“I’ll never be able to look at a cherry again without getting turned on,” she admitted with a soft laugh.
His chest tightened, something warm curling in his gut at the confession. The sound of her girlie giggle, light and genuine, was oddly comforting.
“Well then, love. Mission accomplished.” He grinned.
“Jamie, I don’t need presents. You shouldn’t buy me things,” she said, though he could see the conflict in her eyes.
Jamie’s hand moved to her hair, his thumb brushing the soft strands before tucking a lock behind her ear.
“They weren’t really presents, love,” he said. “But you have to admit...”
“Admit what?” She glanced at him, eyes still wary, but there was a flicker of curiosity beneath the surface.
“They got your engine fired up,” he teased, his knuckles skimming herjawline.
The touch was soft, affectionate, and it sent a visible shiver over her skin, making him smile even wider. “You trusted me, and we had fun together.”
After the way she came, he didn’t need to ask if she’d enjoyed herself again. But for some reason, he wanted reassurance, needed to know that, despite her walls, she’d let herself experience something filthy with him.
Shannon nodded, her lips curling into a small smile. “Yeah, they did... It was certainly a unique experience.”
“A first?”
“Yeah.” Her voice softened, her pupils blowing wide as her expression revealed a mix of shyness and honesty. “The first time someone cared about making it… about me.”
Jamie’s heart thrummed in his chest, a beat of ownership taking him by surprise.
She didn’t know it, but in that moment, she gave him everything he didn’t know he needed to hear.
Which meant he wasn’t done with her, not by a long shot.
He pulled her closer, dragging her onto his chest. The steady thrum of her heartbeat matched his own, and something in him relaxed.
Shannon nestled her head against his chest. “So, what happens now?”
Jamie smiled, his fingertips tracing small circles on her back.
“Now, I gotta go,” he muttered.
Kissing the top of her head, he moved out from underher and climbed off the bed. “I have to be in Vegas for a meeting.”
He redressed and slid his favourite leather jacket on, running a hand through his messy hair before glancing back at her.
“I’ll think about those cherries, and the chocolate... and you,” he said, staring at her on the bed. “Until I see you again this Friday, love.”
Her gaze lingered on him as he moved toward the door, a flicker of vulnerability in her eyes that made him think leaving so soon had crossed a line.
“Shannon? All good?” he asked again, though his voice had dropped a little.
She smiled, a faint sadness tugging at the corners of her lips as she hugged the pillow tighter to her chest. “All good, Jamie. We’re good.”
Her words should have been reassuring. But there was an unspoken weight in the air now, the kind that settled deep in his chest.
25
Jamie
Jamie arrived in America after a smooth flight, crossing time zones without a second thought.
