I slap my palm into my forehead. “Oh, Jackson – you didn’t make him sign a non-disclosure and non-use agreement, did you?”
His face turns beet red as he rakes his fingers through his short brown hair. “I’ve gotta contact Harrison,” he mutters distractedly.
“How the hell could you show your idea to this guy without getting him to sign a non-disclosure –”
“Hailey!” he snaps with a growl. I can tell that he’s trying to mask his anger, but his body language manifestly betrays his true feelings. The tension in his shoulders, the wrinkles in his forehead speak volumes about the rage that is bubbling right beneath the surface. “Do you think we can afford fancy lawyers at a fancy downtown law firm? Huh? We’re a startup! We’ve been bootstrapping for Christ’s sake!”
I shrink away, taken aback by his sudden change in tone. “Sorry – I was just trying to help.”
His grimace melts quickly when he realizes he’s hurt me. He takes my hand in his. “I shouldn’t have yelled at you. I’m sorry. I’m just freaking out right now.”
“I know,” I say softly.
His chair grates against the kitchen floor as he stands to his feet. “I’ve gotta go try to make contact with Harrison, okay?” His voice is soft now.
I nod slightly and he places a soft kiss against my forehead before disappearing down the hallway, cellphone gripped tightly in his hand.
Chapter 23
I carefully fold the last of Jackson’s oxford shirts and place it at the top of his suitcase. I sit on the edge of his bed and watch the ripples in his muscular chest as he tugs a t-shirt over his head before slipping into his jacket. Without a word, he closes the flap of the suitcase and zips it shut.
He sinks onto the bed next to me and places his arm around my shoulder.
“How long will you be gone for?” I whine against his chest. I don’t want to sound like a baby but I know that I’ll miss him like crazy. When Jackson called Spencer last night to explain that another investor was developing an imitation of their app, Spencer was furious. He found it unacceptable that a third party would try and capitalize on the app and compromise the investment that he had just agreed to funnel nearly $100 000.00 into.
Jackson’s only viable solution, if he wants to keep Spencer’s trust and his investment, is to get the app to market…fast.
So, he’s going back to Texas to get the app ready and launched as soon as possible.
“Not too long, I hope,” Jackson says softly as he brings his lips to my forehead. He squeezes me close to him.
I sigh. I’ve become accustomed to sharing a home with Jackson over the past few weeks. I’ve liked it. Sharing breakfast with him on the mornings when our schedules permit. Sharing the warmth of my sheets with him at night.
“I’m gonna miss you, Cowgirl,” he whispers into my hair.
“I’ll miss you, too,” I say softly.
He pulls away from me to look me straight in the face. “No – I don’t think you understand, Hailey. I need to make you understand. I’ve never met anyone like you. I’m absolutely crazy about you.”
I feel warmth run through me from head to toe. “Oh, Jackson. I feel exactly the same way.” My voice is heavy with imminent tears.
“You’ll wait for me, right?” I see so much vulnerability in his eyes. It nearly scares me.
“Of course I’ll wait for you. Just make sure you come back to me.” That’s when my voice cracks and the tears spill down my face.
“Don’t doubt it, Hailey. I’ll come back to you.”
Chapter 24
“My body can’t take anymore,” I gasp out when I’m finally able to pull a breath of air into my lungs. He lifts his face just enough so that his eyes are looking into mine. His suitcase is sitting by the front door. His jacket has been discarded carelessly on the living room floor.
An innocent kiss goodbye at the door had quickly turned passionate. Jackson had scooped me up into his arms and despite my weak protests that he would miss his flight if he didn’t hurry down to the sidewalk to hail a cab to the airport, Jackson had insisted that he couldn’t board his plane without tasting me one last time. When he’d laid me down on the couch, his hand had quickly found my swollen bud. One flick of his finger was all it took before wetness was pouring out of me.
His lips, glazed with my wetness, turn up into a sly grin. “Ride my tongue, Cowgirl. Don’t hold back. Grind that sweet pussy all over my mouth.” There’s no mistaking the mischief in his eyes as his face plunges between my thighs once again. His lips pull gently on my over-sensitive flesh and desperate cries fly out of my mouth.
I reach down and slide my fingers through his hair as I feebly circle my hips against the couch. “Jackson!” My voice is frantic and high-pitched.
His grip is firm as he holds my thighs in place and licks me with quick and deliberate fervor. He hums against my delicate flesh and I shudder all over as I orgasm. I feel like I’ve been ripped wide open and everything that I’m feeling comes gushing out from the very core of my being.
“I love you, Jackson,” I cry out in an eager, needy tone.
I feel my eyes widen like saucers and my hands fly to cover my mouth before any other confessions involuntarily slip past my lips. This isn’t how it’s supposed to go. It is true that I love him, but I don’t want to move too fast with this relationship. He’s on his way back to Austin for an indefinite period of time. I’d be heartbroken if our long-distance relationship didn’t work out. I can’t throw ‘love’ into the mix. It will only complicate things.
Jackson slowly crawls up my body until his face is hovering next to mine. There’s a tenderness in his eyes that I’ve never seen there before. He gently pulls my hands from my face and kisses me in a slow, languorous way that causes all my apprehension to melt away. He slips his hands into my hair and pulls my face even closer to his. He reaches down and cups my breast in his hand before giving it a soft squeeze.
When he finally pulls away, we’re both breathless and once again, my body is burning to take pleasure from his own.
“I love you, too, Hailey,” he says, his beautiful green eyes staring straight into the depths of my soul. My body flushes all over as I hear the words. He brings his lips to my ear and brushes them against my skin. “Goddamit – I love you, too.”
Chapter 25
It’s been nearly a week since Jackson went back to Texas to prepare his app for launch. He’s called me every morning to update me on his progress and just to hear my voice. I’ve texted him every night to let him know that I’m thinking about him and that I can’t wait for him to get back.
I’ve been floating around aimlessly without him, just going through the motions. I go to work, hang out with my friends, go to the gym, trying to act like everything is normal, but in reality, I can’t stop thinking about Jackson, thinking about what it’s like to be in his arms. The fact that I’ve been feeling a little under the weather for the past few days only makes me miss cuddling with him.
I’m drifting down the hallway at work when I hear someone call my name. “Hailey.”
I spin around so fast that the mail carrier and his cart have to swerve quickly to avoid crashing into me. I offer a soft apology to the man as he continues by me, rolling his eyes as he goes and muttering under his breath.
I hear my name again and when I look up, I see Matt standing just outside his office, leaning against the doorjamb. He clears his throat and adjusts his tie trying to give off the air that he’s completely in control but I can tell by the urgency in his eyes that something isn’t right. “I’d like to have a word with you,” he says.
I’m hesitant as I approach him. I’m well aware that Matt’s moods are nothing if not unpredictable. I don’t want to get caught in the crossfire today. I feel his secretary eye me venomously as I walk past her cubicle. Her jealousy is a waste of energy because interacting with Matt really is the last thing I want to do.
I step tentatively over the threshold and take a seat opposite his desk as Matt clos
es the door. He comes and sits on the lip of the desk, just across from me. His eyes rake over my body and I see nothing but longing in his eyes. He doesn’t say a word as his gaze drifts from my lips to my neck to my breasts.
“Matt?” I say his name to bring his attention back to the present moment. I want to know why he called me into his office so that I can get the hell away from him and resume my day.
He pushes a puff of air past his lips and rakes both hands through his thick black hair. “I feel like my whole world is falling apart,” he says in a low, vulnerable tone. “Amelia has started a battle with me over my daughter and I feel like I’m losing.”
I don’t say anything. Yes – Matt and I have been physically intimate in the past but we’re not friends and I don’t feel like it’s my place or my responsibility to comment on his relationship with his kid or her mother.
He sighs again as he moves into the chair next to me. He reaches out and pulls my hand into his. “Come home with me tonight, Hailey,” he breathes. “There’s a great steakhouse just around the corner from my apartment. They have an amazing filet mignon. We could order in.”
The request jars me. Matt has never invited me to his home. This man knows nothing about me. He doesn’t even know that I’m vegan. He’s just looking for a warm, wet orifice to slide his cock into tonight and drown his pain away.
It won’t be me.
I slide my hand out of his. “Matt, I have to get back to work.”
“Hailey, please,” he begs, his brown eyes glistening with tears ready to spill down his cheeks.
But that’s not enough to break me. I’m with Jackson now and I can’t even imagine being intimate with someone else. And from the way he looks at me, I can tell that he feels exactly the same.
This conversation with Matt just makes me miss my boyfriend even more.
“I have to leave,” I say quietly as I rise to my feet and quickly let myself out of Matt’s office.
Chapter 26
“Be spontaneous, Hailey Bear,” Kimberly coaxes with a mischievous lilt in her voice.
I laugh. Kimberly has always been more adventurous than me. Way back when we were teenagers, she was always hatching up a plan that was fun in the moment but eventually got us into a heap of trouble. We’re older now, but Kimberly’s still the same. Her idea for me to show up at Jackson’s app launch in Austin on Saturday is so typical of her.
“C’mon, Hailey! You know you want to. I’ll go with you. It’ll be fun!”
I sigh as I take a seat on the edge of my bed and pull off the elastic holding my ponytail. My hair falls around my face in a cascade of blond waves. I’ve had a long day at the office. I’m exhausted. The last thing I need is Kimberly trying to pressure me into this. I don’t want to weird Jackson out by just showing up at his app launch without warning.
Yes – I would love to be there. I’m really proud of Jackson and what he’s accomplished. I want to show him that. Plus, I’m dying to see him. It feels like an eternity since he’s been gone. And although we talk on the phone everyday, I really just want to melt in his arms and feel his lips on mine.
“Don’t you think it’d be weird if I just showed up at his event without invitation? We’ve only been dating for a little while. I don’t want to move too fast and scare him off.”
Kimberly laughs a throaty laugh. “Nice try, Hailey, but that’s a poor excuse. You already live with the man. Now you’re worried about moving too fast?”
“We’re roommates!” I protest.
“Save that bullshit for your family, girl. I know he’s been paying his rent in Sexland currency, so don’t give me that ‘we’re just roommates’ crap. He’s your man. He’s about to take a major step in his career, and you should be here to support him.”
She has a point. I have to admit. I should be there to support him. I want to do that for him. For us.
“Okay. Okay.”
“Yay!” I imagine her bouncing around in her chair with glee.
“I should go look for a plane ticket,” I mutter as I pull out my tablet and set it on my lap. With the touch of a button, the screen comes to life.
“Send me the flight details. I’ll be at the airport to pick you up.”
Chapter 27
“I think it’s super romantic that you’re going to Austin to surprise your man,” Madison says dreamily as she twirls a loose strand of her dark hair around her finger.
I look over at her skeptically from my perch next to her on the steps. “You don’t think he’ll find me presumptuous, just showing up without being invited.”
Ruthie taps me gently on the shoulder. “He’ll be thrilled to see you, Hails,” she says reassuringly.
“You sure?” I can’t help but feel uncomfortable about this.
“I’m sure,” Ruthie says confidently, “I’ve seen the way he looks at you. He’d want you there.”
Madison sighs deeply then takes a bite out of her apple. “Don’t ruin this relationship with your insecurity, Hailey. It seems like Jackson really cares about you. Don’t let your doubts get in the way.”
I take a deep breath and let my friends’ words sink in. Jackson calls me everyday and when he does, he tells me that he loves me and he misses me. Maybe if I just believed him, trusted his words, I could feel good about going to see him instead of being crushed by anxiety.
Ruthie nudges me in the shoulder. “Get excited, Hails! You’re going to see your man!”
I feel a small smile pull across my lips.
I’m going to see my man.
I’m going to see my man.
Just then, Ruthie pulls the lid off of her lunch container. “What the hell is that?” I shriek, repulsed, as the smell of garlic and chili peppers fills the stairwell.
“Ohmygod, is that Spaghetti aglio e oilo?” Madison asks excitedly. “My aunt’s recipe – Did my brother cook that?”
Ruthie nods enthusiastically. “Leftovers from three o’clock this morning. I have more than enough to share.”
Madison looks famished as she shovels her fork into Ruthie’s bowl. Me, on the other hand, I’m seriously revolted.
“That smells disgusting,” I mumble under my breath as I bounce to my feet.
“Huh?” Ruthie says distractedly as she shoves a forkful of pasta into her mouth.
“I think I’m gonna be sick,” I announce as I hurry towards the door.
I hear Madison laugh. “What’s her problem?”
“She’d better not be pregnant,” Ruthie giggles in response. I scramble down the corridor, making my way to the bathroom.
Oh shit, I’d better not be.
Chapter 28
My flight is boarding.
I hear the announcement over the PA system.
I hear my phone buzzing in my bag. I know it’s Kimberly texting yet again to let me know that she’ll be at the airport waiting for me when my flight touches down in Austin.
But I’m frozen in place.
Sitting on the seat of the toilet in this restroom at LaGuardia Airport.
I’m staring at the two faint pink lines on the stick that I’m holding in my hand.
In total disbelief.
Since when do they sell pregnancy tests at airport gift shops, anyway? This must be a mistake, right? This pregnancy test is wrong…
Right?
Because there’s no way I’m pregnant with Jackson Pratt’s baby. There’s just no way.
Beyond This Moment
(The Esquire Girls Series)
Hailey (book 3)
Cassie-Ann L. Miller
Jackson has become exactly the type of man I came to New York City in search of. Urbane, refined, successful...But still, I would quickly trade in this cold, distant stranger in front of me for the warm, caring Texan I fell in love with.
Some mistakes, you can't unmake. Hailey had to learn that the hard way. She and Jackson moved way too fast and now, she's found herself in a situation she sees no way out of.
Now, her only option is to
rely on the man that she loves desperately though she's not sure that she can trust him.
Will Jackson prove himself to be the knight-in-shining armor that Hailey needs? Or will she wind up on her own to deal with the consequences of the decisions they made in their moment of fierce passion?
Table of contents
Chapter 1
Chapter 2
Chapter 3
Chapter 4
Chapter 5
Chapter 6
Moments with Hailey - The Esquire Girls Series - Hailey's Story (Books 1, 2, 3 & 4) - Box Set (featuring Tender Moments , a brand-new Valentine's Day novelette) Page 12
