He really would.
Jack’s a self-professed lover, not a fighter, but I know without a shadow of a doubt that if something happened to me, Jack would go in swinging. In exactly the same way I just went in swinging for him. And while I told Axe I’d take his suggestion under advisement, and while I’d never want to put him at risk of having Jack come after him, I won’t hesitate to go in swinging for my man again if needed.
35
Jessica
Ashton and I kick ass in New York.
Beckett and Jameson both sign on to Ashton’s development without too much back and forth. I celebrate the fact we will own a hotel in this city soon, and I will never have to deal with these idiots at this hotel ever again.
I sleep on the flight home, but I’m still tired when we arrive back in Sydney late Wednesday night. Jack picks me up from the airport, and after loading my bags into the car, and having a quick conversation with Ashton, he slides into the driver seat and looks at me. “We’re not doing this again, sweetheart.”
I’m practically curled into a ball, half asleep in the passenger seat. His tone wakes me up. “Doing what?”
“Being on two time zones.”
I frown. “That’s going to be hard to achieve when you go back to work.”
He shakes his head. “No. We’ll make it work.”
I’m too tired to follow this conversation, so I just nod and say, “Okay.”
He leans across the car and brushes his lips over mine. “Go to sleep.”
I close my eyes and drift off. The gentle rocking of the car as Jack drives us home lulls me into a deep sleep.
The next thing I know, it’s five in the morning and I wake in my own bed, wrapped in Jack’s arms.
“Jesus,” I mutter to myself as I push the covers off and wiggle my way out of Jack’s embrace. I can’t recall the last time I was this tired or slept for this long.
I make my way downstairs to source coffee and take it outside to sit and wake up. I love quiet time out here by the river, but I don’t ever seem able to find enough time for it. I’m always on the go, which is the way I like it, but I often think about making more time for this.
I’ve been sitting out here for an hour when Jack joins me. He makes us fresh coffee and brings a chair to sit next to me. “How’d you sleep?”
“I don’t remember any of it. I don’t even remember getting out of the car when we got home last night.”
“You didn’t wake up. I had to break my back and carry you to bed.” He grins as he says this. “How much cake did you eat in New York?”
I shoot him a fake glare. “You are lucky I love you, Mr Kingsley.” I make sure to use the Mr that always gets him hot.
“Fuck,” he growls, “I deserved that one.”
I curve my hand around his neck and thread my fingers through his hair. “How are you? I hate those long-haul flights where I lose a day and don’t know what’s happened in the world. I have no idea how you do it so much.”
“I don’t anymore. I hate them too.” He reaches for my hand at his neck and brings it to his mouth so he can kiss it. He then lets me thread my fingers in his hair again as he says, “I’m good. Fucking happy to have you home. I don’t sleep well without you.”
I know what he means. It may only be a short time since we started sharing a bed again, but that time feels like forever. I didn’t sleep well without him either.
“Did your lunch go well yesterday?” Rose set up a lunch with a director she thought Jack should meet. She’s a powerhouse at what she does. She brought these two men together in two days.
“Yeah. We talked for hours. I think we’ll try to work together at some point. Rose was on the money when she connected us.”
I smile. “I think she’s going to do amazing things for you. How are you going with your search for an agent?”
“You and Rose will be fucking ecstatic to know I’ve found someone.”
I grip his hair as I lean in close and kiss his neck. He feels it coming and angles his head towards me, turning to catch my lips after my mouth brushes his neck. He takes his time kissing me, getting me bothered in so many good ways. When he lets me go, I say, “Who?”
“Chase Knight.”
“He was your first choice, right?” Jack and I had a conversation about his need for a new agent on Monday night after Rodney screwed him over. He wasn’t sure he’d find an agent fast. He assumed people would be hesitant to take him on.
“Yeah. It turns out he knows of the shit Rodney pulls. He didn’t believe anything he saw in the media about me. He did, however, spend an hour or so grilling me over whether I’m taking my medication and doing everything I need to stay sober. I respect him for that. We’re both getting into a relationship here. We need to know we each have the other’s back.”
“You grilled him too?”
“Yeah, the poor fucker had to sit through an hour of me too.”
“Good. I’m glad.”
He reaches for me, pulling me onto his lap. Once he has me in his arms, he kisses my throat before murmuring, “I didn’t share my dick around while we were together, huh?”
My impromptu ‘press conference’. We haven’t had a chance to discuss this yet.
I take hold of his shoulders and tilt my face back so I can find his eyes. “Are you mad that I said something?”
He chuckles. “No, sweetheart, the only one in this relationship who gets mad at the other is you.”
“That’s not true. You got mad that I refused to take four security guards to the States with me. And I recall plenty of times you’ve been mad at me in the past.”
“I wasn’t mad at you over that. I was fucking frustrated, but not mad. Rose enjoyed your choice of language. She told me that if I ever fire her, I should consider hiring you.”
“Axe was frustrated with me too, I think.”
“Yeah, he was. But I think he respected the hell out of you for doing it.”
“Good, because if those assholes keep going at you, I can’t be held responsible for my actions.”
He tightens his arms around my waist. “I don’t fucking doubt it. And I love you for it.”
“I’m hungry. You should take me out for breakfast.”
“You reckon your ass can handle more bread?”
I smack him playfully. “If you’re not nice to me, I won’t suck your dick later.”
“Fuck,” he growls, standing, taking me with him, killing me with this display of strength that I know all those muscles of his are responsible for. “You can suck it before I take you out.”
He breaks his back carrying me upstairs.
I give him a blowjob he won’t forget in a hurry.
He makes me lose my mind when he delivers an orgasm I won’t forget in a hurry.
And then he takes me to my favourite café for breakfast.
“Jessica!” Doris, the owner says as we walk through the doors of her tiny café that is one of Sydney’s best-kept secrets. When she sees Jack behind me, her eyes almost bulge out of her head and she exclaims, “Oh my goodness, we haven’t seen you for far too long! Get over here!” She turns towards the kitchen to holler, “Paul! Jack’s here!”