . . . until she remembered that her life was in shambles. Her character had been defamed, her business maligned, and her new lingerie line was probably in jeopardy—not just the upcoming launch but Belle Demoiselle’s interest in acquiring an exclusive line of designs. Once they saw all the negative press, she doubted they’d want any association with her or her creations.