Page 125 of Where There's Smoke

He kissed me, and the words echoed in my mind.

I love you, Jesse.

My whole world was made up of politicians and actors, people who said things and meant the opposite, but I believed him. I trusted him. I loved him.

And when our lips separated, I whispered, “I love you too.”

He held my gaze for a moment, as if searching my expression for an act or some politician’s dishonesty. Then a faint but playful smile pulled up the corners of his mouth as he ran an unsteady hand down the side of my face.

“So much for keeping this from getting more complicated,” he said with a soft laugh.

I chuckled. “Well, you didn’t expect it to get any simpler, did you?”

He laughed again. “No. No, I definitely didn’t.”

“We’ll figure things out,” I said. “Somehow.”

His smile didn’t quite make it to his eyes this time, and as he leaned down to kiss me again, he said, “I hope so.”

So did I.

The missed calls on my cell phone were from Simone, but she didn’t leave any messages. By the time I left the seedy backwoods motel, my body aching and throbbing all over, it was way too late for me to call her back. I’d have to catch up with her in the morning.

I parked Ranya’s car behind the hotel and made a discreet entrance through the side, avoiding the lobby at all costs. Not that I expected it to be crowded right now, but all it took was one bored desk clerk to start whispering about Jesse Cameron sneaking back in at all hours of the night.

The elevator required walking past the potentially bored desk clerks, so I took the stairs. My back and hips twinged with every step, but I just grinned to myself. I’d be sore as hell tomorrow. Every move I made would remind me, as it did now, of everything Anthony had done tonight. Goose bumps prickled my arms and back as I continued up the stairs. In spite of the conversations we’d had, the revelations about my son-of-a-bitch uncle, all I could think about was the sex. The amazing, painful, perfect sex that we’d both needed like never before.

“I love you, Jesse.”Anthony’s whispered words echoed in my ears, and my idiotic smile broadened. How long had it been since I’d felt this way about someone? Had Ieverfelt this way about anyone? Didn’t matter. I felt this way now, that was for damn sure.

I stopped at one of the landings and realized that, in my mental haze, I’d gone right past my floor and continued up to the next one. Shaking my head, I turned around and went back down.

Tired, distracted, and aching, I somehow remembered which room was mine and found the card key in my pocket. I swiped the key, and when the LED turned green, pushed open the door.

The light was on. Simone? Awake at this hour? That was unusual.

So was her tense posture and pointed glare when I stepped into the room. She sat cross-legged on the bed, hands folded in her lap and her eyes colder than I’d ever seen them.

“Enjoy yourselves?” The venom in her tone raised the hairs on the back of my neck.

I cleared my throat. “I…” Fuck, what did I say?

She folded her arms across her chest and fidgeted, the movements taut like she was merely redistributing the fury that was a breath away from coming out.

I swallowed hard. “Is there—”

“I’m not blind, Jesse,” she said. “You think you’re all slick and subtle, but come on. You don’t think I knew where you were tonight?”

I gritted my teeth. “Look, he asked me to meet him so we could talk about—”

“Talk?” She threw her head back and laughed. “Oh my fucking God. Really, Jess? Really? You think I’m going to buy that?” She narrowed her eyes. “And I suppose you had a nice heart-to-heart, did you? Naked in bed, I’m sure.”

I flinched and looked away.

“That’s what I thought.”

“What do you want me to say?” I threw up my hands. “I’m sorry, Simone. For everything, I—”

“You’realwaysfucking sorry, Jesse.” She shook her head and made a disgusted noise. “God, why don’t you just bring him in here and fuck him while I watch? You’re already rubbing my nose in it, so why not go all the goddamned way?”

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