Breathless: In Love With an Alpha Billionaire (Breathless 1)

"Don’t

play me for a fool, Destiny," he spoke, a hint of a smirk on his lips. "I can tell something is bothering you, and you’re always like this when Montie’s weekend rolls around."

I focused on my food, not making eye contact. His eyes burned a hole through me, so I couldn’t look away for too long. "He’s just Montie being Montie. No big deal," I said.

"See that’s the kind of thing I’m not going to have happening with my woman. He’s not going to keep coming around upsetting you like this and leaving me to have to deal with it. I think it’s time for me and Montie to have a talk. Tell me what happened."

"Fine," I mumbled as I put my fork down. "Montie did say a few things today that got me thinking, that’s all."

"Go on," Jacob sat back in his seat.

I swallowed the hard lump in my throat. "You wouldn’t leave me because you were bored with me, would you?" I asked. “I try not to let him get to me, but I can’t help but see the glaring similarity of his claim of what you’ll do to me and what you did to Justine,” there I said it. World War III was probably looming after my admission, but Jacob did leave Justine without warning after he hooked up with me in a bout of insta-love.

"So, you don’t trust that what we have is real?”

“I’m not saying that, because I believe it is, but—”

“Look, Montie knows how to stir up your insecurities the same way Justine plays on my emotions. We can’t let them do that to us. In order for us to work, we have to trust that if one of us walked off the side of the earth that it’ll be okay to follow because that’s how well we know each other’s heart and intentions.”

“I trust you, Jacob. I really do,” I said.

“And I'm satisfied right where I am and I’m not leaving, even if Montie cries foul every two weeks," he said, looking intently at me. "Besides, your multiple personalities keep the excitement going."

I laughed, feeling a blush creeping up my neck.

"One minute he's asking why you aren’t there. The next minute he's saying you're around too much and questioning your boundaries with the kids and…" I paused and took a sip of my wine.

"And what?"

"Talking about you being white."

"Does that bother you?" he asked, pushing his plate away from him.

"Not one bit. I wouldn’t have you anyway but the way you are."

"Have the kids said anything about it?"

"No, they don't see color. They only see the love you show them."

"I don’t care what anyone thinks as long as we all see the human side of each other. Everything else is other people's problems," he said and pulled his dinner plate back in front of him.

I picked up my fork and went back to enjoying dinner, as well. I didn’t notice him glaring at me until I saw his fork still on the plate and he wasn’t moving.

"Why aren't you eating?" I asked.

"Do you question my boundaries with your children?" he asked as his phone beeped. He glanced at it and looked annoyed. "I only want them to be comfortable around me, but if you think I need to back off…" he was saying.

"No! I love the way things are going. I wouldn’t change it for anything." I gave him a reassuring smile. "Trust me…I believe we are moving in the right direction. I don’t want you to change a thing."

"Good, because I have really been enjoying myself." Slowly, a smile crept on his lips and he finally started eating again.

"Me too. I’ll tell you what, Jacob. Let’s eat and go back to your condo to read a good book in your new bed. It looks sturdy enough for a lot of reading, but I wonder how sturdy it really is," I said.

"I’m sure it’s sturdy enough for me to read you until you forget your ex’s bullshit," he said.

I took a few more bites then looked at him. Suddenly, I was not nearly as hungry for food, but I had a thirst for knowledge that could only be found in the book of Jacob.

"What ex?" I giggled.