Jilted Jock - Rebecca Jenshak Page 0,20

much anyway. Days apart and weeks without being touched, I didn’t know how he hadn’t already torn my clothes off and tossed me to the bed caveman style.

Actually, I did know. Richard treated me with the utmost respect and patience. He knew all about my past and you couldn’t know those things without treating me and sex with me differently. I’d learned that over time. Harry had been the same way. Eventually I hoped Richard would understand that it was okay. I wasn’t as fragile as he thought. It wasn’t like the sex was bad – it was great, it just lacked that eyes rolling back in the head, out of breath, passion I believed was still possible for me sober and damaged.

At the height of my addiction, I’d been raped. Though I didn’t remember it, only the excruciating days after when Chance had found out and went on a rampage to destroy everyone who had a part in it. Being raped hadn’t killed me or my ability to enjoy sex. It just made it so everyone else believed it had. In some ways it probably saved my life. Who knows what else might have happened if I hadn’t had such a brutal wakeup call?

“I’m so tired. Is it okay if I skip dinner? I’ll see them tomorrow.”

The heels of my feet dropped to the floor. “No.”

Richard’s eyes widened in surprise by my answer and then he smiled sheepishly.

“I’m sorry. It’s just that I’ve been looking forward to seeing you, and I want to spend the evening with you and my family.”

“You’re right.” He nodded and ran a hand through his hair. He dropped a kiss to my nose and then stepped back. “I’m gonna shower.”

“Good idea,” I responded, already looking for a clip to pin my hair up so I could join him. But the offer didn’t come, and Richard disappeared into my bathroom with his rolling bag and a tired look in his eyes.

Adele

After dinner, we sat around the old wooden dining room table that had once been my mother’s. CJ had passed out an hour ago leaving the four of us to talk. My brother and Richard didn’t have a lot in common, but they both tried for me – something I greatly appreciated.

Richard had on his adorable frowny thinking face as Chance explained plans to continue the landscaping in the back yard.

“Almost have it finished and then we can start in on the front.”

“Doesn’t look like I’m going to have to worry about landscaping anytime soon,” Richard said. “The opening of the New York office has already been delayed six months due to some conflicts with the building manager and the contractor.” He squeezed my shoulder with the arm that was wrapped around me. “It’s city living for the foreseeable future for me.”

“It got extended again?” He hadn’t mentioned another extension. I knew this job was important to him and that it would likely cement his advancement to partner, but it felt like we’d never be able to move on with our lives while we were living across the country from one another.

He shot me a rueful grin. “Yeah, I meant to tell you earlier.”

“Six more months isn’t so bad,” Aubrey piped up. “You can still visit each other on weekends. New York has so much to see.”

Seeing more of New York did excite me. It was just that the few times I’d gone, Richard had been stuck in the office and wandering the city by myself was a bit… overwhelming.

“Actually, I was thinking maybe it could be more than weekend visits.”

“How do you mean?” Chance asked.

The air was heavy as Richard took his time answering. “I was hoping you’d move with me.”

“To New York?” I asked though it was obvious.

“For six months? What about her job?” Bless Aubrey for asking because I couldn’t work through the shock to form a single coherent thought.

Finally, somewhere the answer clicked. “They’ve offered you the job to run the office.”

He nodded. “Just found out yesterday. I’ll finally be a partner.”

“That’s great,” I gushed because it really was. I knew this was his dream. Maybe not New York exactly, but location had never really mattered to Richard. He didn’t hold ties to cities and people that way. He’d moved all over as a kid and hadn’t lived anywhere near his family since college.

It was one of the things I’d found endearing about him – his ability to travel and tackle new cities without feeling lost or homesick. Home was just