It Started with a Kiss

I wince. Was I allowed to share that news? As a group, there’s an understanding that if one knows, we all know. What if Cammie doesn’t remember? I’d forgotten, and see, it all worked out without me jumping on the gossip grapevine. “Maybe he’s waiting to tell you guys. Don’t tell him I told you.”

“This is big news.”

“I know,” I reply with a smile. I’m game for any reason to go shopping. “I bet the clothes are adorable.”

“Is that why you asked about me as a baby?”

“Yes.” I reach over and start doodling on his chest with my finger. “I’ve been thinking.”

“I’m not ready for a baby, Marlow, if that’s what you’re thinking.”

“No. Me?” I lift up, shocked that would even cross his mind. “I don’t even have a place to live. No way am I ready for a baby.”

Reaching forward, he brings me closer and then dips so our eyes are even. “You have a place to live.”

“Temporarily.”

“But you have one.”

Pushing forward, I kiss him on those glorious lips. The scent of our bodies coming together still lingers like an aphrodisiac before the main course. How does he manage to make me so freaking horny all the time?

By simply existing.

We lie there in the dark for a minute that feels like ten, the silence killing me. “What are you thinking about?”

His body starts rocking with laughter. “How you wore me out?”

“Really? You relive the sex in your mind afterward?”

“Hell yes, how could I not?”

This time, I laugh but lighter. I quieten, and then he asks, “What are you thinking about?”

Normally, I’d smile, but I don’t have a good answer like he did. “I can’t stop thinking about how Cammie and Cade got married last year and bought a house two years prior. They’re settled in their jobs and now having a baby, and I was just evicted with nowhere to go and no money.”

“You sold the bags.”

“My life is just . . .” I take a staggering breath, not wanting to get upset. “It’s no reflection on their lives and not jealousy, but in comparison, it kind of makes me feel like I’m a mess.”

He pulls me into a strong-arm embrace, and I rotate into the little spoon position. Jackson kisses the side of my neck. Although he gets hot at night, I love being this close to him. With him.

“You’re exactly where you should be, Marlow.”

As we lie in the dark, his words running on a loop through my head, I can’t stop thinking about how easy it is to be here. Not just in his bed but also in his life. His apartment. His hours and days. And how seamlessly we’ve come to an understanding with space and peace between us.

Just knowing he’s near has given me a new level of comfort that I’ve never experienced before. It makes me regret not letting him into my life—and my heart—sooner.

16

Jackson

“I understand, Mr. Morgenstern, but the market is not open on Saturday.” I pace to the other end of the court and turn back. Even though we’re outside, I’m heated from the basketball game.

I didn’t get to sleep in as long as I would have liked, but the only time we could score at the courts is midmorning, so we booked it. Leaving Marlow in bed naked was harder. Literally. But she shooed me out the door and pulled her silky eye mask back down over her eyes. She was sleeping soundly by the time I left.

I don’t think I’ve ever wanted to stay in bed so badly before. Until I return home to her, I need to deal with Morgenstern and then show the boys how real men play the game.

Rad and Cade are shooting free throws and missing every damn shot. They’re an embarrassment. I need to end this call and show them how it’s done, but Morgenstern is going off about a drop in value and losing his shirt in stocks. I say, “I’m not a broker anymore. Even if the stock market was open, I didn’t renew my license.”

He says, “But you’re still registered. That must mean something.”

“The registration with the SEC is not current. There’s nothing I can do for you other than recommend you call your broker and have him ready to sell on Monday.”

“Is that what you think I should do? Sell? I thought you’d want me to hold on to the stocks like bonds and let them mature.”

“Mr. Morgenstern, I’m not making any recommendations. It’s not a stock I’ve been following to be in a position to give an opinion one way or the other. As I said, you need to contact your broker—”

“He’s in Jamaica celebrating his honeymoon.”

Fuck. He trusted me when I had no clients as a new wealth advisor and was trying to build my portfolio. I owe him for taking a chance on me. “Here’s what I can do. Since you’re still a client with Christiansen Wealth Management, let me make some calls. I’ll find out who’s covering for your broker. If they’re good, I’ll have them call you. If I don’t think they’re ready to handle your transactions, I’ll bring Andrew, the CEO, on to help you. Will that work?”