When my world had been turned upside down with the news of Noah, I’d become driven and focused on one thing only—my child.
From the moment he had come screaming into this world, everything revolved around him. Even my career had become about him. I wanted to be someone he could look up to and respect. I’d worked hard to get to where I was, finishing college by night and taking classes in between working forty hours a week. Nothing I’d accomplished was ever easy, but I’d managed it all. I hoped he would one day see that anything in life was possible if he tried hard enough.
I jotted a few words onto a sticky note and stuck it on his door before racing into my room to change. The note would probably go unnoticed since he tended to sleep until I’d pull him out of bed and force him to get ready for the day camp where he went while I was at work.
He’d tried to persuade me that he was old enough to stay home by himself, but I wasn’t quite convinced.
A couple of minutes later, I was back downstairs in a pair of running shorts and a T-shirt, ready to go.
“No shirtless running today, Jackson?” she mocked as we walked out the door.
“Wouldn’t want to cause a riot.” I grinned as we stretched.
We started out slow, jogging down the street at a leisurely pace, as our muscles warmed and lengthened.
“Do you run every morning?” I asked as my feet hit a steady rhythm.
“No, I try to mix it up. I ride my bike some days and do yoga on other days. I get bored easily.”
“And what about Don Juan DeMarco? Are you bored of him yet?”
She slightly turned her head, smirking at my reference to her ridiculous date.
“Hmm…I don’t know. Our evening got cut short. He didn’t have the same reaction to the balloons as me, so he went home early.”
I couldn’t help the smug look of satisfaction spreading across my lips.
“That’s too bad,” I commented.
“Mmhmm…”
“What do you see in a guy like that anyway?” I asked.
Our speed slowed slightly as we curved around a turn and crossed the road.
“What do you mean?”
“He was unlike you in every way.”
“You mean, just like you?” she goaded.
“I mean, in the ways that count. He didn’t seem genuine or caring. He didn’t look at you the way you deserve to be looked at.”
We all but slowed to a stop as her eyes found mine.
“And what way is that?” she said.
“Like the sun was made just for you,” I said. “You deserve more.”
I didn’t realize that we’d stopped. Standing face-to-face in the middle of an empty street, her eyes met mine, budding with promise before she blinked, and I watched the moment drift away with the wind.
“And you got all this after a two-minute meeting with him?” she asked, trying to bring our conversation back to light and casual.
“I’m very wise,” I answered, smiling.
“A wise lawyer? That’s a new one.”
“Smart-ass.”
“Race you back to the house?” she yelled before taking off in a hard sprint.
Trying to catch up, I chased her down the street.
Somehow, I didn’t think it would be the last time I chased after Olivia Prescott.
~Jackson~
Liv was in the forefront of my mind the rest of the morning.
While I showered, I pictured her beautiful bikini-clad body walking toward me as the glint of her belly-button ring winked and sparkled under the sunlight. I thought of her smile and quick-witted sense of humor as I flipped eggs and poured cereal for Noah before quickly scurrying out the door for work. It was her face I thought of as the elevator climbed up to the fifteenth floor, bringing me to Jeffrey, Morgan, and Stein—one of the most prestigious law firms in the area, and my new employer.
It had been roughly two weeks since I first walked through these glass doors and took my new position as associate attorney. I had a long road ahead of me and a lot of ladders to climb, but for once in my life, I felt like I was being judged for my merit and not for which people I knew. Being the new kid on the block was never easy, but so far, I’d earned several gold stars. I had a fierce, ready-for-anything attitude and zeal for success.
“Good morning, Mr. Reid,” a sweet voice greeted me from behind.
I turned to see my secretary moving toward me with a fresh cup of coffee in her perfectly manicured hands.
“Good morning, Kate,” I replied. “You know, you can call me Jackson.”
She smiled sheepishly as I took the cup from her, my fingers briefly brushing hers.
“It just sounds so intimate,” she admitted, her eyes turning away, as a blush stained her cheeks.
Kate was everything a single young lawyer like myself could hope to find in a woman. She was beautiful, smart, and charming. Her body could bring a man to his knees, and I was nearly there, but something was stopping me. Something was keeping me from taking the plunge on what I knew would be a sure thing with Kate, and it had little to do with our work situation.
In the back of my head, I already knew.
Kate was exactly how I’d envisioned my perfect girl next door. She was everything I’d wanted but exactly the opposite of what my body craved.
I’d found that girl next door, and she was nothing like what I’d expected.
“Well then, I guess we can stick to formalities for now,” I responded politely.
Her blush quickly faded as she straightened and regained her professional composure.
I had no idea where things were going with Liv, but I knew where they were not headed with my secretary.
Kate was perfect for someone else maybe, but she was definitely not for me—at least not anymore.
At work, my dick would stay firmly in my pants.
At home—well, the verdict was still out on that. I’d made the same promise regarding Olivia Prescott, but damn, if I didn’t want to break it. I’d never met a woman who could drive me insane and set me on fire at the same exact time. It was a recipe for disaster, but I couldn’t stop myself from wanting to try, even for just a night.
Looking around, I walked to the row of windows highlighting the Richmond skyline. Rays of orange and yellow sun streaks were making their way through the clouds, heating up the early morning air. As I looked down at the city, everything still felt so foreign, so new. I’d spent many childhood summers here, but places had looked different through the eyes of a child. Gazing down at the city now as an adult, it was as if I had just arrived for the first time.