Page 39 of Burn With Me

You really like her, don’t you?

We spend the rest of the ride in silence. She gazes out the window while I try to work on my phone to draft up a counteroffer for a company Tripp and I want to acquire.

When we get to Bryant Park, I tell Robert to go park on a side street nearby. As he drives off, my eyes stray to the skyline across the park, and I get an idea.

“Ooh, I love these things,” Ginny gushes as she walks toward the Wafels & Dinges hut. “Wanna split one?”

“Sure.” I’m not really thinking about food or the fact that she offered to share a meal with me. My eyes are glued to my phone, where I’m furiously typing out separate messages to my aunt and uncle.

Uncle Scott responds right away.

It’s not even a question, of course, I’m okay with it. Your aunt may be harder to convince.

My phone dings again, proving my uncle wrong as I read my aunt's surprising response.

We have no plans to come up there anytime soon. If we do, I have no problem getting a hotel. Proud of you. Xoxo

Relief rushes through me as I look up to see Ginny approaching with a paper tray filled with whipped cream. Her eyes are lit up, and she’s the happiest I’ve seen her all afternoon. “You’re hungry and wanted whipped cream? Is there a waffle under there?”

She laughs, scoops some of the sugary fluff onto her finger, and sticks it in her mouth. “Mmmm, it’s so good. There’s strawberries under there somewhere, too.”

Watching as she attempts to pick the waffle up from underneath so she can take a bite, I try to stifle my laughter when she pulls back with a dollop of cream on her nose. Reaching out, I swipe it off before sticking it in my mouth, loving the way the action makes her cheeks flush again.

Cocking my head to the side, I turn to start walking across the park. “Come on, I wanna show you something.”

“Do you want a bite?” She holds the tray up to me as we make our way through the throng of people.

Looking down, I see she’s scraped off some of the cream to expose the strawberries and waffle underneath. She’s got the waffle pinched at the edge, holding it slightly up for me to take hold of. Instead, I stop walking. Without breaking eye contact with her, I lean down and take a bite, wrapping my lips around her fingers.

She swallows hard as I withdraw, reaching up to wipe the cream from my lips. Slowly, she brings her fingers to her mouth and sucks them clean.

“You’re aware that was just touching my mouth?” The air is cool, but the space between us is heated, charged with an electric energy I can’t see but can certainly feel.

“I know.” Her words make my dick jump as her eyes fall back to the tray. “So, what did you want to show me?”

Remembering my plan, I will away my erection and reach for her hand, which she lets me take. “It’s this way.”

Kids are screaming as parents watch them skate in the rink. The different smells of the food stands mingle together to make one giant delicious aroma. Shoppers make their way through the walkways, bags smacking into other patrons as they admire the wares. Ginny lets me pull her through it all as she finishes the waffle, feeding me a few more bites while we exchange heated glances.

When we reach our destination, she stares up at the large building. “The Bryant? Jackson, why are we here?”

She hasn’t let go of my hand, and I continue holding it as the doorman opens the door for us. We pass by the concierge, who just nods in greeting. It’s not the first time I’ve been to my aunt and uncle’s apartment, having stayed here quite a bit after boarding school when I was first settling into the city and the business.

“Jackson!” Ginny whispers as we enter the elevator.

Once the doors shut, she tugs at the sleeve of my jacket. “What are we doing here? I swear to god if you think I’m going to sleep with you–”

“Good lord, Red. Give me more credit than that. Bringing you to an apartment and expecting you to take your clothes off? I have more class than that.”

Her reflection in the doors gives me a pointed look, causing me to shrug. “But I mean, if you want to–”

“Jackson!” she shouts, hitting me playfully in the chest as I smirk down at her.

We get off on the twenty-fifth floor, and I take her to apartment B. Fishing the key from my wallet, I step aside as soon as the door opens, letting her walk in first. “It belongs to my aunt and uncle, but neither uses it. I just okayed it with them. If you want it…it’s yours. For as long as you need.”

I don’t know why the thought didn’t cross my mind earlier when we were looking at old, worn-down buildings and places where she wouldn’t even have space for her belongings.

“Jackson, this is…wow. This is beautiful.” She lets out a long breath as she admires the place.

---