AllFreeNovel
Share Us
The mention of Joel and the passion that brought her nothing but pain and heartache but had caused her to waste so much of her life made her view Jake's proposal in a new light.
He was right. Where the hell had passion ever got her…or that kind of love.
Jake meant so much to her and she loved him, too. Okay, not that kind of love, but did that matter?
Jake was loyal and dependable. He was always there for her and never let her down. He understood her kink, and let's face it, he was pretty easy on the eye. Her mind stuttered when she tried to think about having sex with him. Which was ridiculous, considering how intimate they had been with each other. It had just never been sex like that. You know, normal sex. She'd done a lot of kinky stuff with Jake, oral, anal, but they'd never actually had bog standard intercourse. And they'd never gotten intimate alone.
Desi brushed her hands across Jake's chest, contemplating.
Why would it even be a problem? she wondered. Hell, she'd almost considered settling down with James at one point in her life. She knew damn well that Jake could do more for her, in and out of the bedroom, than he ever could. She'd been quiet for a while, she realised, and looked up into Jake's face.
"I want the same things as you do, Desi," he said seriously. "I'm tired of being on my own. I want to start a family before I'm too old to enjoy my children."
He touched his forehead to hers. "And let's face it, Anita proved last night that the chances of me finding a girlfriend with my reputation are pretty bloody slim."
Desi threw her head back. "Oh! So, I'm just your last resort, am I?" she smirked, cocking an eyebrow at him.
Jake scrunched his face up and clapped a hand over his eyes. "That didn't come out right!" he groaned. "You know what I mean." He peered out from between his fingers. "Don't you?" he asked hopefully, clearly wondering if he actually might have offended her.
Desi looped her arms around his neck. "Yes, I do know what you mean." She smiled; this man was so very special. She had always thought that he would make someone a wonderful husband. So why shouldn't she take that for herself? She liked and respected him. They enjoyed each other's company, and they were friends, very close friends.
And they were approaching this with their eyes wide open and their cards on the table. Surely, a comfortable love born of a steady and enduring friendship was a better basis for a marriage than something as fickle and ephemeral as passionate love born from attraction and desire. She decided that it was. "And, yes, I will marry you."
The sweetest smile bloomed on Jake's handsome face and Desi matched it.
"There is one condition," she ventured. "One I need you to take seriously."
"What is it?" he asked, looking her straight in the eye.
"I want you to promise me that if you ever meet a woman whom you could truly fall in love with and who will love you, too, for who you are, truly, madly, deeply and passionately, that you will tell me. I don't ever want to be a weight around your neck. I don't want you ever to look at me with regret. I want you to tell me, so we can sort it out."
"You won't ever be a weight around my neck, Desi."
Desi pressed a finger against his lips. "Shhh, you might meet the woman of your dreams, tomorrow, or next year, or in ten years' time. Please, just promise me."
Jake sighed. "Okay, I promise, but only if you promise me the same. And that includes the possibility of Joel coming to his senses."
Desi shook her head. "I don't think Joel will ever feel that way," she replied with just a wisp of sadness.
Jake pressed his finger against her lips. "Shhh, you already met the man of your dreams, and tomorrow, or next year, or in ten years' time, he might wake up and realise what an idiot he's been for letting you get away. So please, promise me, too." He grinned.
Desi felt the laughter bubble up inside her chest and it felt so very cathartic to release it.
Jake laughed with her, and when they'd finished, she whispered, "I promise."
Then Jake speared his fingers through her unruly hair and placed a gentle kiss upon her lips. And while it was a kiss that didn't contain passion, it was full of hope.
Chapter Twenty-Six
On Monday, Desi arrived at work with a spring in her step. It didn't last long.
Laurel's disposition was as sour as it had been for the past two weeks. She needed to get to the bottom of that. But the thought was quickly dispersed by her next words, despite the dirty look Laurel threw at her, which made Desi suspect that whatever was upsetting her PA had something to do with her.
"You have an emergency board meeting scheduled for 9:30 am prompt," Laurel said shortly and stomped away.
A cold feeling of dread spread through the pit of Desi's stomach.
"Stop imagining the worst," she muttered to herself under her breath. "It could be good news." But all of her intuition was screaming the opposite.
