Page 8 of The Billionaire's Caress

“I’m sorry too,” I began. I’d say it a million times, as many times as I needed to. I reached for his hand and brought it to my lips. Kissed his knuckles. “You are the best thing that’s ever happened to me, Jacob. That’s all that matters, the only thing I should have clung to.”

I cringed inwardly at my choice of words, expecting to watch as he rebuilt the wall between us with my own two eyes. Admitting I chose door number one over door number two, chose to believe the worst instead of trusting our love could be enough to shatter this delicate truce.

Instead, he just nuzzled my hand, water speckling his golden skin. Misting his flesh as he gave me a sly smile. “Don’t worry, I’ve been thinking of all sorts of creative ways to punish you.”

That made my core dance with excitement. Maybe he could bend me over the bench. Pin me against the wall and tease me with his fingers. With his mouth. Make me beg for the part of him that had already let bygones be bygones.

I kept a level head and reined in my submissive. My hunger. I narrowed my gaze on his face.

“Hold that thought. I have something to tell you.” I barely paused long enough to segue into a confession of my own. “So, you know the concert...”

“Mmhm,” Jacob nodded, missing the whole me not trying to get distracted thing. He reached for my breasts, massaging the mounds. Flicking the nipples with his thumb. Sending pleasure coursing over my body to dull the pangs of guilt. Of apprehension. “I wasn’t expecting you for another couple of hours. Sucky band?”

Sucky lead singer, I thought glumly. But even that wasn’t true. Corbin had always been talented and the years had only honed his honey rich voice. Given him a stage presence that even a salty ex couldn’t ignore.

“Actually, um...” My explanation got caught in my throat and I swept my hand over my wet locks, flicking my fingertips through the curly ends. “The band was pretty good. And I know the lead singer.”

“Oh?” Jacob mused, more concerned with the curvature of my breasts than the words coming out of my mouth.

“Yeah, we used to date.”

Jacob released me, my words ringing out loud and clear. His touch abandoned me, like an electric shock was sent through his body. Steam obscured most of his face, but his sky blue eyes flashed with emotion.

For the first time ever, Jacob Whitmore voluntarily repeated himself.

“Oh.”

CHAPTER THREE

“Start from the beginning.”

Jacob wasn’t using his Dom voice. The flames of lust that he ignited in the shower were snuffed out as soon as I shared that Corbin and I had history. Jacob’s eyes had stopped flashing, so that was a good thing. The not-so-good thing was the fact that our couple’s shower was done and Jacob was standing in our bedroom, dripping wet, with no intention of drying off or doing anything until I told him all about the concert. All about Corbin.

I shivered as I reached for the towel that was draped on the hook, then remembered the monitor. I ducked back in the bathroom, holding the device in my hands, making sure Hope was still asleep. Secretly hoping I’d see her doing her roly poly, about-to-grace-us-with-a-wail-or-two thing.

No such luck.

Daddy had worn her out but good.

Jacob cleared his throat, just loud enough for me to know that he was waiting...and he wasn’t a patient man under normal circumstances. Considering I’d just shared that I’d attended my ex’s concert and little more, Jacob was on E in the patience department.

I tucked the monitor in the crook of my arm, drying my hair with a sigh. “What were you and Hope doing while I was gone? Baby Crossfit?”

“Lay.”

It was just one word, but it smoldered. He smoldered, even dripping wet, trying to pretend he wasn’t as annoyed as he was. I knew him too well and our last argument was still too raw for me to buy that.

I stopped buying time, perching the monitor on the bedside table. I wrapped my towel around my body, swatting wet ringlets from my eyes. “The beginning. Well, Megan was my date since you weren’t feeling up to it.” I didn’t really have any right to infuse any residual annoyance into my words, but I couldn’t help it. He should have been there. If he was, the minute Corbin looked my way, I could have thrown me and Jacob’s arm in the air and told my ex, and the whole world, that this was what real love looked like.

Since Jacob’s dark brow was arched, telling me he didn’t appreciate me starting off the story with a dig at him, I let it go. “To be honest, I wasn’t really feeling up to it-”

“I don’t mean start from the beginning and recount the events of tonight,” he interrupted, stopping my recap. Still standing there, dripping, muscled, like he’d just done laps in a pool and barely broke a sweat. The set of his jaw told me he was just getting started. “I want you to tell me about this ex of yours.”

I let out an uncomfortable giggle. “He doesn’t mean anything.”

Without a word, Jacob turned on his heels and marched to his side of the bed. He snatched his phone from the charging station. He held the screen a few inches from his face, peering at it like a scientist analyzed a specimen with a microscope.”Funny,” he grunted. “No text from you letting me know you were on the way home. Or some causal, ‘btw! you’ll never guess who I just saw. Some guy I used to date opened the show ha’.”

I looked at the floor, at the toes that matched the heat in my cheeks. He had a point. When was the last time I just showed up at home without telling him I was on the way?

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