by Mia Jones
“Some of the churches were good for clothing, and some had food programs. I always found ways.”
“But you went without food?” he asked in a deceptively mild voice. He knew how that felt because he’d gone hungry a lot when he was a child. The thought of her going through that made his stomach cramp.
Jessica’s hands jerked then she shrugged. “Not a lot.”
He hated that she hadn’t told him the whole truth and that she’d had to go through some of dark days, as he had to as a child. “So how did you get here?”
Her shoulders tensed and tears gathered in her eyes. “Can we talk about something else now?”
Garrett studied her carefully. He knew he wasn’t going to like the next phase of her story. “Sure. We’ll talk about this more when we’re alone.”
Jessica shrugged and looked down at her lap and hid her face. She then leaned back so the waiter could set their plates down in front of them.
“Will there be anything else, sir?” The young man made sure to keep his gaze on Garrett.
Garrett just shook his head, unable to take his gaze off Jessica, and the waiter walked away. Garrett took a small bite of spicy food. “Jessica, take a bite,” he said after he swallowed.
Jessica cut a small piece of burrito off and tried to chew. The knot in her throat prevented it from going down easy. She picked up her water and took several sips and tried to push down the food.
A vicious anger toward himself hit him as he watched her struggle. “Are you still hungry, sweetheart?”
Jessica shook her head without looking at him and set her fork down by her plate.
He reached across the table to catch one of her hands. “I’m sorry. This is my fault. I’ll have this boxed up, and we can take it home and eat it later when were hungry again.” He lifted his arm, and the waiter came quickly.
The waiter stood nervously beside Garrett. “Is there a problem, sir?”
Garrett never took his gaze off of Jessica. “No. Can you box this up for us? We need to leave. And I’ll need the check.”
The waiter lifted the plates and rushed off. He was back within minutes with the bag of food and the check.
Garrett threw a hundred-dollar bill down on the check and stood and pulled Jessica up against him. He wrapped an arm around her and swept up the bag with the other. They made their way through the restaurant and out to his car without a word between them.
Only when he had her belted and had started the car did he turn to her. He ran a thumb down her cheek before he gripped her chin and turned it toward him. “I really am sorry, baby.”
Jessica tried to smile but stopped when her lip quivered. “It’s okay, Garrett. You didn’t know I was so sensitive. It’s something I need to work on. I’m sorry I ruined lunch.”
“You didn’t ruin anything, baby. Where would you like to go? I’d like you to see my house.”
She shook her head. “No, I have to get back to Lucky. But I would love to see your house sometime.” She relaxed back into the seat when he started to drive toward her house.
He followed her in and helped her unlock the door when her hands wouldn’t stop shaking. He placed the bag of food on the counter that separated the kitchen from the living room and watched as she led Lucky outside to do his business. He waited patiently for Jessica to fill the dog bowl and the water bowl before she turned to him. “Can you eat now?”
Jessica chewed on her bottom lip and shook her head. “I don’t think so, but you go ahead and eat.”
He walked over to her slowly so she didn’t stiffen up. When he stood with less than a foot between them, he raised a hand to cup the side of her face. He bent and his lips took hers gently, persuading, not pushing them to open to him.
Jessica’s eye’s fell shut. She moaned softly and grabbed on to his thick wrist with both of hers.
Garrett’s other arm curved around her waist and pulled her against his chest, deepening the kiss until they were both breathless. He raised his head and groaned at the seductive, needy look on her face. “Do you have anything to do for the rest of the day?”
She opened her eyes slowly to stare up at him. She shook her head. “Not really. Just some paperwork.”
He pulled her tighter against him with both arms. One of his hands slid slowly up and down her back and induced a shiver to go through her. “How about we put the food in the fridge, and we’ll eat it later. I’ll watch something on the TV, while you do a little work.”
She took a moment before she nodded. “Okay. Are you sure you don’t have anything to do? Won’t you get bored?”
Garrett thought of the pile of papers on his desk and the hundred or so emails he needed to return. “No, nothing that important. I would rather spend the day with you, and I don’t care what we’re doing as long as I’m with you,” he assured her.
Chapter 9
Jessica sat on the floor in front of the sofa table and put the paperwork away in a file. She looked over her shoulder at Garrett and smiled. He was sprawled out on her couch. A small colorful pillow was tucked under his head with an arm thrown across his face, and his other hand lay on his stomach. The couch couldn’t hold his large frame, so one of his legs was over the other padded sofa arm and his other foot on the floor next to the sofa with his knee bent. He looked uncomfortable, but it didn’t seem to matter. His chest moved up and down with each deep breath. He had fallen asleep shortly after he lay down and turned on a baseball game on the TV on the small wooden table in the corner.
She took a moment to study him. His size alone was enough to make most people nervous, and sometimes he got a look in his eye that she guessed terrified most people. His body was tight with muscle. His thighs were thick, his stomach flat and ribbed. His arms were roped with muscle, and his hands were callused and large with long thick fingers.
For some reason, he didn’t frighten her. Never had. He made her nervous a lot, but that was partly because she wasn’t used to men at all, and he was an intense one, but something deep inside her knew he wouldn’t physically hurt her.
Her heart always twisted in unhappiness when she tried to picture them together and couldn’t. They we’re so different. He was extra-large, and she was tiny. He was extremely wealthy; she wasn’t. He was so incredibly handsome, and she was average. She couldn’t understand what he saw in her, but he intrigued her, and she liked spending time with him. He made her laugh and feel things she’d only heard about or read in books. And he made her feel beautiful for the first time in her life.
He looked so relaxed and peaceful as he lay there. His thick dark eyelashes rested against his tanned cheek. His mouth was slightly open as he silently drew in air.
She kneeled up higher as her gaze trailed down his body. She wanted to take in everything. Her palms itched to touch him, anywhere, everywhere. Her gaze slid slowly up his body. She jerked when her eyes clashed with his. How long had he watched her stare at him? She bit her lip as a deep flush burnt her cheeks.
He made a low growling sound as he reached for her. He pulled her effortlessly across his body and arranged her over his chest with her legs between his. “Baby, you could make me come just by that look on your face. I will never get sick of you looking at me like that. Like I’m all you need.” He pulled her up and lifted his head and took her mouth in a kiss that was instantly heated.
Jessica’s hands slid up his chest and around his neck. She pressed herself tighter against him, her body twisting and trying to find relief from the pressure in her womb.
One of Garrett’s hands grasped her hair, and his other slid down her back to cup her bottom, making them both moan. He pulled her head up by her hair. “Baby. This is going to get out of hand quickly if we don’t stop now,” he rasped in a low and heated tone.
Jessica’s tongue slid over her lips and tasted him. She couldn’t seem to pull her lower half away from his hardness. Her hands clenched on his shoulders. “Um...well...”
Garrett’s eyes narrowed, and his mouth twisted in si
lent agony. “Baby, consider this. Once you give yourself to me, that’s it. You’re mine, and life as you know it will change forever. I’ll own you.” His voice was dark and thick with lust. For some reason, he knew his life would be different now. She was all he wanted anymore.
Jessica stared wide-eyed at him and tried to comprehend what he was saying as a shiver of apprehension ran down her spine to mix with the desire that pulsed through her. She exhaled. “I don’t understand...”
His teeth clenched. “It means...I already consider you mine, but if we make love, you’re giving yourself to me, and I’m not talking for a month or even a year. So, you need to think about that.” Garrett knew he needed to back off or he’d lose her. He reluctantly moved his hand away from her bottom. “I think we need to stop. I don’t want to push, and you need time to get used to the idea.”
His large hand on her back slid under her shirt and up and down slowly as he regarded her soberly. “But consider this, Jess. I almost always get what I want, and I’m telling you honestly, I haven’t ever wanted something the way I want you. But know this, baby, I’ll do everything in my power to make you happy and give you everything you’ve ever thought you wanted.”
Jessica gasped at the heat of his hand against her skin and swallowed nervously at the hint of warning in his voice but also the promise. Blood rushed through her veins and made her heart pump rapidly, her vagina throb, and her breasts tighten painfully. Her body screamed for him, but something inside her pulled back cautiously. “But if I decide that this isn’t what I want, you’ll let me go, right?”
He stared intently at her. He saw distress in her eyes, and it didn’t sit well with him, but he couldn’t make himself shut up. “Think that, if it makes you feel better. I’m just giving you fair warning.” A lazy smile crossed his face. “No pressure though.”
Jessica frowned down at him as she pushed herself up and off him. Her heart jerked when his arms tightened but then released her slowly. She stood shakily next to the sofa, adjusted her shirt, and moved a step back when his eyes narrowed on her. “I think you’re right. We both need time...”
“I didn’t say I need time because I don’t. I’m giving you time because I’m a nice guy.”
Jessica snorted. “Okaayyy,” she said as she walked to the kitchen. “Are you hungry now, or do you have to go?” She tried to change the subject.
Garrett sat up and stretched. “I’m hungry. But after we eat, I need to get going.”
Jessica paused, shocked at the feeling of sadness that washed over her. She shook herself and started to pull plates out of the cabinet when he walked in behind her. “I understand. You’ve spent so much time with me, you probably have several things that need your attenti—” She gasped when an arm wrapped around her waist and pulled her back against him.
“There is nothing that is that important. Tomorrow is Monday, and I figured you probably had things to do before then.” He pressed his mouth against her ear and whispered each word. His hand constantly moved in slow circles. He grabbed onto the plates when they started to fall from her hands. He pressed a hard kiss to her neck and moved back. “Fill up your plate in here so we can warm the food up.”
Jessica did have things to do before tomorrow, and the shadows that came in through the slider door told her it was already late afternoon. She had yet to do laundry and make out the schedule for the week.
After their food was heated up in the small microwave, they sat on the sofa and concentrated on eating. She was able to swallow several bites before she stopped.
“You can’t be full yet. You’ve hardly eaten.”
Jessica looked down at her plate. “I’ve eaten half of the food on the plate you handed me. It was more food than I can eat at one setting.”
Garrett looked skeptical but let the matter drop. It wasn’t long before the food was put away and the dishes done. He seized her hand and pulled her toward the door. “Come say good-bye to me.” He stopped at the door and looked expectantly down at her with his hands at his sides and waited.
It finally dawned on her what he waited for. She felt a warmth of a blush descend upon her face as she closed the space between them and stood on her tiptoes and reached for his lips.
He bent and let her have his lips. She only had control for seconds before he took it from her, lifted her off her feet, and pulled her tightly against his chest. He pushed his tongue into her mouth and deepened the contact between them. He lifted his head as his breath rasped out of his lungs. He set her down and away from him. “Get some rest. I’ll be in touch.”
She nodded and closed the door behind him and locked it before he could say anything. She didn’t have to look to know she had a silly smile on her face.
It was only later in bed that night when she recalled his last words. “I’ll be in touch.”
What exactly did that mean? She wished she could call Angie but was afraid of what her friend would say or maybe get angry. Jessica still hadn’t told her about the relationship between her and Garrett. If there even was one. Darn. Whatever this was, it was complicated, especially for someone who’d never had any kind of relationship with a man.
One of the biggest reasons was because she stayed so busy. Through her teenage years, it was a struggle to just survive and make her way out of poverty. In college, she had had to study hard to remain in the vet program, and any off time she had, she worked. After she graduated from college, she wanted to put in as many extra hours she could at the vet office to pay off her school loans and start a nice nest egg for her future.
When she became the director of the shelter, she put in sixty- to eighty-hour weeks to organize and clean the building. Then her time was spent on the programs the earlier director hadn’t accomplished or didn’t feel the shelter needed. It was only in the last several months she was able to take a breath.
Chapter 10
“Jessica, there’s a call for you.”
Jessica handed off the small, wet dog to an employee and wiped her hands. She walked into her office and sat at her desk. “Hello, this is Jessica.”
“Hi, Jessica.”
Just the tone of his voice made her blood heat and her heart race. She gripped the phone and took a few breaths and sat down hard in her office chair when her legs shook too hard.
“Jessica? Are you there?”
The tension in his voice caught her breath. “Yes, I’m sorry, Garrett. I’m just surprised to hear from you.”
There was a slight pause. “I thought I told you I’d call?”
“I know. But Garrett, I don’t know anything about this thing between you and me. I have no experience with men,” she said then bit her lip in embarrassment. What kind of guy wants a woman that has no experience?
Another pause. “I see. Are you glad to hear from me?”
The timbre of his voice had roughened and sent a shiver up her spine. “Oh, God, yes. I’m sorry if you thought that I didn’t. When I heard your voice, it took my breath away, and I couldn’t seem to catch it. Just hearing your voice seems to affect me.”
He blew out a breath. “Good answer, Jessica. Very good. I feel the same way about you. Everything about you turns me on.”
Jessica swallowed and relaxed back in her chair. “Really? Is this normal?”
“Not for me, it’s not. I’ve never felt this way before.”
They both paused for a moment. He cleared his throat. “The reason I called...what are you doing for lunch today?”
“Well, I brought in some of our leftovers for my lunch. I think there’s enough if you want to stop and eat with me.”
Thank God she can’t see me right now. His face couldn’t hide the disgust he felt. “How about I bring in lunch for us instead?”
“Garrett, that’s a waste of money when we have food here.”
Did she not understand that he had plenty of money? Maybe someday he’d tell her about the promise he made to himself when he left his childhood home. He was going to make something of himself s
o he wouldn’t ever have to eat day-old food again, and if he wanted a steak every day, he could damn well afford it. “I want to bring lunch to you. If you want to save what you have there for later or tomorrow, do that.”
Jessica used the toe of her tennis shoe to remove a streak of dirt that stained her office floor. “Okay. What time will work for you?”
Garrett chuckled. “Baby, I’m the boss, remember? I can take off any time I want. When’s the best time for you to take your lunch?”
She told him a time and they hung up. She sat for a bit. Jessica laid her head back against her chair and closed her eyes. A groan slipped out when she realized she probably sounded like an idiot, asking for him to share her leftovers.
If she was honest with herself, she just couldn’t see a time in the near future, or ever, that she wouldn’t try to save money. It was ingrained in her now after so many years of counting every penny and stretching every nickel.
Jessica took a quick look at the clock on her computer. She had a little over a half an hour before he got here. She could get a lot done and hopefully have some quiet time with Garrett during their lunch.
***
Garrett sat back in his chair and looked around his spacious office with the expensive, brown leather furniture and original art. His whole building was modern and state of the art and had cost him millions to build. His house, although not a mansion, was very large and very expensive. And no, she hadn’t yet visited his house, but she knew he had money. And still, she wanted to share her food with him. Never in his life had he met anyone so selfless before. The women he’d met in the past were hard and cold. He always knew going into a short-term relationship or just a night of sex, he’d pay for it. His money was part of the attraction for the women in the circles he moved in. Money didn’t seem to mean much to Jessica.
Jessica pushed herself deeper with him, every time he talked to her, he wanted her a little more. He had known before he wanted her badly, but now, he knew he was going to keep her no matter what. If he played his cards right, slowed his ass down, and didn’t scare the shit out of her, he’d be able to pull her in. Because the thought of losing her was unthinkable. She had already become the best thing he’d ever had in his life.
