“What does that mean?” Tyler asked him “You’ll do anything to have sex with her?”
“I shouldn’t say this even to you, but the sex is incredible. It’s more than sex. It’s something so powerful you couldn’t possibly comprehend it, little brother.”
“Just because it’s great sex and more doesn’t mean you have the right to take it when it’s not offered freely.”
“Believe me when I say that our sex life is no hardship on her,” Blake said smugly.
“You’re demanding marriage, Blake. Great sex will fade, and then you’ll find yourself living with a woman who resents you.”
“I don’t think so. I’ve been with a lot of women in my lifetime and I’ve never had a connection like the one I share with Jewell. She knows this, too — she’s just fighting against her feelings.
“Do you really believe this?” Tyler asked.
“I believe that we’re meant to be together.” Blake wanted to show that he wasn’t trying to hurt Jewell, that he did feel something, even if he was unsure of exactly what that was. But he wasn’t sure how.
“I’ll be watching you, Blake,” Tyler informed him.
“I wouldn’t have it any other way,” Blake said, and he stood up.
Tyler rose as well and Blake walked around his desk. “Don’t screw this up,” Tyler said.
“We’ve always trusted each other, Tyler. Don’t lose your faith in me now.” Blake shook his brother’s hand.
Tyler stepped back and looked at Blake again, making him feel as if he were beneath a microscope, and then, without another word, Tyler left the office and Blake sat back down and turned his chair away from his open door.
Closing his eyes, he thought about the previous night with Jewell. It was perfect, as usual, but it wasn’t enough, even though they’d made love for hours on end. With her it was never enough.
Groaning, he shifted in his seat as his body hardened. He could practically smell her, taste her on his tongue. Only this woman had ever been able to make him hard at just a single thought. That wasn’t something to let go of.
But what if Jewell really was afraid of him? No, that wasn’t possible. He was demanding, to be sure, and he expected a certain amount of respect from her, but he was also willing to offer her everything she could ever possibly desire. They had something, and she knew it. She didn’t fear him — that was impossible. She just wanted to establish her independence.
He’d give Jewell a couple of days to think about what she truly wanted. That would do her some good. And he would once again be back on top. He wouldn’t let this visit with Tyler sway him. Jewell was his — and only his.
Chapter Fourteen
Dammit!”
Jewell looked down at the blood dripping from her finger and scurried over to the kitchen sink, where she washed the shallow wound before grabbing some paper towels and wrapping it so she could get to her bathroom without dripping blood through the apartment.
Her mood was less than perfect. It had been three days since Tyler had been to her apartment, three long days and longer nights without a single word from him about what was going to happen. This was her freaking life Blake was playing with.
Blake had told her he would give her a couple of days to think, and those couple of days had turned in to three. What the heck was going on? Had Tyler spoken to him? Was he going to back off? Was he giving up on her?
All it would take to find was a simple phone call, but as many times as she picked up her phone, she still hadn’t managed to dial his number. What if the pot was on a low simmer, and she set it to boiling?
She’d certainly made phone calls over the past three days, but they hadn’t been to Blake, and they’d gotten her nowhere. She felt she was on a first-name basis with the court clerks now. The children’s services division hadn’t been any help so far, and she was desperate to at least visit with Justin. But she needed permission and so far she wasn’t getting it.
Maybe Blake knew all of this was happening, knew that if he waited her out, she’d cave and he’d get what he wanted. Of course he would. Tyler hadn’t been able to help her as much as he’d probably hoped to, and now she wasn’t even that afraid of marrying Blake. It wasn’t on her bucket list, but her fear of losing Justin was greater than her fear of falling in love with a man who could never love her.
When Jewell couldn’t stand being in the apartment a single minute longer without flipping out completely, she grabbed her coat and headed off to the elevator. To get away from phones would help her not make a call she was sure to regret.
Jewell found herself at a corner bar not far from her place, and she didn’t hesitate to take up residence at one of the barstools.
“What can I get for you?”
“Something sweet and strong,” she answered.
“Ah, you’re having one of those days, huh?” asked the woman behind the bar.
“I’m having one of those weeks…or months…or maybe years,” Jewell replied as the woman mixed her drink.
“You know it’s a bad day when the drinking starts at two in the afternoon,” the woman replied, not unkindly. “Here ya go, sweetie. The first one is on the house.”
Strangely, the bartender’s kindness nearly undid Jewell. “Thank you,” she said as she accepted the tall, fruity drink and took a long swallow. “Oh, this is exactly what I needed. What’s it called?”
“You probably don’t want to know. But yeah, I think it has magical powers. Or maybe if you just drink enough of them, your head gets so fuzzy, it just feels like they have magical powers. I’m Tina, by the way,” she said, and held out her hand.
“I’m Jewell,” she responded, and the two women shook hands happily.
A group of young men came in, and the bartender was then busy for the next few minutes as she checked their IDs and got their drinks. One of the kids, who couldn’t be more than a few months over twenty-one, came and sat by her.
“Can I buy your next drink?” he asked with a hopeful smile.
“Trust me, you’re going to be much better off buying it for one of the young ladies over there,” Jewell said with a smile as she pointed to a group of what looked like college girls in the corner.
“Nah, the girls my age are too shallow,” he said with a wink as he motioned for Tina to come over to them. “Can I get another drink for the lady?”