Never Be the Same

by A. Aubry

  A soft moan escaped at the mere feeling of his lips on my skin, “I can’t do that because I just got back from calling in for a few extra days.”

  I could feel his lips pout against me, “Okay, let’s get you to bed.”

  Jameson opened the drain and the water began to siphon from the bathtub. Easing myself up off of him, I stood up and got out of the bathtub. He joined me seconds later and handed me one of his many large fluffy towels. How one man could find such amazing towels as though they had come straight out of a luxury hotel room, I will never know. Jameson swatted my ass playfully and I squealed before scampering off to the bedroom with my towel clutched to my body.

  We pulled back the covers and crawled into bed, dropping our used towels on the floor. I cuddled up close Jameson, his arm coming around me as I rested my head on his chest. No matter how many times I saw his wounds, it would never stop my heart from aching. Those were the symbols of him almost losing his life…they were also the symbols of us almost losing one another. Jameson reached over with his other hand and lifted my chin before placing multiple short kisses against my lips.

  I loved those types of kisses from him. But when it got well past ten in a row, I knew that something was up. Normally we shared a few kisses before we would fall asleep in one another’s arms. These kisses felt different, they felt almost as though they were necessary. That they were trying to tell me something.

  “Jay,” I said quickly before his lips pressed against mine once again.

  “Yes?” He responded and another kiss came my way.

  I leaned back, narrowly avoiding what would have been over twenty kisses, “What in the world are you doing?”

  He smiled, a boyish smile that made my heart skip a beat, “I’m showing you something.”

  “How many kisses you can give me before I force you to sleep on the couch?” I teased.

  “No, sassy pants. I’m proving to you that I am right here and will never go anywhere.”

  Holy shit. That was the most romantic thing that anyone had ever said to me. Was I dreaming? This entire thing with Jameson had to be some sort of dream. Or worse, was I on one of those prank shows?

  “W—Why would you need to do that?” I stammered, honestly wondering.

  “Because I know that you were miserable for the last month before I called you. The look on your face said it all when you finally got to the hospital. All the pain, sadness, the loss of that sparkle in your eye. It was because you had thought that I left you. Trust me when I tell you, baby, that I never want anything to tear us apart like that again. I am all yours for the taking for as long as you’ll have me.”

  That’s it. He definitely had to be a dream. This was not the Jameson that I had met that night a month ago. That Jameson had the ego the size of a Mack truck and was used to getting what he wanted, when he wanted it, from anybody he wanted. Maybe it was all just a façade to keep him from getting hurt after Vanessa. Maybe he was finally letting me all the way in.

  “I love you, Jameson. I’m all yours too,” I smiled, my cheeks flushing.

  “I love you too, Bri. I definitely think that I’m going to keep you for a long time,” he grinned before bringing his lips back to mine.

  This time, we bypassed the short kisses and went right for the one that took my breath away. There was no point in trying to fight him to let me sleep before I would have to wake up at an ungodly hour for work. He had me completely under his spell, and I wasn’t looking to break from it anytime soon.

  Chapter Twelve

  Time with Jameson almost felt as though it slipped through my fingers it went by so quickly. I blinked and a month had flown by. We were doing amazing, always inseparable when I wasn’t at work or he didn’t have to be at the club in downtown Chicago to check into what could be improved. Jameson was close to finishing up his physical therapy, his strength had increased by an impressive amount and he was getting back to his usual over-exerting self. That meant that our sex life was back in full swing. To say that I was satisfied in all aspects of my life was an understatement.

  My workweek was coming to an early close because it was my birthday was on Sunday. Tonight, I was going to accompany Jameson to the club and then tomorrow he said he had a surprise for me to celebrate my birthday. For now, Ashley and I were having our normal lunch date as we always had. Jameson had been taking amazing care of me, making and packing my lunches for me while I ate my breakfast every morning. Today, it was a fettuccini pasta with homemade alfredo sauce and grilled chicken. If this whole club owner business didn’t work out for Jameson, being a chef would totally be an alternate career.

  “Has he said anything about what this big surprise is for your birthday?” Ashley asked as she dug into her homemade macaroni and cheese.

  I giggled, “Ash, it’s a surprise. Do you think he has told me anything?”

  She nodded her agreement to my statement, “He won’t tell me a damn thing and it’s driving me crazy.”

  “Probably because you have a big mouth and would tell me,” I teased as I swirled a fettuccini noodle around my fork and took a bite.

  Just when she was about to retort, Jameson’s physical therapist, Melody, and another woman I had never seen before entered the break area. She had been flirting with Jameson more and more, and, according to Jameson, it wasn’t very well hidden anymore. Ashley and I gave each other the eye. You know the one that says ‘what the hell is this bitch doing here?’. Actually, that was a pretty legitimate question seeing as she was supposed to be finishing up Jameson’s session and not in the break room.

  “Can you believe that he turned me down?” Melody whined as she walked to the staff refrigerator and grabbed a bottle of water.

  “Wait, someone turned you down? That never happens, Mel,” her unknown friend responded as she too took a bottle of water out.

  “I know! I’ve had the hottest patient ever for the last month and every time I have made an advance at him, he acts as though he doesn’t even notice. Today, I asked him if he’d be interested in getting drinks this weekend and he told me he was going to be out of town.”

  Okay, let’s process exactly what this woman was saying. One, she’s made several advances at him? Gross. The fact that he acts like he didn’t realize it? Adorable. Two, she fucking asked him out for drinks? That has to cross so many damn lines in doctor/patient laws. And finally, number three, he was going out of town this weekend? Was that my surprise?

  “Is this the one that you just left with Jessica?” Her friend questioned.

  Now Jessica I knew, she was the sweetest physical therapy assistant in the entire world. Plus, her and her fiancé? The cutest and sickeningly sweet couple you would ever meet in your entire life…and you could quote me on that. She must have been working on some last-minute things with Jameson.

  “Yes. Isn’t he fucking delicious?” Melody practically licked her lips at the thought of my man.

  Ashley’s eyes got wide and I fought back an outburst. Tina’s voice rang over the PA system asking that I go to reception. My usual calling to go see Jameson up front if I wasn’t at my desk to answer my phone.

  “You mind if I run up and see him?” I whispered to Ashley.

  She waved her hand telling me to go. I knew she was going to keep her ears open for anything more that Melody and her friend decided to say. As discreetly as I could, I slipped from the room and jogged up to the reception area. Jameson leaned against Tina’s round receptionist’s desk and chatted with her. Since these visits were a few times a week, Tina and Jameson had become pretty well acquainted. My tennis shoes made a light squeak as I crossed over onto the carpet of the reception area and Jameson’s attention turned over to me. His mouth opened to a wide grin and I couldn’t hold myself back anymore as I ran over to him and launched myself into his arms.

  The doctor that he had been seeing during his recovery had said that his wounds were healing up nicely and it definitely showed. More than half of the time, Jameson was encouraging me to j
ump into his arms to prove that it didn’t hurt him. When he caught me, I always found myself giggling like a damn schoolgirl. Being in his arms always made me so happy and it always felt perfect.

  “Look at you, almost birthday girl,” he chuckled as he held me tight.

  “Are we going out of town for my birthday?” I asked excitedly, my feet dangling a few inches from the ground before Jameson set me down.

  “And what makes you think that that is what we are doing?” He raised an eyebrow, but the cat that ate the canary look on his face said it all.

  “Melody may or may not have come into the break room while Ashley and I were eating lunch and complained to another girl about how she asked you out for drinks, but you said you were going out of town,” I confessed.

  Jameson sighed and rolled his eyes at the mere mention of Melody, “Okay, yes we are going out of town, but that is all I am telling you until tomorrow.”

  I crashed our lips together, letting my excitement take control. This man definitely knew how to spoil me and while I didn’t appreciate the spending of too much money, I loved that he cared and wanted to make this special for me. The most that Gavin and I had ever done for my birthday to ‘go out of town’ was to travel to another suburb of Chicago. Jameson’s tongue slipped into my mouth and the feeling of his tongue massaging mine sent goosebumps up my arms. The sound of someone clearing their throat came from close by and we parted. Tina usually did that if we were making somewhat of a scene, but this time it hadn’t come from her.

  “Hi Jameson,” Melody smiled a sneering smile.

  “Oh, hi Melody,” Jameson replied, his arm coming around my waist as he pulled me close against his side, “This is my girlfriend, Briella.”

  Melody simply nodded at me before extending her hand out with a packet of papers for Jameson, “Jessica forgot to give these to you. They are just some exercises to work on for next week. Don’t forget that we will be having a two-hour session on Tuesday because we couldn’t work anything out for Monday.”

  The way her eyes lit up at the thought of spending a whole two hours with my boyfriend was a little unnerving. Sure, I knew that nothing could really happen while he was at physical therapy because there were other doctors and patients in the room, but that didn’t keep the cold chill from running down my spine.

  “Sounds good. I’ll see you on Tuesday,” he smiled politely after he took the papers from her.

  Melody had made sure to have her hand brush against Jameson’s. I could tell that it bothered her that he didn’t even seem to notice. I could also tell that it bothered him because her antics were becoming quite annoying. She gave me one last glance before turning around and disappearing through the doors that led to the rehabilitation wing. Jameson sighed and turned back to face me.

  “I’m sorry about that,” he quickly folded up the papers she gave him and put them in his back pocket before taking me into his arms once again.

  “Baby, there’s nothing to be sorry about. Just promise me that if things get too awkward that you talk to another one of the doctors, or even Jessica. They’ll get you switched to someone new.”

  “It’s nothing that I can’t handle, Bri. I have girls throw themselves at me at the club all the time.”

  Well that didn’t make me feel any better about him going alone there a few nights a week. Jameson must have read my mind in the freaky way that he did because he leaned down and kissed me gently several times. My hands fisted his soft cotton t-shirt, wishing that I was already done with work. My ten-minute alarm beeped on my watch to let me know I only had that much time left of my break. Jameson and I slowly parted and I smiled shyly at him.

  “I love you, Briella,” he whispered as he tucked a stray piece of hair behind my ear.

  “I love you too, Jameson,” I grinned before giving him one last kiss.

  Before I could turn to go, Jameson pulled me back into his arms and brought me tight against his chest. My arms came around his torso as I hugged him and buried my face in his chest. I felt his nose bury in my hair and I smiled to myself. It honestly never felt more right to hug someone than it felt to hug Jameson.

  “Only you,” Jameson said softly into my hair.

  That had become a new thing for us. When either of us needed reassurance that we were really in this one hundred percent, we would tell the other ‘only you’. It blew the I love you’s out of the water because we were emphasizing that it is only the other person that we want and need in our lives. I took a small step back, knowing I had to go back to the breakroom and reheat my lunch before scarfing it down like a madwoman.

  I stood up on my tiptoes and gave him one final kiss, “Only you, Jay.”

  He couldn’t contain the large smile that took over. Forcing myself to scurry away, I returned to the break room and brought Ashley up to speed while eating the rest of my lunch once it was finished reheating. The rest of my ten minutes were spent with Ashley naming off a myriad of potential places that Jameson was going to take me for my birthday. When I had let it slip that he did have a private plane so her idea of raiding the apartment for plane tickets would be a moot point, she nearly screamed. I really had no idea where Jameson was going to take me, and I was set on being surprised for once in my life. With Jameson, all surprises would be great…so I allowed myself to believe in the power of ‘surprise’.

  “What in the world is going on, Jameson? I thought the surprise was happening tomorrow,” I questioned as I turned my head from side to side, wishing that I wasn’t wearing a blind fold in the car.

  “Is it wrong that I think that we should have a jump start on your birthday weekend surprises?” He chuckled and gave my hand a squeeze.

  The only thing that I knew was that we were in the car. Hearing Jameson try to guide me into the car was one of the funniest things I had ever witnessed. I nearly bumped my head when I was getting in and he had to quickly stop me. If I wasn’t laughing so hard, I think Jameson would have been worried that I was mad at him for almost aiding in my injury.

  I sighed and laid my head back against the headrest. This was mainly why I didn’t like surprises, they gave me major anxiety because I had no idea what to expect. The sounds of cars whizzing past us was what I had to listen to for most of the drive. Jameson was playing with my fingers and I almost thought he was nervous.

  “Jay?” I turned my head in the direction I knew that he would be sitting.

  “Yes, baby?” He brought my hand to his lips, silently telling me that I had his full attention.

  “Thank you for planning a surprise for me. It really means a lot.”

  “It was nothing. You work really hard and you deserve to be spoiled for your birthday. I just want to help make it that much better.”

  I tugged on his hand that was holding mine and pulled him close enough that I knew his face was right in front of mine, “Kiss me.”

  Rather than verbally responding, Jameson released my hand and put it on my cheek. When his lips pressed against mine, I almost groaned with pleasure. Who knew that wearing a blindfold could really up the sexy factor in a kiss? My lips opened for him as our kiss deepened, vast amounts of passion poured into our sweet exchange. Thank god he had a driver, because I could barely keep my hands or my lips to myself when it came to Jameson.

  “Mr. Barnes, we have arrived,” his driver, Christopher, interrupted.

  I could almost sense the reluctance that Jameson felt to end our kiss, “Thank you, Christopher. Will you get the stuff out of the back?”

  “Will do, sir.”

  Jameson’s door opened and closed along with Christopher’s. I was all alone in the silence, even if it was just for a few seconds. When my door opened, I unbuckled my seatbelt and Jameson took my hand. Easing me out of the car, the summer dress that I had changed into after showering when I got home from work swayed in the slight breeze. There were a lot of different sounds that were going on around me and I found it hard to pinpoint exactly where we were.

  My car door closed be
hind me and I felt Jameson loosening the knot that he had made at the back of my head with the blindfold. When I finally could see again, and my eyes adjusted to the intrusive light from the sun, I realized that we were standing next to Jameson’s private plane. My attention turned to him as a wide smile played on my lips.

  “What about going to your club tonight?” I asked, moving a few steps closer to him.

  “Kelly has everything under control there for the next several days. Right now, is about you,” he said softly as his arm wound around my waist.

  “I love you.”

  “And I love you. Come on, let’s get on this plane. We have a long flight ahead of us.” He led me over to the staircase and we began to climb.

  Long flight? Well, that narrowed down a few of the ideas that Ashley had in where we were going to be going. I smiled and waved at Jameson’s pilot and flight attendant who had flown with us from New York, Jeremy and Marie, before disappearing into the main cabin. I took my seat on one of the large plush chairs and excitedly bounced up and down. Jameson laughed as he took his place beside me while Marie brought out some champagne. Jeremy approached us and clasped his hands in front of him.

  “All looks well weather wise for our full flight. We have a scheduled refuel at Heathrow then we will be off to Barcelona-El Prat.”

  Jameson nodded, “Sounds great. Thank you.”

  My eyes went wide, “We—We are going to Barcelona? As in Barcelona, Spain?”

  Jeremy chuckled and left us to ready the plane for takeoff. Jameson took my champagne flute from my hand and put it on the table. I must have looked like I was going to drop it with the amount of surprise that I was experiencing.

  “You told me once that you loved it there the last time that you visited. I figured we could go there for your birthday weekend. Is that okay?”

  “Okay?! Jameson, this is the best birthday present that anyone has ever given me!” I shouted as I threw my arms around his neck.