“You feel so good baby. Every time I see you I want to be inside your body. You’re so sexy. You’re mine. Mine.”

With a sharp cry, I fell over the precipice, his possessive words ringing in my ears.

Chapter 19

The Tuesday after we returned from Jake’s parents, I received a letter from the President of the University of Chicago, welcoming me to the fall class. I had to scrub my eyes a few times to make sure I wasn’t hallucinating.

Dear Ms. Branton,

Congratulations! It is my great pleasure to inform you that you have been admitted to the University of Chicago…

Nope. Not dreaming.

I called Jake. He had just left our apartment after eating dinner with Marcus and me. It was becoming a nightly ritual and I loved how normal it felt.

“Hey, baby.”

“Um… I have a letter from the university?”

“Oh, good. I’m glad it finally came. I’ll let my dad know.”

“Jake, I… how…” I inhaled and exhaled. “I thought you were just kidding. I can’t go to school right now. Not that I don’t appreciate what your dad did for me.”

“Why the hell not?”

“I have to work and–”

“Bullshit. We had this discussion already. Or do I need to sic my mom on you?”

“Aha! I knew Susan was in cahoots with you! You’re crazy. I have to pay for the apartment and for food and–”

“No you don’t. I’ll take care of that. You’ll help me train someone for your position and then you can quit in August.”

“Jake, this is crazy!”

“That’s all in your head. You heard my mom. I should be supporting your dreams and I know how much it means to you to go back to school.”

“So…what? You’re going to pay for everything like I’m a kept woman?”

His voice was dangerously soft. “What did you just say?”

A chill slid down my back, but I refused to show that I was intimidated by him. “You heard me.”

“That’s it. I’m done being Mr. Considerate!” He sounded like he was gritting his teeth.

“Ha!”

He hung up on me.

I stared at my phone in disbelief. I reread the letter, my hands shaking. It was so tempting to believe I was so close to getting everything I wanted, but it was also terrifying. If I wanted it, I would have to give up my independence. I slid the letter carefully into the envelope and placed it on my dresser.

On Wednesday and Thursday, Jake didn’t hide that he was pissed off at me. He was professional, but his face was tight and his eyes were hard whenever he looked at me. That aloofness which had been absent for weeks was back.

The truth was, I regretted my words almost as soon as I said them. It cheapened what was happening between us, but my damn pride refused to let me back down.

I was miserable. I had gotten used to his soft looks and affectionate touches. This was the cold man I met during my first day at work and I didn’t like it. A part of me was afraid this would be the end. Was he going to break up with me?

I tried to tell myself this day was inevitable, but it only made me more depressed.

He turned down my invitation to have dinner at my place both nights and I missed him like hell.

On Friday, as I was walking out of the legal department, I bumped into Dale Richards. He was shaking hands with one of the corporate lawyers, Dave Schumer. And unlike the last time I saw him, the stress lines were gone from his face.

“Dale? What in the world?” I stopped in my tracks.

“Cora!” He excused himself from Dave and walked over to me. He couldn’t seem to stop smiling. “It’s wonderful to see you!”

We moved to the side of the hallway so that we didn’t block traffic.

“It’s good to see you too. You look great. But what are you doing here? Do you work for Weston Enterprises now?”

He shook his head. “No! Mr. Weston reached out to my dad a couple of weeks ago and agreed to save DataPoynt. I was just finishing up some paperwork with Dave.”

“What?” Why didn’t Jake tell me? He wasn’t talking to me at the moment, but he could have told me weeks ago.

Dale grinned, his blue eyes bright with happiness. “Yeah. I was shocked when I found out and kept waiting for the other shoe to drop, but Weston came through. Within days of the call, he had bought out enough shares to take over the company. God! I wished I had been there to see the look on Larry Penn’s face when he realized his scheme had failed. Anyway, my dad and I will retain day-to-day control over the company. We have to meet with your boss periodically.” He laughed. “I guess he’s my boss now too. And the most important thing is we don’t have to lay off any of our people.” He touched my elbow. “I want to thank you, Cora.”

“Me? What does this have to do with me?” I blinked in surprise.

“Apparently something you said convinced Mr. Weston to take a chance on us. He didn’t divulge what it was, but he made it clear he was intervening because of you. So thank you.”

“I don’t think I deserve your gratitude, but I’m glad things worked out. Please send my regards to your dad. I’ve got to go. Bye.” Dale looked startled at the abrupt end to the conversation, but I didn’t care. I ran into the stairwell, too impatient to wait for the elevators. Suddenly, I needed to see Jake.

My heart soared.

Jake’s iciness with others had always been disquieting to me. When I learned about Sophia’s betrayal, I understood he was protecting himself and his company, but it was a side of him I hated to see. Maybe I saw it as a sign that he was still influenced by her actions, but I winced every time he retreated behind his chilly mask.

But now maybe Jake was finally thawing. Despite all the logical reasons for not buying the company, he had stepped in to save Datapoynt. Based on my recommendation, he was willing to take a chance on trusting others.

Why couldn’t I take a chance on trusting him?

In that moment, something slotted into place in my heart, like the final piece of the puzzle to make that organ whole again.

I loved Jake Weston. I loved the infuriating man with every fiber of my being.

I had been shying way from the truth, but it finally smacked me in the face. In every instance, Jake had quietly assessed what made me happy– even when I couldn’t see it clearly– and proceeded to take care of it. My brother’s school. My dream of going back to college. A better apartment. He went about it in the most autocratic and infuriating way, but from day one, he had done everything to show me he cared.

He even found a way to overcome my irrational fear of forming lasting relationships– by simply overriding it.

I had been the one sabotaging us. I was so sure we wouldn’t work out that I had one foot out the door. I winced at the hurtful words I said to him about being a kept woman. And he was angry with me right now, not because he was ready to end our relationship, but because I was essentially rejecting him when I rejected his help. I used his money and status as a barrier between us. I was so scared of losing someone else in my life, it was easier for me to view his actions in the worst possible light.

Taking the stairs two at a time, I was out of breath by the time I reached the executive floor.

I rapped my knuckles on Jake’s door.

“Come in.” His face was blank when he looked up.

I didn’t let his coolness deter me as I strode across the office and stood on his side of the desk.

His blue-green eyes warmed as I bent over his chair and placed my hands on the armrests.

“Cora?”

I wanted to laugh at the note of uncertainty in his voice. For once, our roles were reversed.

Injecting my voice with all the love I felt, I said, “I adore you, Jacob Benjamin Weston the Third.”

His whole face lit up and he yanked me into his lap. “Finally,” he grumbled.

Our lips clashed. I held onto the sides of his head and slanted my lips to kiss him deeply. I couldn’t seem to get close enough. I wanted his taste embedded in every pore. His hands ran up the back of my thighs and cupped my backside. I felt his erection grow harder against me. My mouth watered. I wanted to show him how much he meant to me.