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‘That’s a lot of convincing I have to do … I think we’ll have to resign ourselves to the fact that we may be on this island for some time …’
Jesse smiled, and it wobbled precariously. ‘That’s fine by me. Take all the time you need.’
A Year Later …
Luc sat back in his chair at his desk and stretched. Dusk was settling over London outside. He glanced at his watch and stood up, taking his jacket in his hand. He left his office after bidding his secretary, Deborah, good evening and took the elevator down two floors.
When he stepped out he saw the glossy sign which read ‘JMS Games Ltd’. Jesse Moriarty Sanchis. Though for everyday purposes she went by Jesse Sanchis.
She’d restructured her company in the previous year, to accommodate what she really wanted to focus on, and had moved her offices into Luc’s building. The only problem with that was there was plenty of potential for distraction—which Jesse had become very adept at.
They’d sold her apartment and his townhouse to buy a house in Richmond with a huge garden, which a much bigger Tigger now patrolled with all the possessiveness of a very well loved cat.
Luc went and stood at the door to Jesse’s office and smiled. Her hair was almost to her shoulders now, and pulled up in a loose bun with tendrils trailing down her neck. She was sitting cross-legged on the floor, surrounded by a group of teenagers, and she was saying passionately, ‘It’s the higher hidden level which you only reach by achieving a certain score that makes it so brilliant. It’ll be a word-of-mouth-thing—like an urban legend …’
Jesse stopped when she felt that deliciously familiar tingle of awareness and saw a few of her focus group’s eyes go over her head. She savoured this moment each day when Luc would wait for her—unless, of course, she went up to wait for him … She got hot just thinking about what invariably happened in those situations.
The kids started to pack up their things, and Jesse swivelled around on the floor and held out her hands to Luc, who came forward to pull her up.
He put a possessive hand on the seven-months-pregnant belly under her smock top. ‘Much movement?’
She rolled her eyes and put her hand over his, savouring the intensity of his gaze—for her. It never failed to take away her breath. ‘Unbelievable. I think it must have been the chilli in the sandwich I had at lunch.’
Luc teased, ‘My wife, the gourmand …’
Mock-injured, Jesse said, ‘I have never claimed a sophisticated palate.’
Luc grabbed Jesse’s hand, suddenly wanting to be alone with her, and all but dragged her from the room.
She called back, ‘Bye, guys, see you same time next week.’
They chorused, ‘Bye, Jesse—bye, Mr Sanchis.’
When they were in Luc’s car, and Jesse was curled into his side, Luc said, ‘Why do those kids insist on calling me Mr Sanchis?’
Jesse smiled and affected a note of disbelief when she spoke. ‘Because for some reason they find you intimidating.’
‘You never found me intimidating,’ he grumbled good-naturedly.
Jesse curled into him even more and Luc tightened his arm around her. She relished the intensely physical and tactile nature of their relationship.
He kissed the top of her head after a few seconds’ silence and said, ‘Okay?’
Jesse nodded. She knew what he was talking about, of course. Her father had been sent to gaol the day before for fifteen years—a landmark sentence for someone like him, partly due to the fact that Jesse had gone on the stand to testify against him. Something she couldn’t ever have considered doing without Luc’s support.
‘I’m just happy it’s finally over … but I’m sad too—for the loss of something I never had. And I’m sad for your father, and my mother.’
Luc tipped her face up and pressed a kiss to her mouth. ‘No more sadness. I won’t allow it.’
Jesse smiled up at her husband and their baby kicked in her belly. She took his hand and put it there, so he could feel the kicks too.
No, there was no need for sadness any more.
