shuhaige
44
She leaned her back into my chest, and I could hear the smile in her breathing.
We stayed quiet for several moments until she said, “Would you ever buy a place out here? Somewhere to slow down-you know, a space that forces you to unplug?”
“The air is my second home. I would hate to think I’d have to come back to the same place all the time, month after month, when there are so many spots I still want to visit.”
“Ah, but you’re looking at it all wrong.” She nuzzled her face against my neck. “This wouldn’t be travel. This would be an escape. Hotels are fabulous, but they don’t feel like home. This is somewhere that can comfort you, that will give you the extras, like the fuzzy, warm robe you take the time to put on after your shower, the high-end cookware you use to make yourself a meal, the hardcover you finally find the time to sit back and read. Then, after a couple days, you hop on the plane and travel like normal.”
The idea of a second home wasn’t foreign. Dominick had an investment property. My parents had several. I certainly saw the attraction and had considered it in the past.
I pressed my lips against the top of her head. “The only thing is, if I don’t go to the house often enough, I’d feel like I was cheating on her … and we already know I have a problem with commitment.”
She shook her head. “I can’t with you …”
I held her tighter, staring out onto the ocean. “This is beautiful, but it’s not a view I’d want.”
“What sight would you rather have outside your windows?”
“The mountains.” That was the scenery I often saw in my mind-the lush hills, covered in fresh snow or fall foliage, the fresh air. “Park City.”
“Utah is your special place, huh?”
There was something about Jo’s scent that reminded me of that town. “I’ve been many, many times. It never gets old. I never get tired of it. In fact, I almost crave going there. Have you been?”
“No.”
I exhaled. “There’s nothing like it.”
“Then, you need to go house shopping if you love it there so much.”
I laughed, but interestingly enough, she could be onto something. Even if it was just for investment purposes, it wouldn’t necessarily be a bad idea to add a home to my portfolio. The interest a deduction my accountant would appreciate. A place to crash during Walter’s build-out, which I’d be visiting almost monthly during construction.© 2024 Nôv/el/Dram/a.Org.
“I’m going to be doing some business there very soon,” I told her. “Maybe I’ll look at some places while I’m out there.”
“Perfect idea.”
I turned her face, giving me access to her eyes. “Why are you so for this?”
She ran her hand over my cheek. “I can’t pretend to know what your days are like and the stress that’s involved with your job. But I can hear it in your voice, and I can see it in your eyes. Everyone needs a moment to catch their breath, Jenner. Even you. You say you do that in the air and when you travel, that you separate yourself from work”-her fingers rubbed under my chin-“but part of me really doubts that. I get the feeling you maximize the plane’s Wi-Fi until the second you land. Even right now, there’s something on your mind.”
She saw right through every shield.
But work wasn’t the only thing on my mind.
At this moment, Jo was what I couldn’t get out of my head, taking up more space than I had ever allowed.
“And you think I’d be able to shut that all off if I had a second house?”
“If it was a designated area for that, yes. You would have to make a conscious effort, like putting it on your calendar, because unplugging doesn’t come naturally to you.”
Her hand lowered to my heart when I said, “You think you have me all figured out.”
“I know you better than you think I do.” Her lips tugged but didn’t make it into a full smile. “You might think you’re so much older than me, but you’re only in your early thirties, and burnout is a real thing-I’ve witnessed it firsthand. Don’t let it happen to you, where you start resenting law.”
When she lifted her fingers, I kissed them. “Are you worried about me?”
“I just want you to be the best version of yourself.” She adjusted her position across my lap, her stare intensifying once she settled. “To make that happen, we all need to make improvements in our life-myself most definitely included. If yours is a mental vacation that’s going to cost you a few million, something tells me you can afford it.”
“The best version of yourself.”
A woman had never said that to me before.
They were gone before they ever had the chance.
But was Jo staring at the best version of me?
I’d accomplished a hell of a lot over my career. I had financial freedom-something I’d never dreamed of achieving this young. I had a roster of clients who made my competition seethe in jealousy. One of the top law firms in the country would one day be handed to my brothers and me. I’d seen so many parts of the world that I had connections in almost every country.
But there was one area where I lacked.
One part of my life that my brothers and friends always gave me shit about.
I didn’t have anyone to share my success with.
With my hand now cupping her cheek, I whispered, “You’re right. About all of it.”
“I know.” She laced her fingers through mine. “And I know that wasn’t easy for you to say.”
I gazed at her lips, an aching hunger working its way through me.
I didn’t just want to kiss them.
I wanted to be able to stare at them every day.
I wanted to know they belonged to only me.
“Say what else is on your mind, Jenner.”
I raked my other hand through her hair. Her blue eyes were screaming like usual, but the color seemed even louder right now.
“You, Jo.” I traced a line down her mouth. “You’re on my mind … and it doesn’t seem like you’re leaving.”
She took a long, deep breath. “Do you want me to?”
Now, both hands were on her cheeks, locking her on my lap. “No.”