The Billionaire’s Betrothed(40)

The door slammed shut after them, leaving nothing but the sound of my thundering heart in the room.

“I’m sorry about that.” Jake said quietly, standing as he walked around to the chair before me.

He knelt down, his hands on my knees, stilling the trembling of my body.

She was right, of course. I’d not lonely lost my husband the child I carried within me, but there was irreversible damage done to my body.

I was barely a woman anymore.

I struggled to breathe, unable to meet the gaze of the man who watched me with worry in his eyes.

With a sigh, he pulled me from the chair and into his lap, where we leaned back together against the cool wood of his office, finding ourselves seated once more a dingy floor.

His fingers stroked my hair as my face vanished into his lapel.

“She’s right.” I said quietly, “I’ll never have another child.”

“It’s always possible to have children.” Jake whispered in my ear, “Whether you carry them or not, there’s a child looking for love in the world.”

I sniffled, eyes closing as he twirled a lock of hair around my finger.

“And for the record,” He added quietly, voice gruff against the sensitive flesh of my earlobe, his teeth just barely grazing the skin, “I don’t particularly care about passing on this business to a child.”





Chapter Ten





The next day at work was an awkward one.

Tessa avoided me, though her gaze and rage was scathing. She had transferred her passions to Eric, apparently, hanging all over him as though she were his newest coat.

I was sure she was attempting to get under my skin or Jake’s, but neither of us were particularly mindful of her actions.

Eric, on the other hand, was lapping it up. I wished him all the best on that front, girl was cray.

“Caroline.” Jake said, voice smooth as dark chocolate, his hand finding its knowing home on the small of my back, “come with me.”

I nodded, allowing him to pull me away from the tiny office that had been my home for the past week. I was all too glad to go, the less time I spent sharing Tessa’s space, the better.

He guided me into his office, closing the door after I entered.

Quickly turning, he pressed his hands against the wood of the thick door, trapping me between his palms.

Jake's face was close, the bridge of his tan nose hanging so close, I could feel the soft puff of his sweet breath against my lips.

Instantly, my mind went fuzzy, as though I were intoxicated with his body heat, unable to find my focus in the deep green seas of his beautiful eyes.

My hands instinctively slid forward against the silky black of his suit jacket that hugged his strong, muscled chest, finding my balance, lest I should sink down to my knees with desire.

It had been so long since I felt this way about another person, not just with the desires of passion, but with the desire to lay, heart to heart, and feel the beating of his soul.

"I couldn't stop thinking about you last night." He murmured into my ear, one strong finger twirling a lock of my hair as tightly as he had me wrapped around his finger.

"Really?" I gasped, eyes closing, his breath lingered around my ear, lips pressing just below my earlobe to the now sizzling inch of flesh on my neck.

My head lolled, his burly arms wrapping around my body and pressing against me so both of our bodies were pressed firmly against the wooden door behind us. His knee slid between my legs, parting my knees, body weight sinking against his firm leg.

His mouth travelled further, burning lips and tongue trekking their own journey down the veins of my neck, until he nipped willfully at my collarbone.

A shudder rippled up my body, my fingers curling desperately against his black jacket, struggling to pull it free form his large shoulders.

"Now, now." He purred, lifting his head and pressing his forehead against mine, "Getting ahead of ourselves are we?" A smug smirk played at his lip, soft dimple barely popping in his tan cheek.

"What do you mean?" I asked, half whimpering, my fingers sill tugging at his jacket.

I wanted to see him, all of him. I was sure he would be beautiful even under the dim fluorescent lights of his office.

Jake Roma would be beautiful anywhere.

Need curled up inside of me, tendrils of red lust sizzling down each of my veins.

I wanted, I needed, this man.

"You have to let me woo you first." he crooned, "Let me take you out tonight."

"...You want to take me out?" I asked, blinking.

I thought, more than anything, our relationship would be solely carnal. Were either of us really prepared to be more than that?

The scars of our hearts were still so raw.

"Yes." He whispered, pressing his mouth to mine roughly, his tongue sweeping my lower lip, "Or will you deny me?"