Crave (His Second Chance with Heiress Bryn Christmas Duet #1) - Z.L. Arkadie Page 0,37
And his scent filled the room. Damn, he smelled so good. Jamison Cox was a hell of a sexy, well-dressed man—a woman’s dream. I could hardly believe we were making a go at a real relationship. At some point, we would have to discuss strategy regarding my brothers—mainly Jasper—and his father. But not yet.
“We’re late.” Jamison wrapped his arms around me, drawing me against him.
“And this doesn’t help.” I said, smoothing one of his eyebrows and then the other. We laid soft, sensual kisses on each other, and I tasted the minty toothpaste in his mouth. “We should go.”
Jamison nodded and took me by the hand, and together, we walked out into the hallway. We couldn’t kiss in the elevator because a group of skiers was riding down with us. I felt distracted by my own craving for Jamison.
Again, what is this I’m feeling? I had to force myself to take a breath. Maybe Jamison had opened something within me that I’d never known existed before then. I used to force myself to want sex. But the first time Jamison and I made love, our togetherness had put a dent in my safety box made of steel wherein I’d hidden away my unbridled lust. Dale and I used to have a lot of vociferous headboard-banging, floor-shaking sex during which he would be the only one who got off. Frankly, I never enjoyed having sex with Dale. During therapy, I learned that it wasn’t the act of sex that had turned me on—it was the string of actions that came before it that got me hot. I needed Dale to sneak into the mansion against Randolph’s wishes. In defiance, I took Dale into my bed and gave him my body, knowing that I would never make a vow to the man my father wanted me to marry—Carter Valentine, who was still one of my dearest friends. Carter was strange, but I understood how he’d acquired his weird personality. He and I had always loved each other and forever would, but not in that way.
Carter remained stuck in my mind as the elevator doors opened, and Jamison and I walked out, holding hands. “What were you thinking about on the way down?” Jamison said in my ear.
I smiled. “An old friend. I’ll introduce you to him one day.”
He grunted, intrigued. “Competition?”
The question made me blurt a chuckle. “Ask me that after you meet him.”
Jamison turned his head, eyeing me curiously. I winked at him.
Alana and Alex shot to their feet when they saw us.
“Those are your assistants?” Jamison asked.
I’d forgotten he wasn’t able to see how tall and modelesque Alana was with her long dark hair, high, sharp cheekbones, and come-hither eyes. And Alex was the male version of Alana, only he had muscles.
“I promise, I didn’t hire them because of the way they looked,” I said in a rush.
I gave Alex his preferred side hug, but Alana and I embraced each other tightly. “We have to talk about what I heard in that bedroom,” Alana whispered.
I dipped my chin as my face burned with embarrassment.
Then I squeezed Jamison’s strong shoulder and pointed a hand at Alana. “Jamison, this is Alana. She’s my associate interior designer.” My hand shifted to Alex. “And this is Alex, my craftsman. And Alana and Alex, this is Jamison Cox.”
Alana tilted her head. “And he’s your…?”
I glanced at Jamison. We’d already set what we were in stone. “He’s my new love interest.”
Alana laughed and rolled her eyes. Alex, who was generally a quiet person, smiled and reached out to shake Jamison’s hand. “Jamison. Nice to meet you.”
“Same here,” Jamison replied.
Alana, who wasn’t one for letting awkward moments linger, said there was a tavern in town that was supposed to have all the fattening food and drink a girl needed after two days of dealing with airport drama. Jamison offered to drive us in my rented SUV, so we left the hotel and piled into the car with Alana and Alex in the back seat.
“Oh gosh, now I remember,” Alana said from the back seat. “Jamison Cox. You’re a political analyst or something.”
“Strategist. And she mentioned me before?” Jamison sounded excited.
“Oh, definitely so.” Alana’s tone didn’t hint that whatever I’d said about Jamison was favorable. I couldn’t even remember mentioning Jamison to her. However, I kept Alana on my staff not only for her impeccable design skills but also for her exceptional ability to listen and remember everything that she heard.