Jo and I got into my car without a plan. We were hungry, and the only way we were going to stop devouring each other was if we left my house. So, I just started driving, a part of me knowing where I was going to take her. I’d thought of the destination while we were in the shower, rubbing soap over her fucking amazing body, weighing the different options.
Only one place seemed right.
She knew LA. She’d grown up here. If she was going to return to the West Coast, it was because she wanted to be here, not because of a place I had shown her.
What we needed was a space where we could listen to each other.
But we needed food to do that as well, so I pulled up to the front of the restaurant and shifted into park.
“Nobu?” She laughed, and I remembered she’d mentioned this place in her text. “Of course we’re here; it’s so you.” She smiled. “And so delicious.”
“I’m just running in.” I opened my door. “It’s going to take me a minute. Stay put, all right?”
She nodded, and I left the car running and hurried inside, immediately greeted by the hostess.
“Jenner, hi,” Alyssa said, leaning forward across the desk in her low-cut dress. “It’s a little early for you, no? I usually don’t get to see you until way past sunset.”
“Alyssa …” The only negative of sleeping with the hostess of my favorite restaurant was having to see her every time I came in. “I’m in a rush. Any way I can place an order and you can have the guys quickly put it together?” I reached into my wallet and pulled out my credit card and a hundred-dollar bill, slipping both in her hand.
She glanced down at her palm, a grin moving across her face. “I’m sure I can work my magic. What do you want?”
Because I came here so much, I knew the menu by heart. I grabbed a piece of paper from the top of the desk and a pen, and I jotted down my order.
She reviewed it and said, “I’ll be back.”
While I waited, I took out my phone, scanning through the messages that had come in.
Dominick: How do you like your surprise?
Me: You’re behind this? Jesus, I couldn’t figure out why you were so adamant about where I was headed after work or how she got to my front door. Now, it makes sense.
Dominick: Why are you texting me? Shouldn’t you be busy as hell right now?
Me: I’m picking up food and taking her on a little adventure.
Dominick: Stop … you sound like a man in love.
Me: Not this again.
Dominick: Just stating the obvious, buddy. Have fun.
“Here you go, Jenner,” Alyssa said.
I shoved my phone into my pocket and signed the receipt, taking my credit card from her and the two large bags. “I appreciate this, Alyssa.”
“My pleasure,” she sang.
I hurried out the door before she could say another word and placed the bags in the back of my car before I got into the driver’s seat.
“Food to go,” Jo said. “This keeps getting more interesting.”
I rolled down our windows, letting the breeze in, and I put my hand on her thigh as I started the drive. There was always traffic along this route, but because of the time, we missed the big rush and got here faster than normal, the scent of the ocean filling the car as I pulled into the driveway.
Jo looked at the large three-story home through the windshield. “Your parents’ house?”
“Yes.”
“Man”—she shook her head—“they have exquisite taste.” She slowly gazed at me. “I’m so happy you brought me here.”
“You haven’t even seen the house yet.”
“It’s the thought …”
I squeezed her leg, giving her a quick kiss, and said, “Come on. We have a ton of sushi to eat.”
I got the bags from the back of the car, and she followed me to the front, where I typed in a code, the door unlocking to allow us inside. As we made our way through, I grabbed a bottle of red from the large glass wine room my parents had built in the living room. Once I had an opener and two glasses, I stopped at the closet to get a blanket before we made our way outside. We walked across the large deck and down the stairs that ended in the sand. Since it was high tide, I set everything a few feet from the water, giving us enough space so we wouldn’t have to move if it grew any closer.
“Had I known you were coming, I would have done this differently,” I told her.
“Differently?” With the blanket down and the containers now spread about, the chopsticks and napkins next to them, she began to take off all the lids. “How so?”
I lifted the lip of the metal seal, pulling it off the wine bottle. “There are companies that do these kinds of spreads, and they’re a hell of a lot better at it than I am. I would have hired one.”
She clasped my arm as I pulled out the cork. “Stop. This couldn’t be more perfect.”
“You’re sweet.”
“Maybe, but I’m serious, Jenner.” A smile warmed her face. “I love this so much.”
I needed to taste her.
I held the bottle to the side and leaned forward, halting inches from her lips. The breeze was blowing through her hair, her long strands tickling my face. I cupped her cheek, holding her steady, the same wind sending me her perfume. Her fall scent of cinnamon and pumpkin mixed with the salty air, the combination so fucking perfect.
“Jo …” I whispered, my eyes closing, breathing her in. I stayed like that for just a few beats, finally connecting us. “Mmm,” I growled, the flavor of her lips even more enticing. “Fuck me, you’re dangerous.”
She laughed. “That’s what I’ve been saying about you since we met.”
I released her and poured the wine into two glasses.
“What should we toast to?” she asked, holding hers up in the air. “Oh wait, I know.” Her large Gucci bag wasn’t far from where she was sitting, and she reached inside and pulled out a small box. “How about to the most incredible dessert we’ve ever had?”
I chuckled as I looked at the familiar packaging. “Is that what I think it is?”
“You mean, did I stop by the bakery to get you a half-moon cookie and some chocolate-coconut fudge?” She winked. “Maybe.”
“You fucking didn’t.”
“Gloria says hello.” She clinked her glass against mine and took a drink. “I have to admit, seeing you smile is one of my favorite things ever.”
I held the glass against the blanket, not bringing it up to my lips. “I can’t believe you went there for me.”
And I couldn’t believe she’d come all the way to LA, knowing that with school winding down, she had a lot of shit on her plate.
“I know how much you enjoy her baking,” she said, using her fingers to pop a piece of sushi into her mouth. “It was the least I could do.”
I ran my hand across her calf, pulling her foot onto my lap. “Thank you.”
She nodded and took another bite. “Jenner, the house is as beautiful as I envisioned.” Her stare shifted up to the glass windows that aligned the back of the home. “I remember when we talked about it, and I had this picture in my head—this is it.” Her gaze returned to me. “It’s unfortunate you can’t unplug here, that your parents don’t let you.”
I sighed, reaching for a set of chopsticks to pick up the nigiri. “They have no problem doing that when they come on the weekends. My father goes on bike rides, and my mother walks the beach. Their chef prepares them three meals a day, and they eat up there”—I pointed at the patio—“where they watch the waves between bites.” I chewed the savory tuna belly and took a drink of wine. “But when we’re here as a family, it’s all business.”
“I can see how your parents can unwind here.” She stared out at the beach. “It’s so gorgeous. Magical even.” She lifted her set of chopsticks and took a few pieces of the yellowtail sashimi that was peppered with jalapeño. “It’s funny; I spent tons of time in Malibu as a kid, even as a teenager. When my friends and I turned old enough to drive, we’d come here every weekend. I didn’t appreciate it then. It was just a beach, nothing special—water, sand, sun. But now, it’s something.” Her eyes were on me. “Or maybe it’s just being here with you.”
I observed her taking a deep breath.
“Can I ask you something?”
I slipped off her shoe, rubbing the back of her foot. “Of course.”
“How many women have you brought here?”
I kneaded my knuckles into her arch. “None.”
“Seriously?” She tilted her head. “Not a single one?”
“No.”
I watched that news settle into her, hit her in a way she wasn’t expecting.
“And to be honest, a woman has never stayed the weekend at my house.” I licked across my bottom lip. “And they certainly don’t have the code to my gate.” I could see her thoughts when I continued, “Does this keep getting more interesting?”
“Yep.” She took a sip. “That’s kind of an understatement.”
The breeze fed me more of her scent right before I said, “You’re different, Jo.”
Admitting that out loud wasn’t as hard as I’d thought. Maybe that was because I’d been thinking it for so long, fighting those words every time they tried to resonate.
She wedged her wine into the sand, leaving the chopsticks in the container. “I’ve never been different before.”
“I can tell you don’t want to be ordinary. You haven’t since the moment I met you.”
“Because I’m the fool who went up to your suite ten minutes after meeting you. You’re right; that’s hardly ordinary.”
I squeezed her toes, punishing her for that wicked statement. “Because you showed me who you really are. I couldn’t fucking resist you, and I charmed you into sleeping with me.”
She grinned. “Is that what went down?”
“Yes.” I pulled her foot until she was close enough to pick up and put on my lap, wrapping my arms around her. “We both know I didn’t give you a choice. You were either walking up to my room or I was carrying you.”
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.
“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.”