Chapter 10

Chapter

Ten

December 14 th

2:27 P.M.

A smile hadn't left his face all morning.

Donovan felt like he was floating on cloud nine.

The most perfect first date ever had ended with more than he had expected. Given her reticence to just going out on a date with him, there was no way he would have expected Jessica to be okay with sex.

Yet she was.

More than that, she’d seemed to need it.

It had been amazing, not that he had expected anything different, but more importantly it seemed to have solidified a spot for him in her life.

Since Freddie was having a sleepover at her partner Adam’s house, she’d asked him if he would like to spend the night with her. There was only one answer to that question, and he’d proved that with a kiss before settling between her legs and making her come all over again.

That had been followed by a round of shower sex before they both climbed into her bed. Long after sleep claimed her, he’d laid awake simply watching her. He had no idea what it was exactly about this woman that had him so obsessed, but he was consumed by her. Wanted to learn every single thing there was to know about her and forge bonds not just with her but with her son as well.

Love at first sight.

There was no other way to describe it.

His soul had just recognized her.

This morning, Jessica was a lot more relaxed around him and they’d talked more while he cooked her breakfast. They’d spent the morning together, and he’d only headed out when it was time for her to go and pick up her son.

As much as he’d love to just pick them both up and move them into his place so he could see them every day, he understood and respected why Jessica had to move more cautiously. While he knew for certain that she felt the same magnetic pull as he did, she had a child to consider.

So, he would play things the same way his stepfather had when he started dating Donovan’s mom. From the very beginning, the man he now called dad had made it clear that he was interested not just in their mom but in them as well. He’d spent time with them one-on-one, taken them out on “dates” without their mom as well as family “dates” where they could all get to know one another. It wasn't just that he’d bought them lots of stuff, although as kids they had loved the gifts, it was that he made them feel important and valued, something their biological dad never had.

That’s what he wanted to do with Jessica and Freddie. Show them that he could be there for them both, that they would never have to worry about whether or not he was trustworthy. He’d fight any dragon that tried to hurt them no matter what it was.

Which was why he was still grinning as he sat in his office.

Although it was Saturday, he’d been taking more time off lately. Between Jessica and Freddie, and the stalker who managed to remain undetected despite reaching out to him numerous times, he’d fallen behind on a few things. Since he employed only the best of the best, he wasn't worried about it affecting business. His employees could and had been picking up the slack, but he was still the boss, and he needed to spend a few hours today checking in and making sure everything continued to run smoothly.

Just as he typed in his password, his phone dinged with an incoming text.

His smile grew wider as he reached for his cell, expecting the text to be from Jessica.

That smile slid off his face when he saw the text.

You don’t get to date

A cold shiver rocketed through him.

The stalker knew he’d been out with Jessica last night.

The police had been involved in this mess from almost the beginning, since as soon as he realized it wasn't just someone wanting to mess with him a little but someone who could become a legitimate threat. The texts had progressed to his car being vandalized, and blood filled balloons being thrown at him while he was entering and exiting the building. Then it was attempted break ins at his penthouse, and threatening letters being delivered to his office.

Pretty quickly the cops had settled on a suspect. A former employee who had been caught filtering money out of clients’ accounts and into his own. Instead of owning up to it, the man had doubled down, insisted he was being framed, and thrown a huge fit when he was fired. According to the cops, after losing his job the man had then lost his wife who had committed suicide when their lavish lifestyle was ripped away from them when the stolen money was reclaimed.

Hard as he knew the cops were working on locating the man, he’d seemingly disappeared off the face of the Earth. He used a new disposable cell every time he texted, they had no idea where he was living, or how he was supporting himself since he wasn't accessing bank accounts.

Yet he was hanging around close enough that he knew Donovan was now dating a woman. Had he watched them last night? Did he know where Jessica lived? What would he wind up doing to her if Donovan kept dating her?

Those were questions he didn't want to know the answers to.

What was he supposed to do now?

Did he break up with Jessica, destroy the threads of trust they were building, in an effort to keep her safe and out of his stalker’s firing line?

Could he do that?

Could he just walk away from her, knowing that even when the stalker was caught, he might not get a second chance with her?

Jessica’s heart was still healing from her ex’s betrayal, and he was all too aware that in these early stages, all it would take was one wrong move and he’d lose her for good.

But at least she’d be alive.

Fear over what his stalker could do left him almost paralyzed.

It felt like he was in a no-win situation, and whatever choice he wound up making he could lose everything.