Mr. Mitchell Billionaires' Club Book 2 - Raylin Marks Page 0,83
keep it all leveled out. I felt myself calming down—enough, anyway, to wonder if Jim had just dropped me and took off when he experienced enough of the crazy in my coping mechanisms…and my life in general.
“Forrest Lawn Cemetery?” he questioned in a way that had me look up at him to see if he was teasing about where I’d ended up. “Good as anything, I guess.” He looked down at me and half-smiled.
I noticed the man had managed to at least get his suit jacket off and still catch me. I looked over at his brown leather shoes. “I’m sorry I just put you through that,” I said. “I had to get it out. I swear I felt like I was going to have a heart attack or stroke in that traffic.”
Jim placed his hands on his hips. “How are you feeling now?”
“Like I still have to run this out of my system.”
“Well, Griffith Observatory is that way.” He pointed down the street where the freeway overpass crossed over. “Beautiful night to observe stars.” He shrugged.
“Right.”
The sensation of being scared out of my life for no reason came bubbling back up. “Can we keep running?”
“We can run all the way to Bakersfield if that helps you, but are you sure your feet can handle it?” He grinned.
“I’m more worried about the impending stroke than my feet falling off,” I tried to tease.
I took off, jogging next to Jim, not needing the crazy-ass full speed run I’d needed from earlier. My crazy, panic run ended with me and Jim at Griffith Park, overlooking the lights of downtown LA.
“Here.” Jim took my hand. “Sit with me. Unless you want to keep running?”
“Feeling like we’re out of that city and on top of the world is sort of working for me,” I said, sitting down, Jim following.
“I won’t ask you to talk about it,” he said softly.
“My crazy panic attack or the shit that caused it?” I exhaled and rubbed my forehead. “You’re a good guy, Jim. A great guy,” I said, covering the hand that he’d planted behind him to lean against. “You don’t deserve to be around this crap.”
“Neither do you,” he said.
“Yeah, I did this to myself,” I admitted.
“Are you trying to scare me off or something?”
“What?” I looked over at him.
“I am a grown-ass man last time I checked. I don’t need you trying to frighten or warn me off from what I know I want.”
“Your feet are going to hate you in the morning for this,” I changed the subject.
“What makes you think I don’t take runs daily in my work shoes?” he countered, and I saw the smile on his face.
“Really?” I said with a soft laugh.
“Yep.” He glanced up at the stars. “These things are pretty much my running shoes.”
“No shit? Some designer created a pair of men’s business shoes that work like running shoes?” I said, finding my smile again.
“For what they cost, I should be able to water ski in the mother fuckers, too. Unfortunately, I can’t.” He laughed. “Great innovative idea, though. Honestly, my feet are fucked tomorrow. They’re not only dress shoes, but they’re also brand new and not broken in yet.”
“Oh, damn.” I cringed. “Jesus, how far is back your car?”
“And the Avery I’ve fallen for is back.” He brought his arm around me, and my adrenaline started crashing with the comfort of letting myself collapse into his side.
“Your car? That thing isn’t cheap.”
“It’s back by the cemetery, most likely on blocks by now. Stripped to nothing, I’m sure.” I felt him laugh and rub along on my arm. “What about that poor car of yours?”
“Who the hell knows,” I said. “Probably getting diagnosed as dead on arrival at the towing yard.”
“Well, shit.” Jim sighed, and I could tell he was in a light-hearted mood. “You almost totaled the Ferrari in England, most likely killed your car, and my other car sits back at Forrest Lawn, awaiting its internment.”
I nudged him. “Let’s get back to your car. I still have no idea why we’re over here and not in Laguna. What made you change your mind about going there?” I asked, my mind functioning normally again.
“After we left the house, and while you seemed to be calming yourself down, I had to deal with the anomaly that there were accidents all around us. The 5 freeway was the only one opened up. So, I just figured we take that route, and bring you down through Hollywood Hills instead. Then your