Billionaire Unexpected~Jax -J. S. Scott Page 0,25

our separate ways just wasn’t going to cut it for me anymore.

I was getting addicted to Harlow’s presence, and I was going to make damn sure this friendship didn’t end after the four weeks we’d agreed upon.

In my mind, because we hadn’t made a deal on anything after that four weeks, it was open for negotiation.

Honestly, I hoped that after four weeks, she’d hang out with me because she wanted to, not because she had to do it as part of some agreement.

Harlow yawned before she said, “I guess I should have skipped the wine tonight.”

I scrutinized her face as I asked, “Did you sleep okay last night?”

She shot me a genuine smile, and my dick was instantly hard.

Harlow was slowly improving, and I didn’t take a single one of those smiles for granted since it had rarely happened in the beginning.

“I told you that I’m sleeping just fine,” she assured me. “I think the wine just made me a little tired because I ate an early lunch. I probably just need to go make something for dinner.”

“If you’re hungry, I can just order out,” I told her.

“Absolutely not,” she insisted. “I’m making dinner, and I doubt I’ll fade away from hunger before it’s done.”

“I should have ordered earlier,” I grumbled. “I’d prefer that you never have to go hungry again.”

Harlow had curves in all the right places, but she didn’t carry any extra weight, so the food deprivation she’d suffered during her imprisonment had definitely shown. She’d been too thin when she’d first gotten released as a hostage.

“I’ll eventually make up for those lost meals. Wilma is an amazing cook,” she said, referring to my housekeeper’s culinary skills in an amused tone. “Taylor and I used to dream about all the things we’d eat once we got released. It’s weird what you’ll do when you’re in captivity to avoid going crazy.”

“What did you think about?” I asked.

She laughed. “Good Mexican and Thai food, and ice cream.”

“And have you gotten your fill of all of those things now?”

“I wish,” she replied wistfully. “I got my groceries delivered once I got back to my apartment, and Ben & Jerry’s was always on the shopping list. Unfortunately, most of the good Thai and Mexican restaurants aren’t in my area. Hopefully, now that I’m doing better, I’ll get to all of my favorites, eventually.”

My gut ached when I thought about how isolated Harlow must have felt over the last several months. She’d lost Mark, and it was evident that he was the person she’d talked to the most. She’d been intentionally distant with Taylor because of her perceived guilt about putting her friend in a bad situation. Then, because she’d had no real outlet or help dealing with the trauma of her experience, the depression and anxiety had set in. She’d eventually become a victim of her own fear and guilt, which had gotten so bad that she’d confined herself in her small apartment alone.

Nobody knew better than I did just how dangerous it was to be way too alone with just your own thoughts. If a person already felt like they were on the edge, that shit could push them right over the cliff.

Luckily, I’d had family available, and Hudson and Cooper could relate because we’d all had similar experiences.

Harlow had no siblings, and she hadn’t felt comfortable spilling her guts to her mother. She’d been utterly and completely alone with her own thoughts, without a single coping mechanism.

Christ! It was a miracle she was still sane.

“Why don’t you stay here tonight?” I suggested impulsively. “Tomorrow is Sunday, and we’d have the whole day to knock around town if you feel up to it. There’s a great Mexican restaurant there, and some of the best ice cream in the entire San Diego area.”

Harlow had stashed some extra clothing, a second bathing suit, and workout clothing in the coat closet. She always took a shower after she left the pool, and put on clean clothing, so she couldn’t refuse because she didn’t have a change of clothes.

Truth was, I really wanted to spend the day with Harlow, but I wasn’t going to push her if she didn’t feel ready to sit down in a restaurant. Sometimes we took a walk after dinner, but my neighborhood was as quiet as a graveyard after dark.

Harlow chewed on her lip for a moment before she said, “It’s always busy in the downtown area.”

“It can be,” I agreed. I didn’t bullshit Harlow, and I didn’t plan on