All Chapters of Finding Home In Him: Chapter 11 - Chapter 20

It's late, and the home is quieter than normal, except for the security system's hum now and then. I should be looking over Thorne Enterprises' most recent financial reports, but something about the night is bothering me. I can't stop thinking about how Jackson disobeyed me earlier today. It's scary how he looks at me and how he challenges me. I can't shake the idea that he isn't here just because he needs me; there's something deeper going on. I sit back in my chair and rub my temples, trying to concentrate on what I'm doing, but my mind keeps going back to him. He is not like anyone else I know. I find him both frustrating and interesting since he is so unpredictable. As I brush my fingers over my hair, I hear footsteps coming closer to my study. I already know who it is without looking up. It's Victoria Caldwell, my long-time family friend and trusty helper. She has always been calm and helpful while I've been operating the business, no matter what. But tonight, I don't want to b

The next morning feels different. There is still a lot of tension in the air from last night, but there is also something more that makes my stomach churn in ways I don't want to admit. Jackson left before I could say anything else. I let him go because I knew I couldn't keep him. I pushed him too far, and now he's out there someplace, probably wondering if he really loves me. And I loathe it. I don't like that I care this much. I make myself get ready and go to work, and the typical routine kicks in, even though my mind keeps going back to Jackson. All I can think about is last night, even though the day is dragging on with meeting after meeting. Jackson kissed me in a way that made me feel like he was attempting to resist something he couldn't quite express in words. He didn't say it, but I could tell that kiss meant something to him. It was important to me, too. And I don't think I want to admit it yet. Around noon, right before I leave for lunch, Jackson sends me a text. Whe

The doorbell rang, a loud, harsh sound that cut through the silence of the house. Jackson stopped in his tracks. He had been wandering around the mansion without a plan, trying to forget about Charles, but his thoughts stuck to him like shadows. But suddenly, there was a fresh feeling of tension in the air. "Who is it?" Jackson mumbled, his voice too tight for his taste. He heard someone in the corridor say, "Let me guess." "You don't expect anyone to come over." Charles walked into the room, and his face was unreadable, but his eyes changed—a flicker of something he didn't want Jackson to see. Jackson heard the distinct sound of high heels on the marble floors a moment later. Victoria. Jackson's stomach turned. It had been months since he last saw her, right before things started to change between him and Charles. He hadn't heard from her since then, and suddenly she was here. The door opened, and she strolled in, as graceful as ever. Her platinum blonde hair fell in lovely cur

Jackson sat at the big kitchen counter, stirring his coffee without thinking about it. The sound of the spoon hitting the mug was louder than normal. His thoughts were somewhere else, far away from the beautiful kitchen that had become his jail. The heavy, tense air between him and Charles was hard to breathe, but even worse were the things Pierce had said to him earlier that day. "Jackson," Pierce had replied, his typically easygoing tone now sounding more serious. "There's something you don't know about Charles." Something I've been trying to keep him safe from. But I can't tell you. Not yet." The phrases kept going around in Jackson's head, attempting to figure out what they meant. It made sense in so many ways that Charles had erected a veneer of coldness and control. But now that Pierce had given him a cryptic warning, it all felt like a game. Jackson didn't know the rules, but the game was still playing him. Jackson leaned back in his chair and tapped the side of the mug with

Jackson strolled into Charles's office, thinking it would be another boring day of work. But as soon as he walked in, the mood in the room changed. Charles was standing by the big window with his back to the city and looking out. The normally cold, calculating mood was gone. He seemed far away and weak, in a way that Jackson had never seen before. There had been silent but evident tension between them for weeks. Jackson tried to dismiss it, but it was impossible when every look and touch between them felt like it meant more than it should. He knew he wasn't dreaming it, and the knot in his stomach got tighter as he stood there and watched Charles from behind. "Charles?" Jackson murmured softly, his voice shaky, not knowing if he was interrupting anything private. Jackson thought for a second that Charles might not have heard him because he didn't answer right away. But then Charles gently turned around, and when their eyes met, Jackson's pulse skipped a beat. For a short time, nei