Read Online Shades of Step Billionaire by Jenna Harlow - Free Book Online
Authors: Jenna Harlow
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her in and planted a string of kisses along the line of her neck. She felt a fire ignite within her, and felt as if he could incinerate her with his touch. She closed her eyes and relished the feel of his lips on her skin. “Jeremy,” she whispered. She was fading into him again, losing herself under his influence. She knew the night at the restaurant was the best night of her life, and she had never been so attracted to someone, but she couldn’t continue, couldn’t let it happen again. “Jeremy, please,” she said.
Jeremy pulled back and smiled dreamily. “I know you don’t really mean that,” he said. She was in dangerous waters with him, she knew it. He was far too persuasive, too charming to resist. She needed to get away from him. Perhaps sensing her fear, he abruptly changed his tone and pulled her to her feet.
“You haven’t eaten yet. Let’s get some food in you and then we can talk,” he said. Just then his phone buzzed in his pocket. He pulled it out and glanced at the display. “My phone call, I completely forgot.” He looked up at Olivia as he put the phone to his ear. “I’ll reschedule the call, it should just take a second,” he said stepping toward the hallway. He turned back just before he disappeared around a corner. “I’ll be right back and then we can go,” he said. Olivia nodded as Jeremy left the room. Once alone, she took a deep breath, and absorbed in everything that had happened. She knew Jeremy would pursue her relentlessly. He didn’t get to be that successful by giving up easily, and she could see the resolve and determination in his eyes. But she didn’t know what she wanted. Her head told her it was wicked and wrong, but the rest of her wanted to throw herself at him and damn the consequences. Mostly she wanted room to breathe and to sort things out for herself.
She grabbed her purse and slipped out, knowing she was being a coward. She also knew she couldn’t disappear. He knew her name and her contact information now. She knew she’d have to talk to him, sooner or later. She just needed it to be later.
Chapter 11
Jeremy clicked on his phone and reread the text:
Jeremy-
I’m sorry. I need some time alone.
-Olivia
He couldn’t count how many times he had read that email over the course of the week, too many. Each time brought with it a fresh sting. He sighed and tossed the phone into his gym bag. He sat down on the bench and began wrapping tape around his fingers. As he focused on the mundane task, his mind drifted back to the week before, the night she had disappeared from his place. He knew he shouldn’t have left the room to take that damn call. She was skittish, a flight risk. He should never have left her alone. A sinking feeling washed over him, just as it did that night after his phone call. He had known she was gone even before he got back into the room. He could feel it. The room was too quiet, too empty; the absence of her presence was palpable. He remembered crossing into the living room and searching for her. He checked the other rooms and found nothing. He knew had fucked up.
Fuck.
He leaned over the bench to tie his shoe, still lost in his thoughts of her. He couldn’t be mad at her for leaving, he knew it was a lot to take in, a lot to sort out. He just wished she had stayed so they could have talked things through together. At first, he considered going after her, chasing her down and making her listen to him, but he didn’t. Her text had come in shortly after she left, and he decided then to grant her request, and give her some time, space, but that had been over a week ago. He had sent her one text midweek.
Olivia-
I haven’t heard from you. Contact me.
Jeremy
She never responded. He had spent the week checking obsessively for messages from her; but nothing. Why couldn’t he let her go? If she were any other woman, he would have cut her lose days ago. He didn’t chase women, they chased him.
Jeremy pulled back and smiled dreamily. “I know you don’t really mean that,” he said. She was in dangerous waters with him, she knew it. He was far too persuasive, too charming to resist. She needed to get away from him. Perhaps sensing her fear, he abruptly changed his tone and pulled her to her feet.
“You haven’t eaten yet. Let’s get some food in you and then we can talk,” he said. Just then his phone buzzed in his pocket. He pulled it out and glanced at the display. “My phone call, I completely forgot.” He looked up at Olivia as he put the phone to his ear. “I’ll reschedule the call, it should just take a second,” he said stepping toward the hallway. He turned back just before he disappeared around a corner. “I’ll be right back and then we can go,” he said. Olivia nodded as Jeremy left the room. Once alone, she took a deep breath, and absorbed in everything that had happened. She knew Jeremy would pursue her relentlessly. He didn’t get to be that successful by giving up easily, and she could see the resolve and determination in his eyes. But she didn’t know what she wanted. Her head told her it was wicked and wrong, but the rest of her wanted to throw herself at him and damn the consequences. Mostly she wanted room to breathe and to sort things out for herself.
She grabbed her purse and slipped out, knowing she was being a coward. She also knew she couldn’t disappear. He knew her name and her contact information now. She knew she’d have to talk to him, sooner or later. She just needed it to be later.
Chapter 11
Jeremy clicked on his phone and reread the text:
Jeremy-
I’m sorry. I need some time alone.
-Olivia
He couldn’t count how many times he had read that email over the course of the week, too many. Each time brought with it a fresh sting. He sighed and tossed the phone into his gym bag. He sat down on the bench and began wrapping tape around his fingers. As he focused on the mundane task, his mind drifted back to the week before, the night she had disappeared from his place. He knew he shouldn’t have left the room to take that damn call. She was skittish, a flight risk. He should never have left her alone. A sinking feeling washed over him, just as it did that night after his phone call. He had known she was gone even before he got back into the room. He could feel it. The room was too quiet, too empty; the absence of her presence was palpable. He remembered crossing into the living room and searching for her. He checked the other rooms and found nothing. He knew had fucked up.
Fuck.
He leaned over the bench to tie his shoe, still lost in his thoughts of her. He couldn’t be mad at her for leaving, he knew it was a lot to take in, a lot to sort out. He just wished she had stayed so they could have talked things through together. At first, he considered going after her, chasing her down and making her listen to him, but he didn’t. Her text had come in shortly after she left, and he decided then to grant her request, and give her some time, space, but that had been over a week ago. He had sent her one text midweek.
Olivia-
I haven’t heard from you. Contact me.
Jeremy
She never responded. He had spent the week checking obsessively for messages from her; but nothing. Why couldn’t he let her go? If she were any other woman, he would have cut her lose days ago. He didn’t chase women, they chased him.
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