She smiles. “Because there are a lot of nominees that could win today.”
My gut tightens. “Tell me about all of them.”
“Watching you handle the stuff that came up for you today was high on my list for most of the day,” she starts, her fingers moving lazily over my chest. “I was so proud of you for working through it calmly, and not letting it get to you. But then, having dinner with you tonight, that moved up my list fast. Having you here and discussing our day. I’d forgotten how good that is. However, I think the nominee that might be the front runner is lying with you here now. There’s nothing better than having this at the end of a hectic day.” She angles her head to find my eyes. “I think I’ve been chasing the big things the last six years, thinking they’d fill the void you left behind. But it’s not the big things that I need. It’s these little things. With you. They’re the consistent front runners in life.”
“Fuck,” I growl, pulling her body on top of mine before taking hold of her face. “I fucking love everything you just said. And I agree. I’ll be a happy man for the rest of my life if I have these little things with you every day.”
Her lips meet mine and she shows me how the little things affect her. How much they mean to her. I show her the same.
We move together slowly tonight, the mood between us having shifted.
We’ve had days of the kind of sex that being separated for years demands. Tonight, we have the kind of sex that talking about our future has inspired.
Unhurried sex during which we take our time exploring each other’s body.
Unlocking the secrets from our time apart.
Reminding each other of how we like to be touched.
Of how we want to be loved.
After, when I have Jessica wrapped tightly in my arms, I whisper in her ear how much I love her. I promise that all her front runners will involve me and those little things she loves. And I mean every word I say.
My front runner every day I have her in it is Jessica, and I won’t ever take her for granted again.
31
Jessica
“Christ,” Jack says as he drives my car out of my apartment complex on Wednesday morning, through the crowd of paparazzi who have camped out overnight.
I survey the vultures before glancing at Jack. He’s annoyed, but he’s not over-the-top annoyed. His attitude is much like it was yesterday after his agent gave him bad news about his next movie. His therapist is worth every cent he’s paid her because this Jack I’m witnessing now has his shit together in ways he never has before. This Jack is a man I love even more than the Jack I’ve always loved.
Axe prepared him for this yesterday, and Jack prepared me this morning before we left. It’s the reason he’s driving me to work rather than me driving myself. Axe alerted him to the paparazzi’s presence after we woke up. I agreed to skip running outside this morning due to the size of the crowd outside, and instead opted to run on my treadmill. That annoyed me because I prefer to run outside, but I knew it was the best idea for today at least. Jack and Axe are hopeful the paps will thin out once they have what they came for, and then I can get back outside.
As we drive past the crowd, I say, “Did you call your mum?” He wants to spend the day with her today.
“Yeah, I called her this morning.” He looks at me. “She’s decided we need to go out for tea and scones. Fuck knows how that will all end up with these guys trailing me.”
“How’s her pain today?” Her arthritis flared badly over the last week.
“She says it’s manageable, but we both know she tells me that so I won’t worry.”
My phone sounds with a text.
Mira: We need to book in a hike this weekend.
Jessica: Not if you have those same germs your children and husband have.
Mira: I do not. Those germs skipped me.
Jessica: Still, I think maybe I’ll wait a week to ensure those germs have well and truly passed by.
Will: Not a bad idea.
Mira: Will Johnson, you are the worst husband.
Jessica: Always so practical.
Will: It’s also not a bad idea because I saw your apartment complex on the morning show earlier. How’s that going?
Jessica: I’m not paying it much attention.
Will: Attagirl.
Mira: Fine, we’re locking in a hike for the following weekend.
Will: Make sure you pack that compass, Jess.
Jessica: That sound you just heard was my eyes rolling out of my head.
“Sorry,” I say to Jack. “That was Will and Mira. She’s booked me in for a hike, not this weekend but next.”
“How often do you girls hike?”
“We try for every weekend, but it doesn’t always work out like that. I’d love to do it more often, but she finds it hard with the girls.”
“I’ll go with you.”
“Ah, I seem to recall you whinging and bitching whenever I suggested we hike.”
He pulls up to a red light and leans towards me, extending his arm across the back of my seat. “And look at me now, running for fucking hours with you. Book me in for a hike.”
I’m about to mention that he has his bossy pants on today when a photographer pulls up beside us on a scooter and starts snapping photos.
Jack follows my gaze and lets out a string of curse words. His body tenses, and I’m convinced he’s going to either put the window down and give the guy a piece of his mind or open the door and do that. However, Axe strides into view and has a short, sharp conversation with the photographer who gives him the finger before taking off.
Jack slides the window down after the guy leaves. “Thanks.”
Axe jerks his chin, those dark glasses of his shielding his eyes. I can imagine his serious expression, though. I’ve barely seen him wearing anything but that expression. “Don’t ever engage with these guys,” he says. “Leave that for us.”
Jack nods and Axe walks back to his SUV behind us as Jack places his hand on my thigh. “You good?”
I curve my hand around his neck. “I’m good. I’m not letting any of this near my mind.”
He searches my eyes. “I’m glad.”
“I deleted all my social media last night. And I’m not reading anything online. Not this time.” I thread my fingers through his hair. “I’m not that same girl, Jack, the one who let them get to her. You don’t need to worry about me.”
He smiles. “I know you’re capable of looking after yourself now, but I will never stop worrying about you, Jessica.”
The light turns green.
Jack keeps his hand on my thigh but directs his attention back to the traffic.
I keep my hand on his neck and my fingers in his hair.
And I allow the smile forcing its way onto my face.
“This feels good,” I say. “Even with those photographers chasing you for a photo, and people writing lies about us, this feels good.
“Yeah, sweetheart,” he says, giving me his eyes again. “It does.”
Colin Delacort enters our meeting looking like a predator coming in for the kill. He leaves it like the puppy he is. The fact Ashton doesn’t call to check how the meeting went shows me he had full faith I could get the job done. All of this means I’m in the best mood when Jack walks through the door of my office just after 5:00 p.m.