Jared walked into his office, the soft hum of the elevator fading into the background as the doors slid open. The room unfolded before him like a work of art, the sleek, polished wood floor gleaming under the soft glow of the LED lights embedded in the ceiling. The expansive windows that dominated one side of the room offered a breathtaking view of the New York city skyline, the glass panels
reflecting the steel and concrete jungle outside with a mirror-like finish. Behind
the massive, minimalist desk, Jared's executive chair sat like a throne, its high back and sleek lines exuding power and sophistication. The room was a testament to his impeccable taste, a reflection of the billionaire CEO he had become. As he strode across the room, his footsteps were muffled by the plush carpet, and he plopped down onto the leather sofa, tossing his jacket onto the adjacent seat.
Aaron Walker, his best friend and chief finance officer, followed him in and closed the door behind them.
"Are you going to say what's eating at your ass?" Paul asked, teasingly
Jared's response was curt, his anger and frustration simmering just below the surface. "Fuck you, Aaron."
Aaron raised an eyebrow, unfazed by Jared's temper. "Whoa, calm down. If this is about the lawsuit, I'm working on it. I have a contact who's close to Judge Rivers, okay? I've got this."
But Jared's irritation had already reached boiling point. "I don't fucking care about Rivers!" he shouted, his voice echoing off the walls.
He had been this way since he saw Janine two weeks ago in Maryland "I saw her man, I saw Janine."
The room fell silent, the only sound the soft hum of the air conditioning. Aaron's expression changed from calm to shock, and he stood up. "Okay, I need a drink," he said, walking to the bar and pouring himself a shot of whiskey. "You want one?"
As Aaron handed Jared a glass, he asked, "Janine... like Janine? Our Janine? Are you sure it was her? It could've been someone else"
Jared's eyes flashed with possessiveness. "Not our Janine. My Janine". The whiskey burned down Jared's throat, but it did little to calm the storm brewing inside him.
Aaron felt his irritation rise as Jared spoke, they'd been at this Janine talk for 15 years now and he thought they were over it. "Okay, did you get to talk to her?" he asked.
Jared's response was curt, his eyes burning with determination. "No, but I'm going
to find her."
Aaron raised an eyebrow, his skepticism evident. "How are you going to find her?
You're in New York, and she's in Maryland. That's a long shot, man."
Jared's jaw clenched, his resolve unwavering. "I'm going to Maryland tomorrow,
and I'm not asking your permission."
Aaron sighed, his expression a blend of frustration and exhaustion, he had tired out on Jared talking about Janine. "Look, man, isn't it best you let things lie? She could be married or something."
"Well, she's not married. She's getting a divorce."
Aaron's interest was piqued at that information, and he swallowed hard, looking
away for a moment. He didn't know how to process this news, or how to process
how he felt hearing that Janine was alive and in Maryland. He knew finding her wouldn't be difficult, but he wasn't sure he was ready to unearth what came with finding Janine. And he knew he couldn't dissuade Jared from finding her.
"Look, man, you can go find her," Aaron said finally, his voice resigned. "I'll hold down the forte over here. I hope you know what you're doing."
Jared's eyes locked onto Aaron's and he nodded. He couldn't resist the longing in
his heart to go after Janine. After all these years, she still haunted him. Even though
they were thousands of miles apart, he was painfully aware of her. He couldn't get her out of his mind. She haunted his nights, and he couldn't even feel anything for any other woman. And yes, he had tried. He just knew it all had to do with Janine.
He didn't have a plan on how he was going to get her back, but he just knew that
he had to try. He just had to. He thought he was over her, and he had stopped searching for her with the intensity he did 10 years after she left. But with the way his heart pumped painfully against his rib cage, he just knew he couldn't risk not seeing her face again. Even if it took him to fall at her feet and beg her, he was going to do all it took to win her back. And there was no going back for him. It was either Janine or nothing.
Jared lay on his back, staring at the ceiling, the night still heavy around him. Sleep
had come slowly, his mind spinning with images of Janine, how she looked now,
how she used to look, and the quiet way her eyes had lingered on him that day in the courtroom.
Fifteen years. And somehow, she still had that same pull on him.
In the haze of sleep, he felt her.
He turned, and she was there-standing at the foot of his bed.
Janine.
Her silhouette soft and familiar, framed by the night light slipping through the curtains. She didn't speak. She didn't need to.
She climbed into the bed, her body warm as it pressed against his. Her fingers slid
over his chest, her breath ghosting across his lips.
Then they were kissing, deep and slow, like all the lost time between them had funneled into this one moment. Her mouth tasted like memory and longing, her skin like something sacred rediscovered.
She moved against him, guiding him beneath her, thighs straddling his waist. He groaned into her mouth, hands clutching her hips. She leaned down, whispering his name as her heat met his, teasing, taunting, driving him to the edge.
Just as he arched upward, about to enter her…Jared!!"
Hearing his name snapped him back to earth.
He heard his mother's voice outside the door.
"Fuck," he muttered.
He threw off the duvet and glanced down, his erection was throbbing, hard and insistent.
Knowing his mother, he had exactly one second to respond before she barged in.
"Jared, are you joining us for breakfast?" she called through the door.
"I'll be out in a minute, Mum!" he called back, trying to keep the edge out of his voice.
He waited until he hear her retreating footsteps before collapsing back onto the
bed with a frustrated sigh.
He seriously needed his own place.
Eventually, he dragged himself up and walked into the bathroom, he paused in front of the mirror, staring at his reflection.
A slow smirk tugged at the corner of his lips.
He was every inch male. He looked good, and he knew it. At thirty-three, he was in his prime.
Tall, toned, rugged. Women noticed. They always had.
But none of that seemed to matter anymore.
Hell, he couldn't even it up the last time he was with a woman.
The memory hit him like a cringe in the gut.
He'd gone to his friend's club a weeks ago, trying to distract himself. That's when he saw her leaning against the bar, pretending not to notice him. He knew that move. The solo act, subtle glances—it was a woman's way of putting herself on the market without looking like she was.
He walked over and bought her a drink. The conversation was easy. Chemistry instant.
Minutes later, they were in the backseat of his Porsche, kissing like horny teenagers.
He even reclined the seat to make room for both of them. Everything was perfect-until it wasn't. When it was time to seal the deal, he couldn't get it up.
He still shuddered at the memory. The awkward silence. The pitying look in her eyes.
He didn't need a doctor to tell him why. It had been two weeks since he'd seen Janine again.
Two weeks…and he still couldn't get her out of his system.
He shook his head and stared at himself in the mirror feeling like an obsessed stalker.