I sense him before I feel his hands slide around my waist. “Sweetheart, I have to take this call before my mother chews my head off. Don’t go anywhere.”
“I’m not.”
He steps out and I go back to looking at books. I’m in the middle of reading the blurb on the back when I’m bumped on the shoulder. I spin around to find the hotel registration chick in my face. “You need to go back to wherever you came from. I’ve worked so hard to get his attention only for a whore to come down here and steal him away.”
“He was never yours to begin with. If he wanted you, you’d be with him. Now get away from me because I’ll show you where I’m from in a minute and I guarantee your fake nose will need a readjustment.”
She extends her hand to slap me, but I’m too fast and hit her with the book in my hand. I walk away without another word like nothing happened. “I’ll take these,” I tell Mr. Daniels who I’m sure saw the entire thing. She storms out of the bookshop, holding her cheek.
“She goes after every rich guy that she can sink her claws into, but Jamison knows a pearl from a barnacle when he sees one.”
“Thank you. I’m sorry to even cause a scene.” I say, handing him my card.
“I didn’t see anything.” He winks and hands it back with my receipt. “Come back any time you’d like.”
I step out onto the pavement to see Jamison on the phone with his back to the store. That dumb bitch doesn’t see me and tries to put the moves on Jamison. He’s quick to side step her as she reaches out to hug him, falling flat on her face.
“I guess you broke your nose all on your own.”
“What were you doing, Nicole?”
“You’re supposed to want me. I’ve brought in guests, made the hotel great. I’m supposed to be the one you’re supposed to spoil and fuck. I’m sure I’m better than her.”
“You’re fired. I don’t want you and never have. You don’t want me either. You’re looking for a permanent meal ticket.”
“Ugh. You two deserve each other. I need to find Charles.”
“What for?”
“What do you care? You tossed him aside. He’s not a bad lay. You missed out.”
“You planned this with him?”
“No, but he came in drunk and well, so was I. Good times.” She walks away to go hunt down my stepbrother.
“They deserve each other,” I mutter.
“I don’t want to think of either of them. Did you find what you were looking for?”
“No, crazy the hoe over there interrupted me. So did you hang up your call?”
“Oh shit.” He puts his phone to his ear, and I hear some giggling on the other end which makes me insanely jealous especially after dealing with this chick. “Yes, mom. Dinner tomorrow will be great. Bye.”
I release a sigh of relief, but he takes it as a bad thing. Tilting his head, he grabs my hand and apologizes, “Sorry about that. She’s insistent.”
“That’s okay. Someone promised me a day of reading. So the night is all yours.”
“You’re all mine.” He tugs me close, cupping my face, kissing me until I’m breathless.
“Forever,” I whisper.
“Damn right.” We kiss until the whistling kicks in.
“I’ve had enough of town today. Take me home and show me what else Spring has to offer.”
“With pleasure, sweetheart.”
And he did…over and over all night long.
Epilogue
Jamison
“What the hell do you mean he got off with probation?” I roar into the phone. I had a feeling this was how it would end.
Charles Ellis got off way too easy for what he pulled two months ago. I could rip his heart out for what he did to Cassandra, but then if he hadn’t, she and I might never have met. That thought is unwelcome, so I push it out of my head as my lawyer starts bumbling about the verdict.
“I’m sorry, but that’s the best we could do. With his money, he hired great lawyers. Hell, if you didn’t have your pull, he would have gotten away with no charges at all. A fine and probation seem reasonable.”
“Reasonable? Stalking, theft, and assault are all real crimes,” I roar into my phone, which cracks in my hand. I look at it and it’s still working, so I attempt to relax. Until I met Cassandra, I never understood the power another being could have over me. She owns my soul, and I’d do whatever it takes to keep her safe.
“Stalking was too hard to claim because it was a one-time thing that would barely warrant a restraining order. Also they played the worried big-brother card. It’s the best we could get. Besides, if he actually got jail time, I’m sure he’d seek revenge when he got out. Hopefully you and your wife will never have to see him again.”