Page 111 of Playing With Secrets
His words strike me, making my stomach flip.
I love this man.
I push up and bring myself back to the room. “Your beard is shiny and covered with my…”
“Yeah. I knew it would be.” He steps closer to me. “Kiss me and taste what a good girl you are.”
I pull him to me and lick his lips. Our mouths collide and my mind spins. As much as I’d like to say this was exactly what we needed, how he proclaimed his love for me felt like we were worlds apart.
He pulls away and runs his thumb over my lower lip. “How are you feeling right now?”
“Better than you.” I jump off the counter and pull my skirt down. “How long have we been in here?”
“I don’t know, but that doesn’t matter right now. What’s done is done.” He adjusts himself and then pulls me into his arms. “Before you ask. I don’t regret this and I hope you don’t either.”
My eyes widen, and I slide my hands around his neck. “Why would I regret this? You’re the one who wanted to take this slow. If you remember, I was at your house last night begging for this. You are the one who said we needed to be friends first.”
His eyes penetrate mine like he’s trying to send me a secret message through osmosis. “I know what I said, but that’s not what I want. It’s what has to be, though. At least for a while longer.”
“What does that mean?” A vise grips my heart, and the pain is so sharp I push away to escape it. “Please don’t tell me you’re going to go cold on me again.”
“Do you trust me?” He reaches for me and pulls me back to him.
I resist a little, so I trip into his arms. “Yes. More than most people I know.”
“Good. I need you to if this is going to work.” He swallows as his eyes send me a message I’m not clearly receiving.
“What does that mean? You’re going to need to explain because I’m having a hard time reading between the lines, Jami.”
“I don’t want to fuck this up. We both have a lot of things to take care of before we can move forward. That said, I want this with you. I’m ready to take on Aiden.”
“Do you mean that?”
“Yes. I’m done stepping aside and waiting for you to choose someone else. If you decide it’s not me you want, then I’ll pack up and move once the app is up and running. But I’mgoing to fight for you. Just give me more time to do it publicly.”
“Why am I getting the feeling you’re hiding something from me?”
“This is where I need you to trust me. Give me a little while to get my mess straightened out.”
Mess?
Jami doesn’t get himself into trouble.
My world tips slightly. “What kind of mess are you in, Jami?”
He presses his forehead against mine and holds my sides in his hands. He takes a minute to breathe. I run my fingers through the back of his hair, fighting the dreadful heaviness filling the room in a thick fog.
My heart plummets with his lack of explanation. “Please talk to me, Jami. I can handle anything if you tell me what to expect.”
“I’ve gotten myself into a bind. I wish I could tell you everything, but I can’t. One day, when I know it’s safe, I’ll explain everything. Hang on and trust me until then.” He presses his lips to my forehead.
“Now I’m terrified. What the fuck is going on? And don’t give me thistrust mebullshit.” I take a step back, his touch lingering on my skin even as I push him away.
The blood in my body runs hot and cold because I’m both worried sick and pissed off to all lengths.
“Dori, please. I need a little more time. If I tell you now, I’ll lose everything.”
“Tell me what you’ll lose and then I’ll decide if I can wait.” My hands rest on my hips as he considers my demands.
