Tell Me You Love Me ✓

30. Fate

Heart pounding, head spinning, Greer sat stunned. She'd never known a man who made more abrupt exits, but then again, she'd never met anyone like Jackson Bellefonte. What was wrong with him? Okay, so he wanted more. More what? Be exclusive? They already were. Had been from the beginning. Well, except for Andreas' visit, but she'd just met Jackson, so that didn't count. Since then, she'd not considered any other man. And by doing so, she'd caused this.

Stupid, stupid, stupid. No, the blame wasn't his. She owned it. She let that roll around in her head for a few minutes, considering all the possibilities, and the only sensible one was sticking to her plan. Okay, so the lawsuit changed her timeline, but the result was the same. Get back to the life she left behind.

Why did he think she'd take a chance he might be in love with her? Ridiculous. At least not for the long haul, and he didn't understand. It wouldn't last. It never did. And if he broke her heart, she wouldn't recover. Not this time.

And the thought of her family and Jackson's together made her laugh out loud. She could picture Mrs. Bellefonte, pale with disbelief, when Mom showed up with a younger husband, and wanted to frolic in the backyard buck naked, while Greer's dad offered Mr. Bellefonte a homegrown joint.

Replaying the scene, she lost her breath. I want it. You figure it out. Marriage? No, couldn't be what he meant. Sure, he needed more than a casual affair, but not marriage. A promise to sleep with only him. No problem. But why balk when she asked him to say he'd never love her?

It was the whole happily-ever-after thing. He was trying to change her way of thinking. It wasn't she didn't believe in happy endings. She did. For some people. Just not her. Or Mom. Or Dad. Or Ava. Nope, no fairy-tale-ride-off-into-the-sunset for the Starkey family. Couldn't he see that? She based her conclusion on facts, not theory.

Both kitties hooked claws in the comforter and crawled to join Greer in bed. She placed fingertips to temples as they settled in her lap. "I'm in deep shit. He has feelings for me and I don't know what to do." She stroked their fur, and they purred in contentment. "Yep, you're correct. He makes me hum the same way. And his kisses." She drew a long breath, held it, then released it as if meditating. "Not to mention the dirty talk." She lifted Medusa to eye level. "Any tomcats ever purr nasty things to you? Probably not. Maybe it's because Jackson's so moral and different from any man I've ever dated, but when those filthy words come out of his mouth, I feel like I might combust."

She must be crazy, she was even holding conversations with kittens on a regular basis.

She replaced the cat next to her brother. "Well, neither of you have been a bit of help." She scooted from the bed and headed to the bathroom. A hot shower would clear her head. Because if she liked it or not, there were choices to be made.

The pounding hot water didn't help. She still had a brain full of questions. At least the confusion with Jackson pushed the threat of losing Emma to the back of Greer's mind. Temporarily.

Climbing back into bed, she pulled the cover up to her chin. The memory of Jackson naked caused her to shiver. What kind of man stops as he's about to have his turn? Damn, he'd been patient while she experienced two orgasms, then quit because she wanted him to promise he wouldn't fall in love with her?

She bolted upright. Enough was enough. No more pondering about love and commitment and all that other malarkey. Traipsing into the kitchen, she removed the fresh bread from the pan. She put the surveillance photos in a safe place, then loaded the dishwasher.

She took out a leftover bottle of wine, then cut the bread she'd planned to give to Mr. Mooney as a thank-you, but a half-loaf would be enough. Besides, she wanted to try the graham cracker recipe to make sure it tasted okay. A good cook always tested the finished product when possible before giving it as a gift.