“Can I ask what you did, Javi? What landed you in prison?” Her eyes pull mine to hers, but I still can’t find it in me to share the entire story. No matter how you look at it, I beat a man within an inch of his life. I was murderous and angry, and I want to hold off on exposing that side of myself for as long as possible to her.
“I’ll tell you one day, Sydney. I promise. But not tonight.”
“But …”
“Please, sweetheart. Let’s just enjoy being together tonight. There will be a time to open up about that stuff later …” I can’t stand to see your face change with more details about that part of my life—not tonight when I finally have you back in my bed, and better yet, now in my arms.
“Okay,” she relents, but then sits up straighter. “But just know, Javi—God, you made me so mad the other night,” she grates with a shake of her head. “You made that decision to end things between us without listening to what I had to say.”
“I know. And when you acknowledged that earlier, I regretted my reaction even more than I have for the past four days. This time without you has been torture, baby.”
“It hasn’t been pleasant for me either, not knowing if I’d ever hear from you again.”
“And then when I saw you with that guy today, I thought I was gonna snap …”
Her fingers grip my chin, forcing me to look at her. “I told you, he’s not who I want. I was very clear with him about that, and if Andrew knows what’s good for him, he’ll relay that message to my dad too since he doesn’t want to listen to me.”
Another red flag goes off in my mind. Her dad. Surely Judge Matthews would have an issue with his daughter dating an ex-con. “What do you think daddy-dearest is going to think when he finds out we’re seeing each other?”
“I don’t give a shit about that right now, Javi. My father can kiss my ass as far as I’m concerned.” Her bold statement makes me throw my head against my headboard in laughter, even though there’s still an uneasiness in my chest.
“Okay …”
She cups my face in her hands, resting her forehead on mine as we breathe each other in for a moment. “Let’s just focus on us for right now, alright? Let’s figure out what this is before involving outside influences.”
“Hate to break it to you, but my sister and Andre aren’t going to stay away.”
She perks up with that detail, excitement registering in her eyes. “That I don’t mind, actually. I really like your sister, Javi.”
Rubbing my hands up and down her arms, I process the way she lit up at that moment and how it made me feel—like Sydney could possibly fit into my world. I’m just not so sure I’d fit into hers. “I know. And since she’s nosy as all hell, she was already hounding me on why you hadn’t been around all week.”
“Well, maybe she needed to knock some sense into you so you’d open up to me.”
“I think the only person that could have accomplished that was you, sweetheart.” I grip her face in my palms and pull her toward me, pressing our lips together in a kiss that melts away the underlying tension still reeling in my body. With Sydney’s lips on mine and her back in my arms, my world feels right again.
I don’t know when it happened, or why, but somehow Sydney Matthews and I were meant to cross paths again, and I never imagined it would lead us down the road we’re headed. But now knowing that it’s time to put our stubbornness aside, I’m optimistic to see how this connection of ours could only grow from here.
Chapter 25
Sydney
“Okay, your smile is beginning to creep me out.”
“What? Why?” I look up from my desk to see Tessa studying me from the open door of my office.
“Because it just stays there. It doesn’t even fall when you’re reading or typing something on the computer.”
“Have you been watching me?”
“For about the last five minutes. What’s gotten into you?”
I fight my smile from growing once more, but it’s a lost cause. It’s been less than twenty-four hours since Javier and I reconciled, but I can’t fight the elation running through my body. Months ago I never would have believed I’d be in a relationship that both terrifies me, but also wakes up every nerve ending in my brain—but that’s exactly where I’m at. And the man responsible for my giddiness is the biggest surprise of them all.
“I’m just happy it’s almost Friday.” I shrug and then focus back on the contract in front of me.
“Oh, okay. Well then, I’d better hold off on bringing in these flowers that were just sent for you.”
“What?” I perk up in my chair before deciding to stand, needing to stretch my legs anyway.
Tessa chuckles and then leaves to gather the delivery. But when she returns, more than flowers cross the threshold of my office.
“Hey there, Princess.”
Javier stands before me holding a gorgeous bouquet of red roses in his strong arms covered by his construction uniform. His skin is slickened with sweat and his signature bandana is wrapped around his forehead.
“Hey, you. This is a pleasant surprise.” I squeak out the words as my heart beats wildly against my ribs. Javier is in my office with flowers for me—cue the melting of my heart and the slipping of my underwear. If we were any other place,
