Page 58 of Jordan

"Oh, just bite me." She flounced off in the direction of the kitchen and slammed the door shut behind her.

Grinning like an idiot, he returned to the pages that were taking his complete attention. She was amazing, he thought as he read some more. She had changed the tone of the book, and it was more of a biography than anything else.

Instead of her usual dark and wild passion – the characters had a lovely cadence about them. A man falling for a woman who was not in his social hemisphere. The trauma the woman went through in the past, lack of love in the man's family and the thirst for something he never knew he wanted.

Lifting his head, he leaned back in the chair and closed his eyes. His wife. A smile touched his lips as his mind drifted over the past few months. The incredible joy of discovering they were pregnant. He knew he was foolish with it, with her and was probably overdoing it when it comes to caring for her, but he could not help himself. He was happy and it showed.

They were having a son! His parents had come all the way around, inviting them to dinner on Sundays and looking forward to the new addition. His mother had gotten her treatment and was doing very well. His parents' marriage had also taken a turn. They were closer than ever and were doing well. His sisters were now taking an active part in the business. To everyone's surprise, Henrietta was particularly good at PR and Jennifer had found her niche in marketing.

Julesa had embraced them and the three of them had become remarkably close.

He looked up as the focus of his thoughts came back into the room, holding a cup of steaming herbal tea in her hand. His eyes scanned her face quickly to see if she was in any sort of discomfort.

"Well?" Easing herself into the chair, she balanced the cup and saucer on her lap. She was seven months pregnant, and it was getting increasingly difficult to find a comfortable position. And her back was killing her. If her husband had the slightest inkling that she was in pain, it would be back in bed for her. The man was annoying as hell.

"You don't need validation from me darling," he said quietly. "And I am humbled you allowed me to take a look at it. It's more than good. I was so caught up in the different plots and twists, that I was hardly aware that you were in the room." He grinned at her raised brows. "And you know how difficult that is for me to do." Pushing from the desk, he came around to sit next to her. "You have another bestseller on your hands."

Blowing out a breath, she took a sip of the scalding tea and willed her stomach to stop being so queasy.

"I included most of our own story in there."

"So, I realize." His hand stroked her arm as he watched her carefully. He had taken to bringing most of his work home from the office. She was going through a difficult pregnancy with the nausea coming on every other month. Last month had been theworst. She had been forced to stay in bed for two weeks and it had frustrated her. Jordan was determined to see to it that she takes care of herself.

"You really think it's good?"

"It's more than good. Your agent is going to piss his pants."

She laughed at the image, absurdly pleased that he liked it. She had been working assiduously on finishing the book, which had taken longer than usual because she had changed the entire theme. And added some more chapters. Most of it was set here in Winter's Peak with a few of the scenes at the tidy and gorgeous little vineyard in Tuscany where they had traveled to several times already.

She had discovered the richness of their story, the nuances that made their life together a tapestry of love, challenges, and triumphs. Each character she wrote seemed to echo their own experiences, the laughter, tears, and the unspoken bond between them.

Jordan could see the depth of her commitment to the story, the way she poured herself into every word, every scene. It reflected her resilience and creativity, a testament to the journey they were on together. And as he sat beside her, he felt a swell of pride and gratitude.

"Winter's Peak and Tuscany," Jordan mused, tracing his fingers up and down her arm. "Two places that hold so many memories for us. You've woven them beautifully into the narrative."

Her eyes sparkled with a mixture of exhaustion and satisfaction. "I wanted the story to feel authentic, to have roots in places that mean so much to us."

"It's a masterpiece," he said warmly. "And it's going to touch so many lives, just like our story has touched ours."

She smiled, a hint of relief washing over her features. "I'm glad you think so. It's been a labor of love."

"A labor of love that is going to pay off," he affirmed, his hand resting protectively on her burgeoning belly. "And our son will have a legacy to be proud of."

"That means a lot coming from you." An impish smile touched her lips. "I thought we could go out."

His eyes narrowed at her. "Where?"

"Tree shopping." She hurried on before he could object. "I've been cooped up inside the house staring at the four walls--"

"And driving the designers dealing with the nursery crazy."

She pouted. "How difficult is it to blend two different shades of blue?"

"Impossible, when you happen to change your mind every few minutes."

"Both Henrietta and Jennifer agree with me. You have to admit the end result is fantastic."

He concurred, but had no intention of letting her know that. She was obsessed with getting everything right and despite his threats and warnings to stay in bed, she would sneak out during the days when he was not around to go and take a peek in the room. They had hired a local woman to do the housekeeping, but she was no match for Julesa's willfulness.

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