He glanced at his watch. “The car should be downstairs by now. I can tell them we’re running a few minutes behind. It will give you a chance to change for our flight.”
My stomach churned. “Jer… ”
He stood from the table. He took my hand in his rough palm. “I was there, Evie. I was downstairs when you said your vows. You swore to be my wife.”
My throat tightened. I nodded. “I did.”
“And I’ve kept up my end of our bargain so far, haven’t I?”
I bit my lip. “Yes, you have.”
He had given me what I wanted over and over. I shivered as the flashes of heat pooled in my core.
He leaned down, brushing his lips against mine. “Come home with me.”
I nodded. “I want to, but what if we’re making a mistake?”
“It’s not a mistake. And no more talk about annulments.”
My eyes closed and I plummeted into the kiss like a wave crashing over a waterfall. I wrapped my arms around his neck, pulling him closer. I wanted to savor his lips. I wanted a deep powerful kiss that would silence the doubt.
“You’re mine now, Evie. You belong with me.”
I moaned when he slid open my robe, cupping my breast.
“No more back and forth.” He tugged my nipple between his fingers. “There’s only one direction for us.”
I shook my head. “No more.”
He pushed the fabric off my shoulder. He sank to his knees, pulling me to the edge of the seat. His fingers pressed into my flesh as he pried my knees wide. My breathing was already erratic. The anticipation of his next move was enough to make me squirm under his steady touch.
“You’re my wife,” he whispered along my thigh. “Exactly the way I want you to be.”
“Yes,” I whimpered.
“Mine, Evie. This is all mine.”
I looked in his eyes once more before he unleashed his tongue on me.
God help me. I was going through with this.
A bellman carried our bags into Jeremy’s apartment and abruptly left. I looked around. Ok. It was exactly what I expected. An extravagant bachelor pad with high-tech electronics everywhere. The TV filled the entire wall, along with a sound bar that stretched just as wide.
Everything was black, gray, or blue. I twisted my lips together. How could he not have a single pillow on his couch?
“What do you think?” He walked into the center of the living room. I’d never seen a coffee table made from a solid block of metal.
“It’s great,” I lied.
“I’ll give you the tour of your new place.”
I rubbed the sides of my arms, trying to imagine living here. The kitchen was adjacent to the oversized living room. The refrigerator appeared to be digital. It was all sleek and impersonal.
The balcony extended the entire span of the top floor apartment. The view from up here was incredible.
I followed him along the hall which disappeared between the kitchen and living room.
Jeremy had spent the entire flight from Asheville on his phone, either answering calls or working through emails. I stared out the window and tried to figure out what to tell my family. The clock was ticking on that phone call. Any minute now my mother was going to check in about the dinner shift.