(Jessamine’s POV)My bedroom needs renovation.First, it was only Aiden, and now we had to share it with Charlie. My best friend placed the box and the puppy’s bag beside his luggage like they were ready to run together in case our friendship got murky again. Deborah tugged my best friend to join lunch, and in my case, after everything that happened earlier, I got emotionally tired that I only wanted to curl up in bed. Sleep was my therapy because it allowed me to detach my exhausted self from reality. Unless, of course, a nightmare joined me in my dream, like what happened last night.After our short talk, Aiden and I were okay again, but something inside me terrified me. Every time I remembered Bethany kissing him, jealousy was eating my heart. I imagined myself pulling her hair and dragging her out of the porch just for her to stay away from Aiden. But that would be weird.As I cast my mind back to the searing kiss we shared, my body could not stop feeling wild… and hopeful. It te
(Jessamine’s POV)The plan was to wait in the living room, but Deborah and Xavier were in their usual seat, looking at a brochure that came along with her mails. They must be considering going on another vacation or workcation since Deborah worked from home half the month and the other half she reported to the office. They raised their heads when they saw me exit my bedroom.“I’ll be in the park,” I muttered lazily, forcing a smile as I motioned my hand that I was going outside.Not waiting for them to answer, I headed to my destination. It was not a park but a garden near the parking space in the apartment. Holly and her husband were nice to set it up with a swing, slides, and monkey bars for tenants with kids. I settled on the wooden bench to hide from the sun. The conical shapes of the Green Giant trees behind the bench blocked the heat and brought great shade to the bench.I smiled, thinking of bringing Charlie here later. He would surely love this place.“Something bothering yo
(Jessamine’s POV)“Aiden…” I bit my bottom lip, seeing an Adonis stepping out of the bathroom.He halted and met my eyes. “Did you have another nightmare?” He asked worriedly.When I nodded, Aiden advanced to the bed and sat, facing me, instead of walking toward the closet to get his clothes. He didn’t mind that he was not wearing anything except for his boxer brief.I began to cry and threw my arms at him, sliding my arms around his neck. Then I lost myself in him. As our bodies were pressed together, little currents of pleasure rocketed everywhere, and I could not help moaning as he began to play with my fingers and grazed my arm, stopping on my shoulders.I didn’t know what got me. I found myself crawling into his lap and molding my lips to his mouth, kissing him with need and passion. Shivers of excitement coursed through me as his tongue met mine, touching and dancing, almost making me crazy. I felt Aiden smile when I moaned in his mouth, ignoring me when I groaned as his lips le
(Aiden’s POV)Deborah and Xavier exchanged glances, wondering how quiet we were at the dining table during breakfast. At first, I thought she would let this slide, ignoring us, not talking, not even looking at each other.“Hey, Charlie,” Deborah called to the puppy sitting on the rag and biting the edge of the cloth.Charlie stopped playing and looked at her, tilting his head to his side, recognizing her call.“Did something happen last night?” She asked as she lifted her mug.Instead of answering, our puppy returned to what he thought was more interesting, biting the rag. Perhaps even if he could talk, he knew the drill, and that would be not telling Deborah or Xavier what he saw last night. Charlie woke up when Jessamine stepped out of the bedroom and whimpered for a while, sensing something was wrong with us, but when we returned, he curled back into his bed and went back to sleep.“Nothing happened last night,” I muttered.“Something happened last night,” Jessamine sighed, standin
(Aiden’s POV)Charlie ran to the bathroom door when I unfastened the leash from his collar. He must have sensed Jessamine inside. He wagged his tail and then sat, waiting patiently for her to open the door. She would be pleased to hear that Charlie’s first-morning walk seemed delightful because he had already made friends with some of the tenants’ children playing in the garden.The marketing plan and the research she mentioned earlier were in her bed. I sat on the edge of the bed, scanning the contents and flipping the pages. I glanced over my shoulder, wanting to knock on the door to tell Jessamine her marketing plan was well-written and well-researched.I stood up and walked toward the coffee table, bringing the documents with me and taking my cell phone vibrating in my pocket. I placed the wireless Bluetooth earphone and answered the call immediately while my eyes were still on the paper.“Sasha,” I muttered.“Good evening… Er… good morning?” she greeted in her usual chirpy voice,
(Aiden’s POV)“Yes? You need help with something else?” I asked.My heart pounded hard, hoping she didn’t need my help putting on her clothes. I was running out of control in my system, and if she asked that, I feared I might pull her out of the bathroom and make love with her.A charming smile appeared on her lips as she shook her head. “I just want to say thank you, and I’m sorry.”“It’s okay.” It was not okay.I exited her bedroom and went out again for a walk. With a frown on my face, I felt restless and frustrated with my decision to see Jessamine again after being separated from her for many years. I paced along the pavement to think.Escaping from my extravagant life, reliving my old name, Aiden Anderson, and reuniting with her to help her steer her life’s direction were my reasons for returning to Carterville. I thought it would do me good, but it didn’t. I did not realize I would endanger our friendship by coming back.I missed her so much, and for almost ten years, I ached f
(Aiden’s POV)“What’s wrong with my clothes?” Jessamine asked with a shrug.She sat on the single sofa, bringing her white sneakers. Charlie approached her shoes, sniffing them at first, then he lay down and began chewing the shoelace.“Hey!” She chuckled, ignoring me, and took Charlie’s chew toy from the center table, giving it to him. “Play with your toy, not my shoelace, okay? I can’t be late.”If it were only me, I wouldn’t mind, but any man would take advantage of her as she was wearing a halter-neck, sleeveless white crop top, and black mini skirt. Jessamine let her dark amber hair fall freely on her back and put on light makeup and lipstick, but her clothes bothered me the most. Her skin on her waist waved hello to me as she leaned forward to tie her shoelace.“Here’s my key,” Deborah walked toward her, giving her the key and a paper bag with cupcakes inside. “And Aiden, stop looking at your best friend like that. This is a free country. She can wear whatever she wants.” She ro
(Aiden’s POV)“I have a heart problem,” the man coming out of nowhere muttered, smiling at Jessamine.I was too focused on the sexy doctor beside me that I didn’t notice where he came from. A patient? A staff? Another doctor? Eyeing him, I realized he looked more like a doctor than a patient. He must be in his mid-thirties, a good-looking fellow, but he was gazing at my best friend like she was a sweet delicacy.“Oh,” Jessamine exclaimed, standing up and blushing as she smiled back at the man. “I think you have a healthy heart, Christian.”He chuckled and shook his head. “Not after you broke my heart, Jess.”“Ha! Ha!” She rolled her eyes. “I did not break your heart.” Jessamine looked at me. “Don’t believe him.”I pursed my lips, unsure why she had to explain herself. My eyebrows knitted, and my eyes narrowed, studying him and racking my brain for his name in all her letters to me. There was no Christian in her list of ex-boyfriends. Returning to Carterville is discovering Jessamine,